ReBlend, a Dutch circular fashion and textile startup, transforms textile waste into fabrics and yarns that get a second life as fashion or interior design pieces. What started as an experiment in 2013 has grown into a sustainable producer who closely collaborates with designers, brands and other producers to achieve its mission: using only recycled materials for its textiles and yarns.

The first raw material that ReBlend processes in an environmentally friendly manner (using no water, chemicals or dyes) is post-consumer textile waste from which all zippers and buttons have been removed. In batches of up to 3.000 kilograms, these textiles are shredded to new fibers and spun into yarn by a Spanish manufacturer, after which they move on to a Dutch manufacturer who transforms them into fabrics. ReBlend’s second raw material are PET bottles which are turned into recycled polyester. The result are fabrics that consist of 70% textile leftovers and 30% recycled polyester, and which can be re-recycled up to three or four times. (A series of experiments in 2013 showed that fabrics consisting only of textile surplus were not strong enough.)

Though they’re absolutely dye-free, ReBlend fabrics are available in a range of colors. The brand’s secret? Carefully sorting its materials! Mixing variously colored textile waste yields a grey color, while textile waste containing a lot of jeans guarantees a blue hue. Post-industrial textile waste, like trimmings left on a manufacturer’s cutting room floor, can be used to make yellow fabrics.