Reet Aus UPMADE collection
Aus Design OÜ
The Reet Aus UPMADE collection relies on industrial upcycling to reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Exclusively utilizing pre-consumer fabric remnants, as in mass production, approximately 25 to 40% of new materials are considered pre-waste and end up in landfills. Through industrial upcycling, compared to conventional production, an average of 75% water and 88% energy can be saved, and carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by 80%.
Award winner 2023 in the category »Produkt«»The project turns the spotlight on the less well-known issue of pre-consumer waste in textile production. It’s a superb illustration of how crucial the design phase is for resource-efficient recycling of textile waste. And it’s an important practical guide to minimum ecodesign requirements for textile products in the EU.«
Siddharth Prakash
Three questions for Krislyn Valtson, Head of the Marketing Department
How did the idea for Reet Aus UPMADE collection come about?
UPMADE grew out of the doctoral research of Reet Aus, PhD. It started as an attempt to circulate production waste within the company.
What was your personal highlight in the development process of Reet Aus UPMADE collection? Was there a low point?
It has been a fascinating process. Since there was nowhere to learn in particular, we had to experiment a lot, and there were still moments when we felt like we could not go on. Since we work with large manufacturers in Asia, there are distances to overcome and also cultural differences.
Where do you see your project in the next five years?
Hopefully our project will grow, and the industry will understand the need to introduce industrial upcycling and the UPMADE concept will become part of normal production.
