Old socks act as raw material for new socks

Smartwool which manufactures Merino wool apparel has launched the Second Cut Hike, Sock, the VF Corp brand’s first circular sock which involves collecting and repurposing materials for deconstruction and reuse.

The reconstructed socks deliver the same comfort and performance as the brand’s Original Classic Hike Sock, claims the manufacturer thought it is made with repurposed yarn from Smartwool’s Second Cut sock takeback program.

The program was launched in 2021.
Smartwool which is stated to be a pioneer in making performance Merino wool socks has become one of the first brands to commit to a focus on sock circularity. Smartwool is re-spinning old socks into new yarn made from used socks. The repurposed yarn is blended with Merino wool to give an elasticized arch and seamless toe for comfort.

Smartwool has teamed up with a North Carolina-based circularity manufacturing facility, Material Return to develop and refine this process.

Since the Second Cut program launched in 2021, Smartwool has collected more than 725,000 socks and diverted more than 54,200 pounds of socks from landfills.

Only 14 percent of textiles are recycled according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and socks are one of the most discarded pieces of apparel.

In April 2021, Smartwool launched its Second Cut sock take-back program to drive change in eliminating waste from the apparel industry and making it easy for consumers to be part of the solution.

Through the Second Cut program, consumers can recycle any sock brand, color, size, and material, but only material from donated Smartwool socks was used to create the Second Cut sock.

The first product featuring consumer donations was Smartwool’s Second Cut K9 Camp Cushion dog beds, where donated socks were repurposed into bed filling.

Smartwool, a division of VF Outdoor, LLC, is a brand of VF Corporation.