Level 3 Fashion & Textiles Students Explore Project Re:claim: Turning Textile Waste into New Materials

Our Level 3 Fashion and Textiles course recently visited The Salvation Army and their new groundbreaking Project Re:claim facility. This trip provided students with a first-hand look at how the fashion industry is tackling textile waste. 

Project Re:claim is a joint venture between Salvation Army and Project Plan B, and is the UK’s first commercial-scale plant dedicated to recycling post-consumer polyester textiles.

Jaime Hartley, Lecturer in Fashion said, “Our visit offered students outstanding primary research into how the fashion industry can reduce waste and environmental impact. Seeing the full journey of recycled textiles and polyester, from discarded garments to newly spun threads, highlighted the importance of recycling clothing and designing with sustainability at the forefront.”

Jaime added, “Experiences like this remind us that the future of fashion depends on conscious decision-making, responsible material choices, and a deep awareness of our environmental footprint. Our students play a key role in shaping that future, and this visit has strengthened their understanding of how ethical, sustainable design can drive meaningful change in the industry.”

The plant’s main goal is to solve the massive problem of polyester textile waste. It works by taking used garments and other textiles that would normally be sent to landfill and recycling them into raw material. This valuable material is then supplied straight back into the fashion and textile industries to make new products. Currently, many clothes are not designed to be recycled, which greatly adds to the waste issue.

By visiting Project Re:claim, our students learned that textiles can now be designed for a ‘circular’ future. This means they can be stylish and functional while ensuring they don’t harm the environment at the end of their life. The facility opens up amazing opportunities for future designers to create clothing without compromising on fashion, performance, or the planet, inspiring our students to lead the way in sustainable design.