Built on the textile heritage of its home state, Recover Brands, a sustainable apparel manufacturer based in Charlotte, N.C., has launched its Made-In-The-Carolinas line of clothing and accessories.
The collection, which features shirts, socks and a beanie, is entirely made within a 150-mile radius of the company’s headquarters.
What’s more, according to Recover, the collection is made from 100 percent recycled and sustainable clothing and accessories, and by sourcing everything from recycled plastic and upcycled cotton, to cut and sew and distribution so close to Charlotte will also help reduce their carbon emissions.
“We’re based in North Carolina and so NC textiles are in our DNA,” Recover co-founder Bill Johnston said. “Supporting our textile heritage and local communities is so important to us, so we want to do everything we can to support our local economy.”
Johnson said the Made-In-The-Carolinas line is “near and dear” to him, since he grew up in a textile town in North Carolina.
“Ultimately, we want to create that sense of pride in protecting the environment in all of the communities that we work with,” he said. “In addition to creating jobs and meaning for people, localizing our supply chain has a lot of other benefits. Being connected to our supply chain on a daily basis creates even higher quality control and significantly reduces our carbon footprint.”
A sample of the products in the line are the Recover Woods Socks and the Recover Beanie. The Woods Sock is a nine-inch, medium-weight crew for Fall. A flat knit top allows breathing on long hikes and the weight provides cushion for protection, he company noted. The Recover Beanie is made from a 50 percent recycled PET and 50 percent upcycled cotton blend.
“Developing our Recover Local line not only minimizes the environmental footprint in making product, it also allows better quality control of the finished product, as we’re able to be more hands-on with the entire manufacturing process,” Johnston added.
Recover said its method of creating comfortable active apparel out of discarded plastic bottles and recycled cotton has resulted in a 35 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, 66 percent less energy consumption and a 55 percent reduction in water consumption compared to traditionally made products. The company also doesn’t use dye in the creation of its shirts, opting instead to presort the plastic and cotton by color.