Recycled Materials & Resource Consumption: Our Sustainability Initiatives

Newsflash! We’re super passionate about all things recycled materials and resource consumption because caring about your impact on the planet never goes out of style! In case you missed the memo, resource consumption is all about the consumption of non-renewable, or less often, renewable resources. We believe in LOVE and love for ALL – including Mother Earth. So, let’s talk about how we’re implementing systems changes to reduce our environmental impact. And what you can do as a consumer! Read on to learn more and be sure to check out our lower-impact dresses! 

What is Maggie Sottero Doing to Rethink Resource Consumption?

Maggie Sottero has been making positive impacts through our inclusivity efforts, social responsibility, and environmental initiatives. We have promised to create beautiful and inclusive experiences for all our brides, expand into our global community through charitable actions, and disrupt the standard to create a more sustainable wedding space. 

Managing more sustainable resource consumption is something we’re passionate about! To learn more about why and how our various partnerships and projects help us do that, check out our YouTube video, Sustainable Practices | Lower-Impact Wedding Dress Fabrics: 

We’re reimagining everything we do with a regenerative, future-facing view.  The Maggie family is committed to being the change, disrupting the standard, and creating the future to ensure our brides’ love stories—and our Planet— endure. 

We’re focusing on three key areas of impact: Waste reduction, resource consumption, and protecting biodiversity.  We’re so excited to share more about this work! Keep reading to learn more about how we’re reimagining our resource consumption! 

Reimagining Resource Consumption

Maggie Sottero is supporting renewable power projects, reducing our product impact, and investing in the circular supply chain. We are working to become a more regenerative brand. 

Our move towards more regenerative practices involves lots of research, creativity, and old-fashioned elbow grease. Whether it’s carefully sorting our plastic shipping waste into recycling streams or designing wedding dresses made of recycled-content materials, it is all hands-on deck in our Maggie family! 

Our Resource Consumption Initiatives

• Supporting renewable power projects as a Blue Sky Visionary Business Partner with Rocky Mountain Power, reducing our annual 2024 carbon footprint by an estimated 105,289 lbs of CO2.
• 100% of our excess stock is diverted from landfills and into textile recycling programs and donation efforts.
• We are investing in textile recycling with partners like SuperCircle (read more about our partnership.) and the Avena Group, sending excess gown stock to be sorted, recycled, and turned into new fibers and products. 
• We support 100% zero-carbon energy in our U.K. facility.
• Website and databases are hosted using cloud services that use sustainable practices to power the infrastructure and computing needs. We are also replacing our in-house servers with newer, more energy-efficient equipment featuring a smaller power footprint and less cooling needs.
• Shifting to energy-efficient LED lighting throughout our U.S. office.
• Hybrid/Virtual work environment based on role.
• Providing discounted monthly transit passes to staff at our U.S. headquarters.
• Reducing our resource consumption by switching to water-saving sprinkler systems and drought-tolerant landscaping at our Salt Lake City headquarters.
• Curating collections brought to market and minimizing product skus to create a reduction cascade effect in the supply chain. 
• Transitioning to post-consumer recycled content (PCR) shipping boxes in all our warehouses, and more than 50% of our gown packaging is now made from 100% recycled PCR plastic.  And we’re continuing to source and test packaging made from biobased alternatives.
• Transitioning to recycled-content printer paper in our offices and at bridal markets.
• We’ve switched nearly all our production swing tags to recycled-content cardstock, and we’ve started transitioning to vegetable-based ink for printing.
• Digitally optimizing B2B operations, reducing paper resource consumption by 50%.

That’s not all, though! We are working to reduce the impact of our beautiful gowns! We’ve been testing lower-impact materials to design wedding dresses that not only look good but have a reduced impact on Mother Earth. Let’s look at these gorgeous wedding dresses made with recycled-content materials and water-saving CO2 or yarn-dyed fabrics! 

Wedding Dresses Made of Lower-Impact Materials

We’re reimagining our textile resource consumption, reducing fabric layers without compromising the fit and quality of our gowns, and scaling up lower-impact materials in our collections—and not as one-time capsule collections, but as ongoing active styles. In 2023, we introduced the first of our wedding dresses made from recycled polyester and resource-efficient yarn-dye production. As of Spring 2026, we feature 170+ lower-impact gowns in our collections! 

Why are these considered lower-impact fabrics? 

Recycled-content fabrics (like our Veler Chiffon and Kahili lining) lower greenhouse gas emissions by reducing energy and resource requirements compared to producing new, virgin polyester. Waterless CO2-dyed or yarn-dyed fabrics (like our Leviss Satin and Elin Mikado) consume less water and energy in production.  

