Zalando Integrates Re&Up Recycled Cotton into Private Label Collection

According to company reports, Zalando has launched a commercial T-shirt collection using textile-to-textile recycled cotton from Re&Up, marking the first integration of the Turkish recycler’s Next-Gen Cotton into the online fashion retailer’s private-label assortment. Re&Up operates recycling plants with a combined annual capacity of 80,000 tonnes.

The five-piece collection is available across Zalando’s YOURTURN and Even&Odd private labels. The T-shirts use circular-knit fabric made with 80% organic cotton and 20% Re&Up Next-Gen Cotton.

Re&Up, a subsidiary of Turkish industrial group Sanko, processes pre- and post-consumer textile waste through automated sorting, deconstruction and decolorization to produce fibers for commercial textile applications. Its recycled materials can be used in products including T-shirts, sweaters, trousers, bed sheets and sportswear.

The collaboration moves textile-to-textile recycling beyond limited pilot projects and into commercial apparel production. For brands, integrating recycled fibers into everyday garments provides a way to test material performance, consistency and supply at commercial scale while maintaining established product specifications.

Re&Up currently operates two industrial-scale plants with a combined annual capacity of 80,000 tonnes of recycled cotton and polyester. The company plans to increase capacity to 200,000 tonnes in the near term and ultimately reach 1 million tonnes globally by 2030.

Özgür Atsan, Chief Commercial Officer of Re&Up, said industrial-scale circularity is becoming operational and that partnerships with brands can help move recycled materials from pilot projects into repeatable commercial production.

Re&Up has also obtained Cradle to Cradle Certified Circularity certification across its product range, with its recycled cotton fibers receiving Platinum-level recognition.

For Zalando, the private-label portfolio provides a channel for introducing new materials into commercial products. Frederic Teufel, Commercial Director for Private Labels at Zalando, said the collection combines accessible price points, quality and new materials while meeting the company’s product standards.

The partnership comes as Europe faces a growing textile waste challenge. An estimated 13.3 million tonnes of post-consumer textile waste were generated in Europe in 2025, increasing pressure on fashion companies to improve collection, reuse and recycling.

By incorporating Re&Up’s recycled cotton into a commercial private-label range, Zalando is creating a direct application for textile-to-textile recycled fibers within its apparel supply chain. The initiative also illustrates how recyclers and fashion brands can move from material trials toward recurring commercial use.

Source: RE&UP

SUNSHINE Spotlight: Zalando’s five-piece private-label T-shirt collection uses 20% Re&Up Next-Gen Cotton, providing a commercial application for textile-to-textile recycled fibers from a recycler with 80,000 tonnes of annual capacity.