All-Product Recycling Initiative

The All-Product Recycling Initiative began in 2001 with the Fleece Recycling Program, which was expanded to include all collected UNIQLO items beginning in 2006. Through this initiative, we reuse and recycle products received from our customers with the objective of ensuring the products serve beneficial purposes across their lifecycle with nothing wasted. Our initial intention was to recycle the clothes as fuel, but with the cooperation of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), we started donating the clothes to refugee camps. After recognizing once more the great need for clothing and the critical role it plays, our focus has shifted from recycling to reuse. To that end, approximately 90% of the clothing we collect is donated to refugee camps the world over, including those in Nepal, Ethiopia and Georgia. To facilitate our decision-making process, we not only check shortages of clothing but also conduct research on levels of demand, taking into consideration season and size, religiously appropriate colors, and details concerning differences in local culture. In addition, to avoid theft and reselling during transit to the refugees, we go to the sites ourselves and distribute the items with the cooperation of the UNHCR.