Recycle

We should use our valuable materials for a long time, reuse them often and recycle them in order to significantly reduce the burden on nature. This applies not only to products, but also to their packaging. Recycling and reusing materials not only saves energy and other resources, but also reduces the high volume of waste. We use recycled materials to close the material loop and promote the demand for recycled materials in the supply chain. The recyclability of products and packaging after use also plays an important role.

Textile-to-textile (T2T) recycling refers to the reuse of discarded textiles (post-consumer waste) or textile waste generated during production (pre-consumer waste) to manufacture new textile products. We launched a non-food pilot project here in 2024 and continue with this approach in 2026:

As an alternative to conventional or recycled polyester from PET bottles, Tchibo used recycled polyester from textile waste for four products in its Active collection in calendar week 41/2024. Long-sleeved functional shirts and thermal functional pants, in both the women's and men's collections, were made with a proportion of T2T recycled polyester. The recycled material was produced using an innovative chemical recycling process (“Green Circle” by Jiaren). This process involves producing polyester fibers from recycled textiles in order to conserve resources and reduce the amount of textile waste. The commercial use of recycled polyester from T2T for clothing is currently still in development, with the use of pre-consumer textile waste being more advanced than post-consumer waste.

In October 2026, we are revisiting this approach in the ‘Urban Athleisure’ Active collection: it includes two items from the ladies’ collection, a pair of training trousers and a functional jacket, both made from T2T fabrics. We are therefore continuing the project, which was launched in 2024, in a second Active collection.

The olive green Tchibo garden clogs, which went on sale in 2022, were designed for recycling thanks to their mono-material construction. The plastic and dyes have been tested for material health and recyclability in accordance with Cradle to Cradle Certified® Silver. After use, customers can return the clogs to the manufacturer free of charge within four years of purchase, where they can be continuously recycled into new products without any loss of quality.

Vegan, innovative, produced in Europe, with reused materials: In cooperation with the brand VLACE, we sold a vegan sneaker with coffee leather in February 2025. The so-called "Coffee Lover Sneaker," a unisex shoe, is made entirely without animal leather and consists partly of grape and coffee leather. The brown coffee leather consists of 40% coffee residue, 30% recycled cotton, and 30% water-based PU (polyurethane, plastic). The coffee leather used for this sneaker collection was made with roasting residues from our Hamburg production facility on Süder-/Wendenstraße. The roasting residues would otherwise be thrown away, but here they find a new use! By creatively upcycling production residues, we both avoid waste and reduce the use of resources for the manufacture of new products. The production took place here in Europe. To be more precise, the processing of the coffee roasting residues into leather takes place in Italy, and the shoe itself is then manufactured in Portugal. The VLACE brand collaborates with a family-run shoe manufacturer with 25 employees there, ensuring handcrafted production under fair conditions. In June 2025, our Coffee Lover Sneaker was named the winner in the "Best Vegan Sneaker" category at the PETA VEGAN AWARD FASHION 2025.

Our aim is to continuously improve the recyclability of our packaging so that the materials can be reused. In the non-food sector.