We’re seeing a lot of brands turning post-consumer textile waste into new garments at the moment, but this new collaboration between Edwin USA and STELAPOP takes the process in a slightly different direction.
Using textile waste collected from Edwin customers’ old jeans and off-cuts from manufacturing, STELAPOP has created a collection of smart homeware objects made from a wood-alternative material. The limited edition series currently includes coasters, serving trays and small storage boxes to tidy up any desk or home office setup.
Based in Thailand, STELAPOP repurposes consumer textiles to prevent them from entering landfill. It breaks down textiles into fibers which are then binded with natural rubber to form a new material. The material is shaped into flat panels which can be used in objects that might usually use wood. Not only does STELAPOP aim to find new life for old textiles, it’s ambition is to also reduce our wood dependency.
An astounding 25-60 pairs of blue jeans go into making each 4×8 ft. panel. For this collection, the panels are then cut and assembled into various household objects. Because of the different denims that STELAPOP processes, the items are available in different colors that show off the original fabrics. The Tarus and Jet Blacks have a marble-like quality while the indigo results in a patterned finish called Blue Hulk.
STELAPOP CEO, Aummy Ninkamhang, says, “We don’t want to produce something from waste that will just become waste again; we want people to appreciate it, so we always ask ourselves: how can we turn waste into something that everyone will love?” In creating objects for the home, the collaboration has produced items that can be used without wear and that might just have a longer life than their predecessors.
The collaboration is made possible by Saitex, the so-called “cleanest denim manufacturer in the world” which can boast that it is the first-and-only Bluesign, Fair Trade and LEED approved denim factory on the planet. The manufacturer aims to reduce water use in denim production while also being supported by renewable energy sources and supporting local communities. Its factories produce the original Edwin USA jeans.
Speaking about the collaboration, Kevin Child, Director of Marketing at Edwin USA, says, “closing the loop and providing a purpose for our jeans after the consumer is done with them has been a major focus of ours and we’re thrilled to have found that solution through STELAPOP and their expertly crafted products.”
A wider array of homeware and furniture including tables, bookcases, chairs and clothes hangers, will be made available soon.
Shop the current collection now on the Edwin USA website.