Gipuzkoa lends a shoulder to sustainable fashion industry

Old clothes in this region will get the upcycling treatment

The provincial website of Gipuzkoa (Basque Country) reported that it plans to expand the UPCYCLING project by introducing a specialized clothes-collecting container at the Urbil Shopping Centre in Usurbil. The initiative targets more than just extending the useful life of worn-out textiles. It counts with collaboration from the AEG Ikastetxea training centre, whose students will use the materials for their future designs – sparking in a sense circularity in the fashion industry.

Upcycling is about adding value to old products

Upcycling is the process that allows obtaining a higher value product than if the product is simply recycled. In this case, clothing items or textiles are transformed into new and fashionable garments, thanks to the work of designers. 

This project first started four years ago when a clothing container was installed in the Garbera Shopping Centre. In its four ‘editions’ there it collected more than 7 tons of clothes until the Covid pandemic paralyzed the initiative.

Now, with the restart, for two months citizens can deposit clothing or textile material that they no longer use, thus giving a second life to these garments and fabrics. With the materials collected, the students from the AEG Ikastetxea fashion school will make new designs that will be presented in the sixth edition of the Sustainable Fashion show, which will take place next November at the Miramar Palace.

According to José Ignacio Asensio, Gipuzkoa Environmental Deputy, the project success shows "the high degree of environmental awareness of citizens" highlighting the "fantastic" work of the student designers. He also underlined the contribution of the Upcycling project as “a project that shows the way to create wealth and employment in Gipuzkoa in a sustainable way”.

“This initiative arose with the aim of sensitizing the fashion sector and also the public and I believe that in Gipuzkoa we are taking important steps in this direction," he concluded.