The fashion industry is responsible for a significant amount of waste, with millions of tonnes of clothing ending up in landfills each year. In Luxembourg alone, almost 10,000 tonnes of clothes are collected annually, which corresponds to almost 42 million t-shirts collected from a population of about 640,000 people. Meanwhile, in Germany people dispose of 150,000 kg of clothing every single hour.
Unfortunately, only a small percentage of these clothes end up with people in need. A large proportion (31%) is incinerated, while another large share (36%) ends up being sold to countries where these clothes ruin the local textile industry.
To tackle this issue, BENU COUTURE has adopted an UpCycling approach, which involves creating completely new fashion collections using high-quality fabrics sourced exclusively from existing clothing. By doing so, BENU COUTURE has become the first sustainable fashion label to integrate an eco-village in Luxembourg’s Greater Region.
The world is drowning in clothes. Our clothes. The oceans are full of them, as are the deserts. Clothes are not recycled. Let's stop this madness! Let's free ourselves, said BENU founder Georges Kieffer.
The team at BENU COUTURE consists of professional tailors and stylists who create a wide variety of clothing and accessories for children and adults. All of their creations come with a lifelong warranty, and the brand also provides job opportunities for people who are disadvantaged in the labour market.
The fast fashion industry has significant environmental and social consequences, particularly affecting the populations of production countries outside of Luxembourg and the Global North. BENU COUTURE aims to promote UpCycling and raise awareness about alternative actions to move towards a cleaner, more responsible, and committed future.