Recycled-Content Fabrics

• We’re uptaking recycled-content materials to reduce our use of virgin polyester; we began with these materials because they were more readily accessible to our supply chain partners, and supported the Textile Exchange Recycled Polyester Challenge, which calls on brands to reduce their standard polyester consumption and utilize recycled feedstock instead.
• Use of recycled polyester reduces overall pressure on virgin materials and non-renewable resources by reusing existing materials instead of creating new ones.  (Source: Waste & Resources Action Program) 
• Recycled polyester has a significantly lower carbon footprint than conventional polyester. Each kilogram of mechanically recycled polyester represents a reduction in GHG emissions by more than 70% compared to virgin polyester. (Source: Sustainable Apparel Coalition’s Higg Material Sustainability Index “Higg MSI”)
• Our recycled polyester is derived from post-consumer PET waste products (primarily post-consumer plastic bottles).
• We’re also working to source textile-to-textile recycled polyester (made from pre/post-consumer textiles) for future collections.

Maggie’s recycled material standard:

• To qualify as a Maggie Sottero lower-impact recycled material, a fabric must be at least 50% recycled content.  This is the same standard set by the Global Recycled Standard.
• If a recycled-content fabric doesn’t meet this threshold, we will not classify the gown as a lower-impact style.

CO2 (waterless) dyed fabrics:

• CO2 dyeing technology creates a 100% reduction in water usage/wastewater discharge during dyeing and finishing of fabrics.
• It also creates an estimated 60% reduction in energy consumption. (Source: IYU Dyeing & Finishing Co., Ltd.)   
• This future-facing technology supports greater supply chain resiliency as water shortages escalate; the United Nations forecasts a 40% global water deficit by 2030 which will affect the water-intensive textile industry.

Yarn-dyed fabrics

• The yarn-dyeing process can create a significant reduction in water/energy use  during fabric production.
• Our Elin Mikado and Wai Satin are yarn-dyed fabrics; our mill partner is achieving an estimated 70% reduction in water use and carbon emissions in the making of these fabrics. (Source: IYU Dyeing & Finishing Co., Ltd.)  

And we’re further reducing our impact by incorporating recycled polyester linings into our collections, too.  This helps us to accelerate our lower-impact material consumption while outer-shell fabrications take more time to test for performance, fit and feel. In fact, the majority of our gowns in the All-Ivory colorway have 100% recycled linings! Ready to see some of these gorgeous gowns?

Introducing gowns made with CO2 (waterless) dyed fabric 

Adair by Sottero and Midgley

Discover timeless elegance with Adair by Sottero and Midgley, a strapless, CO2-dyed, satin dropped waist ballgown with a soft scoop neckline and Kahili recycled-content lining. 

Shirley by Maggie Sottero

Step into timeless elegance with Shirley—a strapless tulle A-line wedding dress featuring a soft scoop neckline, CO2-dyed bodice, flattering basque waist and Kahili recycled-content lining. 

Gowns with Outer Shells Made of Recycled-Content Materials

Francesca by Rebecca Ingram

If you’ve got your heart set on “timeless chic”, we can’t help but steer you in the direction of this graceful chiffon gown, Francesca, with its Grecian ruching and a natural silhouette. Soft, luxurious Veler Chiffon is composed of 100% recycled content fiber and lined in our recycled content Kahili fabric!

Hilo Marie by Maggie Sottero

Hilo Marie by Maggie Sottero is another more sustainable wedding dress made of lower-impact materials! Simple yet stunning, this fit-and-flare bridal gown is made of Acer recycled content satin composed of 53% recycled polyester; plus, this gown includes Kahili recycled content lining!

Hilo Marie features an oh-so-chic draped bodice and a detachable bow also made of Acer recycled content satin!

Ross by Sottero and Midgley

Presenting Ross by Sottero and Midgley—a statement-making ball gown that balances whimsical flair with modern elegance. Crafted in luxurious All Ivory, the soft scoop neckline and tank straps sculpt a flattering silhouette, while the voluminous skirt cascades in romantic ruffles.

Wedding Dresses with Inner Linings Made of Recycled Materials

Our lower-impact wedding dresses aren’t only made of recycled materials on the outside! We’re reimagining our resource consumption in our choice of inner linings too. Take a look at some of these beautiful gown options below:

Maureen by Maggie Sottero

Maureen features tailored satin and exquisite draping for an exceptionally couture statement. This classic satin ruched ballgown wedding dress is finished with recycled-content lining and designed to delight from every angle. 

Lagos by Sottero and Midgley 

Roll out the red carpet. Call your MOH. Lagos is here to serve it-girl energy from every angle. This organza asymmetrical mermaid wedding dress is crafted with not one but two lower-impact inner layers: Yarn-dyed Elin Mikado and Kahili recycled-content lining. Combined with the shimmering organza to create a gown that deserves the glitziest of aisle walks.

