Textile-to-Textile Recycling in Stores: Fibre to Fibre Launches with Wibra
Written by Tom Atkin
Circular fashion has moved from pilot projects into affordable, high street retail. On 1 October 2026, Dutch retailer Wibra launched its first products made in collaboration with Fibre to Fibre: men's and boys' joggers and sweaters, available in Wibra stores and online from this week.
For us, this is a huge milestone. It shows that textile-to-textile recycling can reach everyday shoppers, at everyday prices, on the shelves of one of the Netherlands' most accessible retailers.
What is launching at Wibra?
The first products from the collaboration are joggers and sweaters for men and boys, a popular category made from fabrics well suited to testing new recycled materials. Prices are a key part of the story:
Men's sweater (sizes M to XXL): €12.99
Men's joggers (sizes M to XXL): €13.99
Boys' sweaters and joggers (sizes 92 to 140): €9.99
Boys' sweaters and joggers (sizes 140 to 170): €11.99
The garments contain 58% recycled material: For t-shirts, 15% of this is recycled post-consumer textile waste. For sweatshirts, 8% of this is recycled post-consumer textile waste. Revolutionary numbers!
Circular fashion often has a reputation for being a premium niche. Here, it is available at prices many families can afford.
How textile-to-textile recycling works in this collaboration
The process connects several steps of the textile chain that are rarely linked together:
In the Netherlands:
Collection and sorting: collected textile waste is sorted so that only suitable material continues in the process.
Fibre recovery: the sorted textile is mechanically broken down into loose fibres. Only fibres that are suitable for reuse are used for new products.
In Bangladesh:
Spinning and making in Bangladesh: the recovered fibres sent to Bangladesh, spun into new yarn then the garments are made.
Retail: the finished garments reach customers in Wibra stores and on the webshop.
Each partner has a clear role. Fibre to Fibre organise and track the steps in the chain, focusing on processing textile fibres into new raw materials and garments, and Wibra brings the result to customers. You can read more about how we work on our process page.
Why this matters for EPR and EU textile regulation
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for textiles, known in the Netherlands as UPV Textiel, makes producers and brands responsible for collecting and recycling their products at end of life.
France has led the way since 2007. It introduced mandatory textile EPR that year, and a single producer responsibility organisation, Refashion, runs the scheme (Ellen MacArthur Foundation). Its 2025 eco-modulations include a bonus of €1,000 per tonne for raw materials recycled from post-consumer textile waste, so France already rewards the recycled content that textile-to-textile recycling produces (Refashion).
Dutch targets are binding and rising. Under UPV Textiel, producers had to prepare 50% of the previous year's sold weight for reuse or recycling in 2025, rising to 75% by 2030. The Fibre to Fibre recycling target is 25% in 2025 and 33% by 2030 (Stichting UPV Textiel).
The first year fell short. In 2025, the Netherlands met its main target (51% against 50%) and far exceeded its reuse target (37% against 20%). Fibre to Fibre recycling reached only 14% against the 25% target (Recycling Magazine Benelux, 9 September 2026).
The EU is following. Directive (EU) 2025/1892 requires member states to transpose the rules by 17 June 2027 and to have textile EPR schemes running by 17 April 2028 (Verdant Law). Fees can be eco-modulated, which lets schemes reward the use of recycled fibres in new products (ERP).
The financial exposure is significant. The Fashion CFO Agenda 2026, by Global Fashion Agenda and BCG, estimates that textile EPR fees could raise cost of goods sold by 1.1% and cut net profit by around 4% by 2030 for a large mass-fashion player.
Fibre to Fibre is the part of the Dutch target that producers are currently missing, and it is what this collaboration puts into practice.
This creates a practical question for every fashion brand and retailer: where will recycled fibres actually come from, and how do we turn collected textile into new garments rather than downcycled products?
Collaborations like this one are the answer. They create demand for recycled fibres, show what is needed to use old textile in existing production chains, and help brands prepare for upcoming requirements such as the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and Digital Product Passports. For more on this, read our guides on a working model for EU textile law compliance and circular fashion production and EU regulations.
What other retailers and brands can learn
The Wibra launch offers a few practical lessons for buying, sourcing and sustainability teams:
Start with high-volume basics. Joggers and sweaters (jersey) sell in large numbers, which makes them a good place to test recycled content at scale.
Connect the whole chain. Collection, recycling, spinning and garment production need to work together, and a partner like Fibre to Fibre who oversee each step makes this easier.
Be transparent about recycled content. Say clearly what is in the garment and what is still being tested.
Plan for cost and scalability. Textile-to-textile recycling allows you to benefit from eco-modulation bonuses. This means it can be better for margins in certain countries - don't assume it's going to be more expensive!
Make it accessible. Circular fashion only has impact when customers can actually afford it.
From buying clothes to reusing them
This launch is one step in a broader approach. Wibra also works with Clevercare to help customers care for their clothes longer, and customers can return old textile in store, where it is collected and given a new destination. Together, these steps work towards a closed loop in which clothing is worn longer, collected and used again as a raw material.
Ready to bring textile-to-textile recycling into your collection?
If your buying, sourcing or sustainability team is exploring circular garment production, Fibre to Fibre can help. We turn textile waste into commercially viable yarns and materials for brands across Europe.
Contact Fibre to Fibre today to discuss how textile-to-textile recycling can become part of your next collection, or explore our cases to see what is already possible.
The Wibra joggers and sweaters are available now in Wibra stores and on the Wibra webshop.