A couple of months ago I got one of those ‘hidden’ messages on Instagram…. Always a little hesitant to open those but for some reason I did. Much to my surprise it contained a picture of one of my sweaters from the 1990s.
Ha!
So cool that one of my pieces found its way across the planet to be swooped up and savored. This was my introduction to Hasnain Lilani and his gorgeous garment grading business called Recycle Wool based in Karachi Pakistan.
We have had several conversations and each one circles around his desire to collaborate with entrepreneurs to address our textile waste crisis through creativity.
Here is his company bio:
With Husnain’s skills and understanding of both handicrafts, textile development and thrift stream management he is a willing collaborator in his mission to solve the excessive consumption of textiles.
Recycle wool co-founded by sustainable textile researcher, Hasnain Lilani is the largest recycling company of post-consumer sweater waste based in Karachi Pakistan. Hasnain has extensive experience working in the textile industry for over 15 years.
He spent 11 years studying and engineering denim, developing 3D printed fabrics and encouraging the use of natural indigo dye in mass fabric production. Prior to that he studied and worked in the Handicraft industry in Pakistan and Europe.
After 11 years he became disenfranchised in the world of fast fashion fabric development. His passion for sustainability, developing recyclable and naturally dyed fabrics and working toward environmentally conscious production were not pursued or valuable in that arena – and he had to stop.
He and 4 of his brothers took over a family wholesale used clothing business that was suffering. Since 2016 Recycle Wool has been the largest importer and processor of post-consumer wool garment waste from around the world. In 2021 Recycle Wool imported 5000 tons of used sweaters and has an inventory of 40,000kgs of coats, jackets, and pants. Hasnain’s network of textile research in recycling is extensive. He has put in place a used textile supply chain spanning Canada, USA, France, Italy, Sweden, Japan and China.
Husnain will be featured on Day 3 of our Rags To Riches Textile Upcycling event. You are not going to want to miss his passionate commitment to environmental healing affinity for wool and opportunity to work together.
Leave questions or comments for Hasnain about Recycle Wool in the comments below. Learn more about Rags To Riches Textile Upcycling Summit. Donate to our scholarship fund. Apply for a scholarship by emailing Hello@Crispina.eco with SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION in the subject line.
