Circularity + 2nd Home
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Cayla Zelanis
Every year, the US generates 21 billion pounds of post-consumer textile trash. We at Coyuchi are closing the loop on textile creation and saying “no” to waste. Because the planet isn’t disposable, and your linens shouldn’t be either.
Since 1991 we have been evaluating the full life of a product — from the farm or ranch where the fiber is produced to where that product ends up. That’s why we use only organic cotton and other natural fibers, we actively work with industry partners to ensure environmental performance at our production facilities, and we’re continuing to expand our circular program: 2nd Home by Coyuchi.
An organic decision for your home helps to preserve our precious soil and waterways against the harmful effects of pesticides, herbicides, synthetic fertilizers and other conventional (non-organic) agricultural runoff that contributes to global warming, climate change, soil degradation, and pollution. When you choose organic vs. conventional cotton, it's a choice to support (source Textile Exchange):
- 46% reduced global warming potential
- 70% less acidification potential
- 26% reduced eutrophication potential (soil erosion)
- 91% reduced blue water consumption
- 62% reduced primary energy demand
Eventually all goods — even the purest organic textiles — reach the end of their life cycles. Our innovative takeback program, 2nd Home, keeps fresh linens in the home and finished linens out of landfills.
What is 2nd Home?
2nd Home by Coyuchi is our newest program that’s closing the loop on textile waste, offering customers the option to send their used Coyuchi linens back to us when they’re ready to move on using a prepaid shipping label. In return, you receive a 15% discount code to replenish their linen supply with something new. Ready to give your linens a Second Home? Simply start here >
What happens to the retired linens?
Once we receive retired linens from 2nd Home by Coyuchi, we send them along to our partners at The Renewal Workshop — a zero waste facility where used Coyuchi linens go to be upcycled, recycled, and renewed. The circular and sustainable solution to discarded apparel and textiles, The Renewal Workshop uses environmentally conscious methods to keep textiles out of the trash, and put them back in circulation.
- First, we determine if the product should be renewed, upcycled, or recycled. If it’s renewable, the linens are sent to be cleaned in the least wasteful and most effective way: with liquid CO2 to remove oils, particulates, and odor that degrade the product.
- If the product cannot be renewed, the material is upcycled into something new.
- If the material is too damaged to be used again, it is aggregated for recycling. Textile recycling is new to the home market, so Coyuchi is contributing research to a pilot program that addresses this growing need.
“Coyuchi leads the industry in circular innovation and business models. Our partnership extends the incredible sustainability work that the brand does with Fair Trade and organic cotton to take full responsibility for everything the brand makes throughout the product’s life-cycle. I am constantly inspired by the innovation of the company to push the industry to look at ownership models for homegoods through the Coyuchi 2nd Home program. Coyuchi shows the world that products can be circular and the future of business can be zero waste.”-Nicole Bassett, Co Founder of The Renewal Workshop
The Growing Impact Of Circularity
Since beginning our partnership with The Renewal Workshop only three years ago, Coyuchi’s impact-to-date of renewing products vs. making new products, has resulted in saving the equivalent of:
- The energy of 2,227 light bulbs per year
- The carbon of 1,924 gallons of gas
- The water of 25 Olympic swimming pools
- 33,953 lbs of toxic chemicals saved
- 19,031 lbs of textile waste diverted from landfill
Coyuchi has taken back 19,031 lbs (approximately 2,500 units) of fabric:
- 83% of the product we have received from our customers can be mended, cleaned, and resold in our store
- The remaining 17% can be recycled — we plan to use 60% of this fabric to make our very first recycled product this year
- Around 5,000 lbs of product have been renewed and resold year-to-date from this program
Introducing Coyuchi's First Recycled Blanket
Because we're committed to closing the loop, later this year we will be releasing our first fully circular blanket. Made from a blend of new and recycled Coyuchi fibers, this innovative blanket will be the first of its kind — putting us on track to become the first in the home industry to make a new product using only our own organic materials.
Our goal is to be the leader in circular home textiles in the same manner we’ve done in organic textiles. We are uniquely positioned to take this step because of our existing transparent supply chain of only the safest inputs into the product, so we can also pave the way for other brands to take steps toward sustainability. Coyuchi could not be more thrilled to pilot a recycled product using our own fiber as the final proof of concept that we can close the loop.-Eileen Mockus, CEO of Coyuchi
Each blanket will contain 50% recycled material and 50% organically grown material, all sourced and processed with the same care and responsibility that we put into every Coyuchi product. No new dyes will be added — all color will come from the original and recycled fibers. Although the recycled fibers come from Coyuchi product, they are not eligible for our usual organic certification. It is, however, certified to the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), and will be created at one of our trusted partner facilities.
Coyuchi linens are made to last lifetimes, but when you are ready to move on to something new, you can feel your best knowing that the linens you've loved will never go to waste.
