For us, sustainability does not end with the manufacture of a product. It also includes the longest possible use phase and the correct disposal or reuse of products at the end of their life cycle. For this reason, we would like to show you the circular economy projects we are currently working on and give you a few tips on what you can do if you no longer wear your erlich products or they are worn out - Share, Donate, Reuse, Recycle!

Sharing is caring - Maybe you ordered an erlich product in the wrong size, or you just don't wear it that often anymore? Then give it away to friends or family members who you know will be happy about it, or sell it on at flea markets or suitable online platforms. We don't dispose of our models that have made a small mistake, but pass them on to you at a reduced price via the outlet "mit ecken und kanten".

Can't find a use for your erlich products, even though they are still in good condition? Then donate them cleaned and securely packed to an aid organisation of your choice. This way you can be sure that your clothes will arrive at the desired location. It is best to check in advance which items are really needed and whether they are to be given away in new or used condition. 
Below we have listed a few aid organisations that accept donations in kind:  

Flüchtlingshilfe Bonn e.V.  
Straßenwächter e.V.  
Blau-Gelbes Kreuz 
EMMAUS Gemeinschaft in Köln  

The page Wohin damit? helps you find social institutions in your area.

Do your erlich products show signs of use and defects so that you can no longer use them?  Then use the products for your own upcycling project. Even small amounts of fabric can be used to make scrunchies, reusable make-up wipes or small cosmetic bags. Your creativity is in demand! Upcycle your old erlich products, share them on Instagram under the hashtag #erlichgoescircular and receive a 15% discount code on your next order for your creativity. By upcycling your erlich products, you not only save important resources, but also inspire other people to come up with creative solutions for old textiles.

More and more companies are advertising "compostable" or "Cradle to Cradle®" certified products. But what does that actually mean? 

Cradle to Cradle® (C2C) certified products consist exclusively of harmless ingredients and can be returned to a biological (compostable) or technical (recyclable) cycle at the end of their life cycle. We are also trying to approach this approach and to select more C2C certified materials in the future. Some of the materials we use, e.g. our TENCEL™ Modal or our cotton (organic) are already compostable. Now we need to make more and more use of such components in order to realise a Cradle to Cradle® approach. Our primary concern is that our products should not cause any harm to the environment at the end of their life cycle and that our textiles do not end up in landfills where they take years to decompose. However, we do not see composting textiles as the most "sustainable" method of textile disposal, as compostable textiles largely end up in industrial composting facilities where they decompose under certain conditions. Even though this creates new nutrients for the natural cycle, it takes a lot of resources to produce a new garment. For this reason, we see a great advantage in reusing or recycling old textiles for as long as possible, so that fewer resources that went into the garment during the manufacturing process are lost. If you want to learn more about biodegradable and compostable products and what the difference is between the two, this article from Utopia will help you.

Take Back  
We have been working on a take-back system for our products for the last few months. Now you can return your favourite items to us after wearing them, so they can be reused or recycled into a new product of the highest possible quality. We work together with a selected textile recycler. You can find more information here.  

 What makes textile recycling difficult?  

In the long run, our goal is to develop predominantly recyclable linen and home textiles. Among other things, we want to work with materials that can be recycled into equivalent new yarns after our products have been used. However, the technologies for this are currently still in their infancy. Especially the recycling of fibre blends such as cotton and spandex into new yarns often proves to be problematic, as the different components can no longer be separated from each other and thus cannot be broken down to the individual fibre. This gives us reason to do without conventional spandex in the future, where possible, and to increase the use of mono-materials in order to guarantee a higher recycling potential of our products. More information on textile recycling and the differences between mechanical and chemical recycling can be found in this brochure, produced by the Community for a Textile Future.

If your erlich textiles are no longer suitable for one of the above disposal and recycling options, you can also throw them into a clothing container as a last resort. In this way, your garments will be sent to a collection or recycling company, which will assess and sort them to determine the best possible reuse of the textile. Since illegal containers are often set up by dubious clothing collectors, you can check whether it is a trustworthy collection before throwing it in. You can recognise this, for example, by the DZI donation seal or the FAIRwertung logo.  

But what actually happens to the textiles once they end up in the used clothing container?  

In Germany, so many textiles are sorted out and "donated" every year that they exceed the number of clothes needed for humanitarian purposes. Although a large part of the old clothes can still be reused, which saves valuable resources compared to recycling textiles, many of the old clothes end up not only in second-hand stores in this country, but are also sold to other countries outside Europe. This issue has often sparked controversial discussions in the past, as it is feared that this practice contributes to the decline of local textile industries, e.g. in Africa. For this reason, we recommend that you donate your old erlich products, share them with friends or upcycle them before disposing of them in the clothing container. It's best to think twice before buying a garment if you really need it, and take care of it so that it lasts as long as possible. Only by limiting the consumption and production of textiles can we minimise the social and ecological consequences caused by mountains of old textiles.  

However, if there is no way around the old-clothes container, wash your clothes beforehand and pack them so that they are tear-proof and weatherproof. Only heavily soiled textiles (e.g. with oil and paint stains) belong in the residual waste. Utopia has produced a small guide on the subject of clothing donations. You can find out how to recognise reputable used clothing collection points and what else you can look out for in this article from "ÖkoTest".