Blue LOOP Originals x de Waddenvereniging
Blue LOOP Originals x de Waddenvereniging
The slogan “Wijs met de waddenzee” has resonated with Wadden Sea lovers for generations.
Since 2015, the Wadden Association has once again been creating apparel and products under this meaningful slogan.
But what are you really expressing when you wear a Wijs met de waddenzee product?
An honest story, told through the clothing of Blue LOOP Originals.
Where others see waste, we see resources.
“We’re not claiming to be saints,” says Ron van de Wiel, founder of Blue LOOP Originals. “Out of curiosity and with the help of a few willing partners, we’re simply trying to do things the right way. Ideally, that means making garments that last, can be passed on or reused, and eventually recycled into something new.”
The global waste mountain keeps growing — and that has an impact everywhere, including the Wadden Sea region.
Van de Wiel: “We have to act. There’s no need to ship our waste around the world.”
The entire process — shredding old clothes, spinning new yarns, and creating new garments — is done in collaboration with a handful of European partners, as locally as possible.
“Could it be even more local? I wish. But for now, this is the best we can do.”
640 million pairs of jeans
Back in 2013, Ron van de Wiel started working in the fashion industry and quickly saw production shift to low-wage countries.
“We abandoned our European manufacturers and lost touch with the product — with serious consequences for both people and the planet.”
The discovery that around 640 million pairs of jeans are thrown away in Europe every year, with two-thirds ending up in landfills or incinerators, became a turning point in his approach to fashion.
“There had to be a better way,” Van de Wiel recalls. Together with a textile recycling factory, they succeeded in turning old denim into new yarn.
Today, more and more materials are getting a second life in the products made by Blue LOOP Originals.
“There’s a lot of talk about sustainability. We’re about action.”
Step by step
The collaboration with the Wadden Association began in 2015, during the association’s 50th anniversary.
“At the time, we were working on reintroducing the traditional Schipperstrui (Dutch fisherman’s sweater) using recycled materials, and had just rediscovered the original Harlingen pattern,” says Van de Wiel.
“The Wadden Association was founded in Harlingen — the timing was perfect.”
“It was an instant success,” recalls Baukje Venema, marketing advisor at the Wadden Association.
“After that, we expanded into sweaters, hoodies, and T-shirts. Blue LOOP now makes these without microplastics and with recycled fibers — including SaXcell, an innovative fiber developed by Saxion University of Applied Sciences.”
SaXcell is a new cellulose fiber made from discarded cotton, using a process that is more eco-friendly than producing new cotton. The fiber is also stronger and higher quality than conventional cotton.
Change takes time
Blue LOOP continues to take small steps forward every year.
“This is how we keep pushing the textile industry to keep innovating.”
The Harlinger Schipperstrui is a perfect example.
“In six stages, we’ve improved the yarn with a steadily increasing share of recycled materials. The latest version contains less recycled denim, but the highest percentage of recycled lambswool, making it warmer.”
Still, there’s room for improvement.
“I’d be truly happy if we could eliminate the small amount of polyamide still in it,” Van de Wiel says.
“But we haven’t cracked that yet — we still need a binding fiber to hold the short recycled fibers together.”
Turn it in
Do you have a pair of jeans you no longer wear? Give it a second life. Drop it off at one of our WIJS stores or Blue LOOP retailers. You can find all drop-off locations here.
Clothing without plastic
100% plastic-free clothing is the goal of the Wadden Association and Blue LOOP. Van de Wiel: “Last year, we launched a plastic-free sweater. This year, we’re going one step further by making the sweater from post-consumer waste, cutting waste, and fully traceable organic cotton from a field in Spain. That really puts us ahead — no one else offers this. Almost no recycled sweaters are made in Europe, except those with recycled polyester or organic cotton from India or Turkey.”
In the coming years, they will continue working on innovations. “In the end, we’re not just selling a product, we’re building a movement. We’ll keep moving forward until it simply can’t be improved anymore.”
- 19% recycled jeans: Worn clothing is the biggest contributor to textile waste. To recycle it, it needs to be collected in homogeneous streams. We choose worn denim.
- 25% recycled organic cotton: During industrial yarn spinning, there is always leftover material. We reuse these organic cotton yarns in our sweaters.
- 37% organic cotton: Organic doesn’t always mean better. It often comes from far away. This sweater contains certified, non-GMO cotton from a cotton field in Spain.
- 19% Tencel: Tencel is a soft, strong, and natural fiber made from eucalyptus trees. The wood comes from specially managed forests with FSC certification for responsible forestry.
Note: When cutting patterns from fabric, there is always leftover material. We recycle 15–20% of our own cutting waste into new products.
Sustainable innovation
Blue LOOP now manages the entire online store of the Wadden Association, and a growing number of retailers in the Netherlands are selling the products. “It fits the Wadden Association to place its logo on clothing made with care for a healthier planet. When you buy a sweater or T-shirt, you’re not only showing your support for protecting the Wadden Sea, but also that you value better clothing production — made closer to home, preferably with recycled materials.”
“It’s not our goal to put more clothing into the world,” Venema adds. “Our aim is to recycle and reuse existing materials. Of course, we want our clothing (with the slogan) to raise awareness of the Wadden Sea. But we also want that slogan to appear only on responsibly made products. That’s what makes our collaboration with Blue LOOP so meaningful. To minimize the ecological footprint, Blue LOOP works only with companies within Europe. That’s another reason we’re so happy with this partnership. And they are constantly innovating.
Together, we’ve been working on sustainable innovation for 10 years. Right now, the focus is on the wadlopen shoe — for mudflat guides and excursion participants.”
