Kloth Cares, a movement under Kloth Circularity, is proud to announce the expansion of its fabric recycling movement to Perak, marking another milestone in their journey towards a more circular and sustainable Malaysia. This strategic expansion is in response to rising clothing waste generated by Malaysians due to overconsumption and growing public demand for more accessible fabric recycling points across the country.
In the first phase of its expansion in Perak, Kloth Cares has collaborated with Shell Retail and AEON Malls to install fabric recycling bins in the following locations:
- Shell Retail Stations: Jalan Lahat Ipoh, Anjung Tawas IGB, Jalan Kuala Kangsar Taman Milee, Lebuhraya Ipoh-Lumut, Pasir Puteh, Jalan Hospital Ipoh, Jalan Tambun, Tanjung Rambung, Pusing, Bercham Taman Medan and Tun Abdul Razak Maxwell.
- AEON Malls: Ipoh Klebang, Ipoh Station 18 and Kinta City.
This initiative offers an accessible platform for the people of Perak to recycle their unwanted clothing and fabric items responsibly. “While at least 95% of textiles and clothing are recyclable, vast amounts still end up in landfills and incinerators. To address the issue, Kloth Cares, which is guided by our 5R Principles of ‘Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, Recycle,’ is determined to educate the community and work with various stakeholders to make recycling accessible for all,” says Nik Suzila Hassan, who is the co-founder of Kloth Circularity. Everyone is encouraged to recycle garments, including underwear, clothing accessories (i.e., scarves, belts, socks, stockings, gloves, caps, hats, hair accessories, costume jewellery), footwear, bags, towels and children’s toys.
In collaboration with Life Line Clothing Malaysia as their fabric recycling operator, the donated garments are mostly exported to developing countries through the global textiles and clothing recycling market, and some are sold or distributed locally too. Besides, the fabric items are donated to the Kloth Woman Up ladies, who are Malaysians from the economically struggling communities, to produce upcycled merchandise and gifts and earn income from creative sewing. To date, over 47,000 pieces of upcycled goods have been sewn and sold by buyers who are predominantly corporate.
This expansion underscores the shared commitment of Kloth Circularity, SHELL Retail and AEON Malls to champion environmental responsibility and textile circularity. Additionally, Kloth Circularity is calling for other companies and institutions to collaborate for the bin adoption programme as they are targeting to install more bins at shopping malls, community centres, places of worship, academic institutions and other publicly accessible sites. Since Kloth Cares’ formation in 2018, it has collected and recycled over 12 million kg of unwanted textiles and clothing, which is equivalent to over 72 million pieces of t-shirts. Each contribution to a Kloth Cares recycling bin nurtures a habit of fabric recycling, paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable Malaysia. For more information and bin locations, please visit www.klothcircularity.com.
