Recycled Cotton Towels: Where They Make Sense and Where They Don't

Short answer: recycled cotton is made by shredding cutting waste or used textiles back into fibre. Shredding shortens the fibre, so the yarn is weaker and sheds more than yarn from new cotton. It works well in products that are washed gently or valued for their look. It is a poor choice for a white hotel bath towel that must survive hundreds of hot washes.

How it is made

• Pre-consumer waste: offcuts from cutting rooms and spinning waste. Clean, sorted by colour, consistent.
• Post-consumer waste: used clothing and textiles. Mixed fibres and colours, harder to sort.

The waste is shredded mechanically, then spun again, usually blended with new cotton or polyester to give the yarn enough strength.

What that does to a towel

Where it makes sense

• Beach and pool towels in colours and stripes, flat-woven or low pile.
• Throws and blankets.
• Kitchen and cleaning cloths.
• Retail towels sold on their look and their story, washed at home.
• Promotional and gift items.

Where it doesn't

• White hotel bath towels. They need long, strong fibre to survive hot washing, bleach and a tunnel washer.
• Linen-hire stock, where wash-life is the margin.
• Hospital and care linen.
• Anything sold as "100% cotton, long-lasting".

The environmental case can also reverse. A towel that lasts 60 washes instead of 200 has to be made, shipped and thrown away three times as often. The greenest towel is usually the one that lasts longest. See cost per wash.

A sensible middle

• Use recycled cotton where the product is washed gently: throws, beach towels, bags and packaging.
• Use new, durable cotton where the product is washed hard.
• Use recycled or paper packaging everywhere.

What you can claim

Recycled content is a factual claim and needs proof.

Recycled-content certificates such as GRS or RCS sit with the certified units that make the yarn and fabric, not with Anabyn. We confirm what is available for your order before you print anything. See product claims you can prove.

What to ask a supplier

• What percentage is recycled, and is it pre-consumer or post-consumer?
• What is it blended with?
• Can I see a sample washed ten times?
• Which certificate covers it, and in whose name?
• What colours are available without dyeing?

What we offer

We make towels in 100 percent cotton, combed cotton, poly-cotton and recycled cotton. For recycled cotton we will tell you plainly whether it suits your use. If you run a hotel laundry, we will probably steer you to new cotton for bath linen and suggest recycled content elsewhere.

See our page for recycled cotton towels. To get a sample and a straight opinion, tell us how the towel will be used.