Collection of "sleeping cashmere"
"Cashmere upcycle"
"I can't wear it anymore because it has holes and stains."
“I can’t bear to throw away my beloved knitwear.”
UTO's cashmere knit is
A piece of clothing that is made to order, “one piece for you.”
Because it's a knit that you'll love,
We receive many such "customer comments".
Therefore, we have started the ``Cashmere Knit Upcycling'' project, in which we take over the ``dormant UTO cashmere'' and recycle it ourselves.
The UTO knits donated by our customers from over 20 years ago were used with great care.
Donate your sleeping cashmere
Would you like to have a “new look”?
"There's a hole in it" "It's sleeping in the closet"
Do you have “UTO cashmere”?
If you donate, we will pick it up and give you a `` new coupon (20% OFF) ''.
Upcycle your precious cashmere with us!
Process of recycled cashmere
①Application for collection
Apply for "Knit Donation (Collection)".
*Applicable only to "UTO cashmere knits" *To apply, click "at the bottom of this page"
Once you have collected 200 pieces, it's time for the next step.
② Organize unnecessary parts such as tags, buttons, shrink threads, etc.
From here on, it's the work of the Hanmou craftsmen.
First, remove any shrink threads (ribs, etc.), buttons, linking threads, etc. from non-100% recyclable cashmere.
③ Return to cotton
The organized knit is then shredded into smaller pieces, and then returned to cotton using a machine.
④Add virgin cashmere raw material
The separated cotton is too fine to be made into yarn (spun), so we mix it with virgin cashmere raw materials to transform it into cotton that can be spun.
⑤Spinning
Cotton mixed with "virgin cashmere" is spun into thread at a world-class spinning company in Japan. It is upcycled "100% highest grade cashmere thread".
⑥Completion/To the next user
This is a Japanese-made upcycled cashmere sweater knitted with the highest grade cashmere yarn. We will sell it after completion.
(Those who donate will be given priority information about this product.)
Number of tickets donated (current)
44/200 sheets
For donations (requests for collection) of “UTO cashmere knits,”
Please apply using the " Application Form " below.
Those who donate will receive a `` coupon (20% OFF) '' that can be used when purchasing a new item .
Thoughts on service (from UTO President Uto)
A lightweight and warm cashmere knit that you love. It's not cheap at all, and since I took a lot of courage when I bought it, I'm sure I'll take good care of it. To be honest, it is handled differently than knits made of other materials.
When it comes to cashmere, the more often you wear it, the more often you wear it, and the cashmere has stains, moth bites, fading, and other signs of wear, so even though you hardly ever wear it anymore, you can't bring yourself to throw it away.
I also have an attachment to it because it was made by my own company, and the longer I wear it, the more it becomes a part of my body, so I can't put it down.At home, I wear a cardigan with holes in the elbows. I love using it. I don't feel like throwing it away rather than it being a waste.
I have been thinking for many years, ``Is it possible to revive the old UTO cashmere once again?''
I am wondering if it is possible to revive this product because it is a product that has been made using the world's top cashmere raw materials.
It's easy and fun to talk about and plan your hopes and dreams for upcycling cashmere, but when it comes to putting them into action, you realize that it's a lot of work.
First, you must collect "at least 200" sweaters. If you don't do it right, it could end up costing more than a new product, or if you collaborate with some media...
Just when I was having trouble thinking about it, I received a call from a customer who loves UTO's cashmere products, saying, ``I have some UTO cashmere that I've worn out and don't wear anymore, but I don't feel like throwing it away, so can I recycle it?'' I received it.
The most difficult part is "collecting sweaters". However, we decided based on the voices of our customers, ``There must be other customers who can't throw them away,'' and ``Let's do it even if it takes time.''
Only one color in the world
Finest upcycled cashmere sweater
The method of upcycling cashmere begins with re-wetting the product.
We know that UTO's cashmere products are made from the highest quality raw material, but when it is returned to cotton, the fibers are cut and shortened, so virgin cotton, which has long fibers, is added to ensure the fiber length before spinning. Even if you add virgin cotton and spin it, the original average fiber length will not be restored, so the yarn will be thicker than normal, and the sweater should be a ``thicker 7 gauge'' instead of the ``12 gauge'' of the UTO basic sweater.
If knits are gathered together and remade, I think we will be able to create a unique and attractive knit that combines the various colors of everyone who donated. We are planning to sell the revived recycled sweater to everyone.
I'm really happy that one of our suppliers put in the effort and said, ``I think it's much more difficult than making a new product.''
It's a dream-like project, but I'm thinking, ``It would be great if I could somehow make it a success and wear the revived cashmere together!''
↑↑ Upcycled cashmere is ↑↑
“I wonder if it will be like this,” I thought, my heart swelled with anticipation.
"Voices from customers" who donated
We were also happy to receive ``thoughts about the donation'' from the customers who made the donation. I would like to introduce some of them.
Due to changes in our lifestyle, there are items that we don't get to wear anymore, but we would like to donate them because they were carefully made and we have a lot of love for them. Since our lifestyle has changed completely, there are some items that we are no longer able to utilize as before, which is a bit of a pain. This is a cashmere product that has been carefully grown and made, so I would be very happy if it could be used in someone's hands again.
From a customer who has been ordering and using UTO cashmere knits every year for over 25 years. “I started getting new knitwear and was having trouble figuring out what to do with the knitwear that was sitting in my closet.It was a waste and I couldn’t throw it away, so this was a good opportunity.”
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