Smartwool recycling project gives old socks a new life

Smartwool, a company that makes Merino wool-based socks and apparel, announces its Second Cut Project in April, with the goal of collecting 400,000 old socks through its annual retail take-back event as part of its ongoing circularity initiatives.

While most people give their old clothes, a recent Smartwool survey found that many people don’t recycle because they don’t know how to recycle or don’t have the resources (46%), or because the item is fully worn out and they believe it has no value (67%).

Recycling offers numerous advantages, including the reduced environmental effects from acquiring virgin raw materials, energy savings, less garbage transported to landfills, and conservation of natural resources such as water. Smartwool hopes to educate and inspire people to adopt better recycling habits this April by inviting them to participate in the Second Cut Project by sending in their old socks.

The Second Cut Project was first introduced by Smartwool in April 2021 to assist alleviate the apparel industry’s textile waste problem, with only 12% of clothing materials recycled globally and socks being one of the most discarded items of clothing. Last year’s sock take-back collection saved over 12,000 pounds of material from landfills, and Smartwool partnered with North Carolina-based Material Return, which turned that waste into the Second Cut K9 Camp Cushion.

To give old socks a second shot at life, Smartwool is partnering with Material Return, a unique circularity platform within The Industrial Commons group that delivers local and sustainable textile production and waste solutions. Smartwool will use the 400,000 socks collected this year to manufacture recycled yarn for use in future circular products.

Alicia Chin, Smartwool’s Senior Manager of Sustainability and Social Impact, said that with the reintroduction of their Second Cut Project, they are one step closer to meeting their 100% circularity goal by 2030. They’re devoted to discovering new ways to manufacture to reduce their environmental effect, and the Second Cut Project lets customers help them out by recycling their socks at their retail partners.

Molly Hemstreet, Co-Executive Director of The Industrial Common, said that recycling is excellent for the economy as well as the ecology. Recycling uses materials from within the United States and supports American jobs in the recycling and manufacturing industries, demonstrating how environmental practices benefit both people and the environment. They’re interested in finding local solutions to industrial issues, and the Second Cut Project with Smartwool is an excellent example of community-based problem-solving in action.

From April 11 to 24, Smartwool will launch its take-back collection at selected retail locations around the country. Participants can also choose a free mail-in bag on Smartwool.com to send in any brand of old socks for recycling.