Debrand has opened its first U.S. facility in Columbus, Ohio. Debrand says that this location will enhance the company's capacity to meet the increasing demand for textile sortation services. Debrand's 32,000-square-foot facility has been designed to support brands in integrating sustainability and circularity models that align with impending regulatory compliance using future-proof sortation technology and new machinery.
"The fashion industry is well beyond its tipping point with textile waste. The sheer volume of garments produced each year is becoming insurmountable, and there simply aren't enough regional solutions to address this issue at the scale required in North America," said Amelia Eleiter, CEO and co-founder of Debrand. "By expanding our footprint, we're making the investments necessary to move the industry towards a more responsible future. Not only will this help us address our current challenges with pre- and post-consumer waste, but we're also future-proofing so that once regulations pass and our clients are faced with new operational realities, we're ready to support them in lockstep to create the most impactful systems of sustainability and circularity possible."
With the emergence of the proposed extended producer responsibility (EPR) bills in major U.S. markets, the urgency for infrastructure investment to support the circular economy for textile waste has never been greater.
The facility strives to mirror the success of the company's facility in Canada, housing a fusion of automated textile sortation technology and equipment. This integration empowers scalable textile sortation, increasing capacity and capabilities to meet the growing demands of Debrand's logistics services and solutions.
"We are thrilled that Debrand is opening a new facility in our hometown," said Meghan McLane, director of product sustainability at Victoria's Secret. "As our partner, Debrand has been instrumental in advancing our end-of-life garment program. This facility is another step in building the infrastructure needed in North America to enable brands to move towards more circular models."
The new facility is poised to fuel Debrand's ongoing growth trajectory and success within the fashion and apparel sector. In the last 18 months, Debrand has diverted over 4.5 million pounds of textile waste from landfill.
