THREAD-BY-THREAD METRICS
FABRIC PRODUCTION WASTE
Every thread tells a story. In fabric production, that story often ends too soon—cut short as offcuts, test prints, misfeeds, or unneeded trimmings. While the spotlight often falls on the beauty of the finished product, what’s left behind in the process deserves just as much attention.
At our production facility, we generate an average of 160 kilograms of fabric waste each week—approximately two tightly compacted bales. That adds up to over 8 tonnes of fabric offcuts every year. While this may be an inevitable part of large-scale textile manufacturing, it raises a fundamental question: WHAT HAPPENS TO ALL THAT WASTE?
UNDERSTANDING THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM
Let’s put those 8 tonnes into perspective:
Over 16,000 t-shirts worth of material discarded
Enough to fill multiple skip bins each month
Fabric offcuts that could cover 100 full-size rugby fields, end to end
Much of this waste consists of polyester-based substrates—strong, durable, and unfortunately, non-biodegradable. When sent to landfill, it doesn’t break down. It lingers. For decades. Possibly centuries.
What starts as high-performance print media or display-grade fabric quickly becomes part of a growing global waste issue—unless something changes.
FROM WASTE TO RESOURCE: THE SECOND THREAD™ ETHOS
That’s where Second Thread™ comes in.
Developed as part of our circular manufacturing model, Second Thread™ reimagines waste as a resource. Offcuts and post-production remnants that once had no value are now rerouted through our Back2Base program.
Here’s how it works:
Collection
All fabric waste is systematically collected, sorted, and baled at our production site.Partnership Processing
These bales are then transported to a Second Thread delivery partner—a specialist recycling facility equipped to break down the material safely and efficiently.Rebirth as Panels
The processed fabric is transformed into rigid, functional acoustic and insulation panels—durable second-life products made entirely from textile waste.Buy-Back and Reuse
We then buy back these panels and use them in our own commercial product ranges—creating a complete circular loop from production to reuse.
This isn’t just recycling—it’s upcycling with accountability.
WHY IT MATTERS
In an industry traditionally focused on speed, precision, and output, it’s easy to overlook what’s left behind. But every decision-every — every roll loaded, every square metre printed — has an environmental cost.
By confronting fabric waste head-on, we:
Reduce landfill contributions
Divert synthetic textiles from long-term pollution cycles
Support local recycling and reprocessing industries
Close the loop through buy-back and reintegration
Strengthen our commitment to sustainability and accountability
WHAT’S NEXT
Fabric production will always generate some degree of waste. But waste doesn’t have to mean loss. By tracking our output thread-by-thread, we’re identifying the moments where impact can be reduced, and systems can be improved.
8 tonnes of fabric offcuts per year is our current benchmark.
Our goal? Bring that number down, year by year—while growing our impact in the right direction.
If you're a fabric supplier, design studio, or commercial production house interested in aligning with this initiative, we invite you to connect. Together, we can reshape what waste means in our industry—and craft a better story, one thread at a time.
