Uniqlo extends clothing recycling and reuse drive

Japan – Japanese clothing store Uniqlo has begun rolling out an All-Product Recycling Initiative (APRI) across its stores in the USA, the UK and France.

Uniqlo began a fleece-only recycling programme in Japan a decade ago as part of its corporate social responsibility activities. In 2006, the project was expanded to include all clothing and given the APRI badge. Initially, the company had intended to recycle clothing for industrial use but most of the items received were still wearable and so the focus was shifted from recycling to reuse. As in Japan, clothing collected at Uniqlo’s US stores will be donated to refugee camps with the co-operation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The US initiative has been kicked off at the clothing brand’s Soho store in New York City. Customers can donate their used items in official Uniqlo All-Product Recycling boxes. Uniqlo aims to introduce the project in every country where it operates. According to the brand, it had collected more than 11.5 million articles of clothing as of July this year.