The fashion industry is known for its wasteful practices, contributing to significant environmental damage. In the Netherlands alone, individuals dispose of an average of 40 clothing items each year, leading to excessive textile waste. If this pattern continues, it is projected that over 150 million tonnes of clothing will end up in landfills or be burned by 2050, releasing harmful toxins into the environment.

The United Repair Centre, located in De Hallen in Amsterdam-West, in partnership with sustainable brand Patagonia, recognized the urgent need to address the issue of textile waste and set out on a mission to change the fashion industry. As a cross-industry collaboration between apparel brands, consultancy groups, government agencies, NGOs, and education institutions, they aimed to make clothing repair the new norm.

The United Repair Centre provides a convenient and accessible solution to customers who want to repair their clothing items rather than discard them.

The process is simple:

Step 1: Customers purchase products from trusted brands that actively promote clothing repair services, emphasizing the importance of extending the lifecycle of clothing items.

Step 2: When accidents or wear and tear occur, customers contact the brand to repair their beloved items. The brand facilitates the process by offering an accessible form, a printable shipping label, and instructions to send the product to the United Repair Centre.

Step 3: Upon receiving the clothing item at the repair centre in the Netherlands, skilled repair experts get to work. Most repairs are completed within 10 minutes to an hour, depending on the complexity of the repair.

Step 4: The repaired item is carefully repackaged, with a focus on reusing the original packaging or using sustainable packaging solutions when necessary.

Step 5: The item is then shipped back to the customer, ready to be worn and enjoyed for many more seasons.

By extending the lifespan of pre-loved clothing through repairs, the facility aims for 300,000 clothing repairs per year and to reduce waste and water usage by approximately 20% - 30%, a move Patagonia and Makers Unite say will save at least an average of 1m kilos of textile waste, and encourage brands to make repair and reuse part of their business and revenue model.

The United Repair Centre not only addresses the issue of textile waste but also creates positive social impact. By providing training and employment opportunities to newcomers with refugee backgrounds, young adults, and individuals facing barriers to the labor market, they support local communities and promote inclusivity.

Photo by Jelle van Leest on Unsplash