Aiming to promote recycling in the fashion industry: Exhibiting at a global textile exhibition

Aiming to promote recycling in the fashion industry: Exhibiting at a global textile exhibition ​ Image
URL: shoichi Co., Ltd. Press release: April 2, 2025 Aiming to promote recycling in the fashion industry: Exhibiting at a global textile exhibition Exhibited at the 40th Milano Unica 2026 SS (Spiring/Summer)
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35187/247/35187-247-9edc6ffa57d854db53cc5862d826f4e9-2730×1536.jpg Shoichi Co., Ltd. (Tokyo/Osaka, HP: https://shoichi.co.jp/sustainable/ ) exhibited at the international textile exhibition “Milano Unica” held in Milan, Italy from February 4th to 6th. Shoichi has gained a certain level of recognition as a recycling business in Japan, and works with domestic companies to promote upcycling and recycling of apparel products. This exhibition was an important opportunity to find new business partners against the backdrop of global sustainability trends. Exhibition report
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35187/247/35187-247-82ae90de35e4bcefc7af491b3351fde6-2730×1536.png This time at the shoichi booth, we exhibited upcycled fabrics, threads, and products. What particularly drew attention was the video that introduced the recycling process for shoes and bags using a newly introduced cutting machine. This initiative attracted interest from bag brands and miscellaneous goods manufacturers, and expanded the possibility of recycling in new fields. In addition, detailed explanations of the characteristics and technical processes of recycled fabrics led to active business discussions with visitors. While other exhibitors mainly focused on exhibiting textiles, I think Shoichi was able to emphasize its uniqueness by bringing recycling and upcycling to the forefront. At this year’s “Milano Unica”, I felt a strong connection to the global trend of sustainability. There were many questions about whether it is possible to upcycle your own products, and it was impressive that there were many companies and brands who were interested in upcycling. In the case of recycling, you end up giving away the product, but I felt that there is a movement toward commercialization by upcycling. Booth visitor details Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35187/247/35187-247-3785ec541eb318d18fa2dda0a13b6a98-2730×1536.png At this exhibition, we spoke with visitors from 40 companies. Although the number has decreased compared to the 60 companies exhibited at the previous Milano Unica, there were many companies with a strong interest in recycling, and the quality of business negotiations had improved. Visitor details • Luxury brand • Bag brand • Fabric manufacturers (interested in recycling and upcycling of waste and leftover fabric) • Watch manufacturer (interested in upcycled felt fabric) By country, Italian companies accounted for more than half of the visitors, followed by France and other Western European countries. On the other hand, the number of Japanese companies attending was limited to a small number due to travel costs. Exhibition results
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/35187/247/35187-247-35be17dcc2ad8961aaa59dd600f6e3eb-640×480.png Through this exhibition, the possibility of concrete business negotiations and new collaborations was born. Bag recycling trial begins • A company with inventory in Japan has begun a trial run of recycling. • By playing a video of recycling bags at the booth, we attracted concrete interest. Start of business negotiations with luxury brands • Taking the opportunity of exhibiting at Milan Unica, business negotiations with Italian representatives are progressing. • We are currently discussing the possibility of recycling and upcycling it into felt. • A major company that sells a wide range of apparel and miscellaneous goods is considering purchasing upcycled fabrics. Future developments Shoichi is looking to continue exhibiting at Milano Unica in the future. We hope that as more companies become interested in recycling and upcycling, new transactions will expand. In addition, we will expand the scope of recycling to include not only apparel products but also shoes, bags, and cosmetic containers, as we move forward with further business development. We are also considering contributing to society by utilizing employment support offices for the sorting work that is essential to our recycling business. Shoichi aims to contribute to a sustainable fashion industry and will continue to promote environmentally friendly recycling technology while collaborating with domestic and overseas companies. Inquiries regarding this matter 【shoichi Co., Ltd.】 Representative:
Representative Director Shoichi Yamamoto Osaka Head Office: 301 First Senba, 2-6-5 Minamihonmachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka, Osaka 541-0054 Tokyo Branch: B1 Tanba Building, 3-2-9 Minato, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0043 URL : https://shoichi.co.jp/ Inquiries: 050-3151-5247 MAIL:
shoichiya@shoichi.co.jp