Pop star Billie Eilish has partnered with Universal Music Group's merchandise division, Bravado, to give hundreds of thousands of forgotten tour tees a new purpose, reported Fast Company.
The Grammy winner and her mother, Maggie Baird, learned that Bravado had stockpiled nearly 400,000 pieces of band merchandise in a Nashville storage facility. Some items had been sitting there for years, forgotten by previous management teams.
Rather than let these shirts continue collecting dust or end up in landfills, Eilish and Baird pushed for a creative solution.
The partnership ships these old tees across the Atlantic to Morocco, where Spanish manufacturer Hallotex turns them into cotton fibers. The company then spins these fibers into fresh yarn, creating approximately 280,000 brand-new shirts made entirely from recycled cotton. Materials that can't be turned into new clothing get shredded and repurposed as home insulation.
Merchandise has become increasingly important for musicians' income, with the global market expected to reach $16.3 billion by 2030. But unsold inventory often sits abandoned in warehouses or gets destroyed. Many donation centers won't accept large quantities of band merchandise, leaving companies with limited options.
"We are drowning in clothes on this planet, much of which is in landfills, much of which is shipped to other countries to pollute their waters and their land," Baird told FC.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
Creating each recycled shirt uses an estimated 15 liters less water than producing a new one. Across the entire batch, that adds up to 4.2 million liters of water conserved. The new shirts will debut for European fans this fall, keeping them in markets closer to the manufacturing facility to reduce transportation impact.
Eilish has championed eco-friendly merchandise throughout her career. She's collaborated with small designers on upcycled collections, requested plant-based dyes and inks that use water instead of synthetic chemicals, and educated fans about sustainability through videos played before concerts.
Her merchandise at a Québec City show last year shattered the location's previous single-day sales numbers, proving fans will support environmentally conscious products even when they cost more.
Bravado's president, Matt Young, told FC he sees this project as a starting point for industry-wide change. If more artists join the movement, North American facilities could develop similar recycling capabilities, eliminating the need for overseas shipping.
TCD Picks » Stasher Spotlight
💡Stasher's reusable food storage options make it easy and affordable to live life with less plastic
The company is absorbing the extra costs for now, hoping increased participation will eventually bring prices down.
|
Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Giving me money back 💰 
Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
