There are a few unique parts of Recover's process. One is that Recover separates fibers by color, then through a proprietary color-matching process, re-creates each color. This approach means that the factory does not need to use any chemicals or dyes in the process, which are often toxic. Marine Layer's Re-Spun T-shirt line has many colorful patterns. This required many T-shirts of each color. "What we found is that the color is not as consistent as it would be if we gave the factory a Pantone color card and asked them to just create a match," Natenshon says. "But we kind of like that there are variations in color and that each batch gives them soul and character."

The other unusual part of the process is that it requires no water. Recover does not even use water to clean the old clothes: They are industrially cleaned using ultraviolet rays at the fiber level. Meanwhile, one kilogram (or 2.2 pounds) of virgin cotton requires 15,000 of water to turn into fabric, according to a study from the University of Valencia. This includes the farming, processing, and dyeing process.