Argentum, a Mexico-based textile company, is working with an unnamed American company to bring to market a line of “circular” workwear, which will be produced by third-party factories with a “social component” attached, according to CEO Jorge Plata.
The company will collect used garments in the United States and Mexico and extract their fibers to create new clothing, Plata told online publication MDS.
Though details are scarce, the collection will be sold online in the United States. Funding for the project is split evenly between Argentum and its American partner.
At the same time, Plata notes that Argentum is seeking “strategic partners” as it expands its business into Latin America. The company, MDS reported, is looking to create connections in Brazil and Colombia, where Plata says there is scope for innovation.
“The sales and distribution channels in Latin America have been the same for 40 years; we have to focus on innovation,” he told MDS.
Argentum will close its fiscal year with revenue of between $1 million to $3 million, he added.
The company’s circular workwear won’t be the first. Dutch Awearness, based in the Netherlands, operates a closed-loop manufacturing process for its workwear using recyclable polyester. When the garments are worn out, Dutch Awearness collects them from customers, including large firms like Dutch Public Works and Volkswagen, chops them up, melts them down and then spins them into new yarn for its so-called “infinity fabrics.”
Similarly, Schoeller in Switzerland partnered with DutchSpirit to create its Inspire collection made from 100 percent polyester—60 percent of which originates from recycled plastic bottles. At the end of their life, Inspire garments can be processed into PET granulate and staple fibers to restart the cycle anew.
In April, Finnish companies Spinnova and Touchpoint announced their joint quest to create “the world’s most sustainable workwear,” which they will be making from a combination of recycled and recyclable polyester, along with Spinnova’s mechanically made cellulosic fibers.