URBN Announces Partnership with FABSCRAP to Address Commercial Textile Waste

PHILADELPHIA, April 19, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Urban Outfitters, Inc. (NASDAQ: URBN), a leading global lifestyle retailer, today announced a partnership with FABSCRAP to support the organization in reducing the fashion industry’s impact on the planet. URBN will facilitate FABSCRAP’s expansion into the Mid-Atlantic region by providing a new physical FABSCRAP location in Philadelphia, and a working capital grant.

URBN’s relationship with FABSCRAP began in 2019 as part of the Company’s efforts to reduce waste in its supply chain. Each year, over 6.3 million tons of textiles are wasted during the design and production process to make clothing (A New Textiles Economy: Redesigning Fashion’s Future, Ellen McArthur Foundation). URBN began working with FABSCRAP to recycle fabric waste from their knitting, sample, and pattern-making rooms.

Headquartered in New York City, FABSCRAP is a nonprofit organization that has pioneered a system to reuse and recycle fabric waste. FABSCRAP is dedicated to countering the fashion industry’s commercial textile waste problem, diverting as much unused material as possible from being landfilled or incinerated, while simultaneously creating an accessible materials resource for creative communities.

“We are excited about the partnership with FABSCRAP as part of the next step in our sustainability journey,” said Frank J. Conforti, Co-President and COO, URBN. “Philadelphia is a perfect location to expand due to local demand for service and many relationships with design and art universities and nonprofits in the region. We believe this expansion will facilitate an infrastructure solution for FABSCRAP and our community,” finished Mr. Conforti.

“It’s fantastic that URBN supports the fabric recycling and reuse infrastructure FABSCRAP is building. This infrastructure is a key component of a more sustainable future for fashion,” said Jessica Schreiber, CEO of FABSCRAP. “We are leading the change in how the industry handles fabric waste during the design process, though our work relies on companies and individuals within the industry recognizing the issue and actively seeking a solution. URBN is actively contributing to our growth, increasing the accessibility of our services, and accelerating our impact,” finished Ms. Schreiber.