Bravado and Universal Music Group have revealed that their ambitious programme to upcycle more than 400,000 obsolete or unsold t-shirts has come full circle.
Punk rock stalwarts Social Distortion are featuring merch items using the newly upcycled t-shirts and hoodies on the European leg of the ‘Born to Kill’ tour, which kicked off earlier this month in Oslo. The band is supporting its first new album in more than 15 years.
Maggie Baird – Billie Eilish’s mother – was a catalyst for the initiative with UMG’s sustainability team and Bravado executing an ambitious plan.
A project revealed to the audience of the Products of Change Conference in 2025 by Universal Music Group’s Olivia Kelly and Hallotex’s Laura Bonareu, more than 400,000 unsold t-shirts and other merchandise in Bravado’s warehouse were sent via cargo ship to Tangiers, Morocco, to be upcycled at Hallotex, a company globally known for its sustainable textile processes.
The six-week process broke down the old merch items and spun them into new yarn that is now being made into an estimated 280,000 new 100% recycled cotton t-shirt and hoodie blanks, to be utilised by Bravado artists on their European tours. Social Distortion is the first band to utilise the new blanks on the European leg of their tour.
Mike Ness, the band’s lead singer, said: “It’s important to everyone in the band that we always do what we can to reduce our footprint on the environment, and using these 100% recycled blanks for t-shirts on our tour is an easy way to do just that. We hope that our fans will love them.”
The band previously launched a sustainable collection with the sustainable streetwear brand Lost Love in 2025 for a limited edition capsule collection of one-of-a-kind, hand-distressed garments.
“There are a huge number of artists that have been waiting for this kind of sustainable option for merch on their tours,” commented Matt Young, ceo at Bravado. “We’re thrilled that Social D will be among the first bands to take these new t-shirts and hoodies out on the road with them. This is an important innovation as we continue to decrease the impact made by touring and merch.”
Dylan Siegler, head of sustainability at Universal Music Group, continued: “Merch gives fans a tangible way to connect with artists, and this project gives them a way to connect with sustainability at the same time. These are pieces fans will feel good about purchasing.”
This is one of several merchandise upcycling and recycling programmes that UMG and Bravado has initiated. The company forged collaborations with Suay (Billie Eilish) and Fashion-Enter (The Rolling Stones) to create new items from old stock.
UMG also recently announced a partnership with Hydro Flask to promote reusable drinkware in music spaces and encourage the reduction of single-use beverage waste within the music industry.
