Home textile brand Finlayson has revived an old practice, where used textiles – bed sheets and duvet covers in this case – are transformed into rugs.
The idea for ‘rag rugs’ at Finnish company, Finlayson, was first trialled as part of a campaign in spring 2016, to address the estimated EUR 250 million worth of unused home textiles that Finns keep in their closets. The campaign raised awareness around returning used textiles to Finlayson stores (later in RePack packaging, see case #10), when ordering online. It led to the collection of ±20 tons of textiles. An entirely Finnish design and manufacturing process was established to process these textiles, in collaboration with VM-Carpet Oy’s subcontractors, Lappajärven Värjäämö (washing of sheets), Viita-ahon Mattokutomo (sewing and cutting) and Taina Pajuoja (weaving), creating local employment. The first batch of rugs sold-out quickly, leading the company to expand the range and to plans for export. The take-back of textiles has become a permanent part of Finlayson’s business.
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Finlayson – end-of-life bed sheets into designer rugs