# Upcycled Kitchen Towels MEEMA Helps to Give Materials Like Denim and Cotton a New Life By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2020-04-08 | Eco Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kitchen-towels References: [newhope](https://www.newhope.com/products-and-trends/5-companies-pushing-circular-economies-trend) & [meema.co](https://meema.co/collections/kitchen-towels/products/kitchen-towels-minimal-4-pack) MEEMA makes [sustainable home textiles](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sustainable-home-textile) like aprons, placemats, napkins and kitchen towels using [upcycled cotton](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/hmm-design) and denim. Working with The New Denim Project, MEEMA helps to make the most of these materials, as it takes 20,000 liters of water just to make a single kilogram of cotton and excess denim fabric often goes to waste at denim mills. MEEMA's mindfully crafted kitchen towels are woven in a way that offers great absorbency and durability, and the pattern shows off the colors of cotton and denim. Of the 100% cotton that's used to make the kitchen towels, 80% is upcycled. As well as helping to give new life to commonly wasted materials, MEEMA is considerate of its own waste, and it is shared with coffee growers as compost. Image Credit: MEEMA ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.8/10 - Popularity: 55% | Activity: 50% | Freshness: 9% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Eco](https://www.trendhunter.com/eco) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **Upcycled Textiles:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating new products from waste materials like cotton and denim - **Sustainable Home Goods:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Designing environmentally-friendly and socially responsible household products - **Circular Economy:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Implementing systems that minimize waste and maximize resource utilization ### Where This Applies - **Textile Manufacturing:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporating upcycled materials into textile production processes - **Home Goods Retail:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Curating a product line that emphasizes sustainability and eco-consciousness - **Waste Management:** Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing innovative solutions to reduce waste and convert it into valuable resources ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Sustainable Modern Dish Towels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sustainable-modern-dish-towls.md) - [Paper-Free Kitchen Towels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/reusable-paper-towels.md) - [Eco-Conscious Beach Towels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fiveadrift.md) - [Sustainable Traveler Towels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eco-travel-towel.md) - [High-Performance Reversible Towels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/everlayer-1.md) - [Collaborative Tea Towel Designs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/tea-towel-design.md) - [Embroidered Limited-Edition Cotton Tableware](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cotton-incorporated.md) - [Eco Hospitality Towels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/turkish-towels.md) - [Perma-Black Towels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/black-towel-collection.md)