Zorina by Rebecca Ingram

Celebrate classic charm in Zorina, a peekaboo lace trim side slit Mikado ballgown wedding dress with Kahili recycled-content lining. 

Bridal Gowns Designed with Yarn-Dyed Fabric

Ayan by Maggie Sottero

Meet Ayan, your new bridal BFF packed with personality! With whimsical lace, playful layers, and just the right amount of twirl appeal, she’s made for brides who want their wedding “look” to feel as joyful as the walk down the aisle.

Emmanuelle by Maggie Sottero

Emmanuelle is another one of our Elin Mikado wedding dresses made with yarn-dyed fabric. While this chic gown has the same modern simplicity as Miranda, it has an elegant, straight strapless neckline and breathtaking Basque waist!

Aspen by Sottero and Midgley

Here’s what we know about his couture strapless A-line wedding dress. That minimalism is powerful, satin is undeniably timeless, and our Aspen by Sottero and Midgley gown in the Ice Pink colorway is made of Elin stretch Mikado, made with yarn-dyed fibers.

Psst… You can personalize this romantic gown by having a zipper closure with covered buttons or a lace-up corset to create a vintage vibe.

Viva the Vidas!

Remember these Legacy styles? We have a surprise… They’re now more sustainable! With outer shells made of resource-efficient yarn-dyed materials, these dresses don’t just look good. They’re beautiful options for brides who want to show our planet some love!

Aberdeen Vida by Sottero and Midgley

Your bride tribe agrees…it’s time to take your relationship with this drop waist ball gown offline and meet IRL. Crafted with luxurious lower-impact Elin Mikado AND so-soft recycled-content Kahili lining. Aberdeen Vida is a guaranteed head turner.

Selena Vida by Maggie Sottero

Selena Vida is a simple a-line Wai satin wedding gown with a scoop neckline, tank straps, and beautiful covered buttons trailing to the hem. Did we mention she has pockets? Embrace chic sophistication and opulent lower-impact fabrics in this gown!

Mitchell Vida by Maggie Sottero

This polished Wai yarn-dyed satin strapless wedding gown with a banded cuff neckline is sure to make our brides the center of attention. With an over-the-top bow that turns heads and a figure-hugging silhouette that reminds us of Old Hollywood glamour, Mitchell Vida takes your bridal look to the next level!

Recycled Materials Interview With Our Design Team

If you’d like to learn more about our lower-impact design process, keep scrolling to read our interview with Lead Designer Edric Woo and Sustainability Director/Designer Patricia DeLaunay!

What has been the most exciting aspect of designing wedding dresses made of recycled materials?

Edric Woo: “Once we find fabrics that have the lower-impact quality we’re looking for, then we get excited about the details and try to use those materials, but we still need to test the fabric and see if it will work for us.  It’s exciting when you find out some test results like it’s a washable fabric, it’s good for pressing, it drapes well, etc. And when that more sustainable fabric looks just as good as a standard option, that’s really exciting!”

Do you have a favorite lower-impact wedding dress from the collections?

EW: “Aberdeen Vida; the yarn-dyed Elin Mikado fabric falls beautifully and has luxe corset detailing. And Hilo Marie, made with a beautiful recycled-content Acer satin; it looks expensive!”

PD: “Francesca; so graceful and romantic, and that Veler recycled-content chiffon looks and feels amazing.””

What types of lower-impact materials would you love to design with in the future?

EW: “CO2-dyed satin…stay tuned!”

PD: “There are some truly amazing next-generation fabrics becoming available. Like Edric said, stay tuned!”

What are some future initiatives that our brides can look forward to as Maggie Sottero continues to introduce lower-impact materials to the collections?

PD: “Transitioning our supply chain from established materials (like virgin polyester) requires long-term effort which we continue with every new collection.  We also know how important it is to use water-conserving processes like CO2 dyeing and yarn-dyeing, so watch for more of those fabrics. And we’re looking at next-gen fabrications as another way to practice more regenerative resource consumption. Beyond our materials, we’re executing on company-wide projects every day to reduce our environmental impact.”

Now that you’re kind of an expert on our initiatives to recycle and rethink our resource consumption, we’re totally ready to team up and make a difference together! After all, did you see our stunning lower-impact wedding dresses?! They would look absolutely fabulous on you! Read more about our efforts in all things sustainability, community, and diversity on our “Our Heart” page and then book an appointment with one of our Authorized Boutiques and try on one of those fab gowns!

More Blogs Like This:

Sustainability Initiatives: Waste Reduction Efforts

Our Sustainability Partnership with SuperCircle to Recycle Wedding Dresses

Positive Impacts: Maggie Sottero’s Sustainability, Diversity, and Community Initiatives