Billie Eilish and her mother, Maggie Baird, are giving 400,000 unsold concert T-shirts a new lease on life, and their journey starts in Tangier, Morocco.
The duo’s latest project, carried out in collaboration with Universal Music Group’s (UMG) merchandise arm, Bravado, and Spanish manufacturer Hallotex, is an ambitious attempt to tackle fashion waste at scale. The shirts, originally stockpiled in a warehouse in Nashville, are being shipped to Tangier where they will be unspun into cotton yarn. From there, they’ll be transformed into over 280,000 new 100% cotton tees for UMG artists’ upcoming European tours. Those that can’t be salvaged will be shredded and repurposed as housing insulation, meaning that nothing ends up in a landfill.
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The choice of Morocco isn’t accidental. The North African country has become an increasingly important player in sustainable fashion manufacturing, particularly due to its proximity to Europe and growing investment in textile recycling infrastructure. Cities like Tangier and Casablanca are gaining traction as low-impact alternatives to fast fashion’s typical supply chains.
Fashion’s waste problem is staggering. The industry is responsible for roughly 10% of global carbon emissions and up to 20% of wastewater. Millions of tons of clothing end up in landfills or are dumped in countries in the Global South, creating devastating environmental and social consequences. Baird put it bluntly: “We are drowning in clothes on this planet.”
This isn’t the Birds of a Feather singer’s first foray into climate activism. She’s been a vocal advocate for sustainability, from producing “green” tours with reduced emissions and plant-based catering, to supporting environmental nonprofits through her music and merch. The 23-year-old even launched the ambitious climate change awareness project “Overheated” in 2022, bringing together activists and creatives to confront the climate crisis head-on.
In a world of throwaway culture, this initiative is a reminder that artists can—and should—be part of the solution.
