I:CO offers collection, recycling, sorting and distribution services for post-consumer textile waste and is currently active in more than 60 countries.

A huge amount of clothes and shoes are sold around the world every year: almost 150 million tonnes. Most of these end up in landfills or get incinerated instead of being recycled or reused. This wasting of valuable resources is causing serious harm to our environment. Key reasons for this are low awareness among consumers as well as a lack of structures allowing for collection in many countries. The linear supply chain approach based on a take-make-waste business model is not sustainable.

I:CO's take-back system offers a resource-efficient and economical solution in a simple and effective way. Pre-loved clothing and shoes from customers get collected in partner stores or online. Logistics, sorting and transfer of those items to recycling loops will then be organized by I:CO.

- Point of Sale: Consumers can bring their pre-loved clothing/shoes to the participating stores and in return, they receive a reward incentive (e.g. a coupon).

- Sorting: Collection and transport to nearest sorting and/or recycling facility individually tailored to the retail partner's needs and processes. The sorting process is mostly done by hand in more than 60 countries.

- Preparation for Recycling: Identification and separation of the materials is vital for recycling. I:CO supports technical innovation such as automatic identification methods to increase process efficiency.

- Reuse: Reusing clothing and shoes is the best way to reduce its environmental impact. Items that are still good to wear are therefore kept and sold as second-hand goods.

- Closed Loop Recycling: Some of the items that are unwearable can be used for the production of new clothes or shoes, remaining in a closed loop within the textile industry. I:CO collaborates with several partners on these sort of projects, to meet the technical and material-specific challenges that come with it.

- Textile Industry: Fibers of clothes are recovered and spun into yarn that gets incorporated into the supply chain of partner company, e.g. for innovative denim projects. For shoes, rubber granules from the recycling of old shoes can be used for new shoe soles.

- Open Loop Recycling (for various Industries): The industrial recycling of PCW (Post Consumer Waste) gets organised by I:CO after the separation of the material. The majority of fibers are currently used for insulation material, both for the automotive and construction industries. Together with partner companies, I:CO regularly conducts "Circularity Projects" to explore new ways of recycling.

Photo source: https://www.ico-spirit.com/de/