In a plain, red-brick warehouse in New Jersey, a lump of used clothing is zooming down a conveyor belt. A Hispanic woman examines the lump, and tosses it on another conveyor belt. Another woman picks it up and examines it again. People who work at Manhattan T-shirt boutiques had whispered to me that this place was vintage T-shirt heaven, a mecca. The warehouse owner looks at me, shrugs, and says, “It’s a recycling business.

This first collection of t-shirts is just a taste of what Burton and Mountain Dew have planned when it comes to integrating recycled plastic bottles into fabric. For future product lines, the brands will continue to increase the number of styles that use this sustainable fabric, with outerwear being the next key focus. Starting in the fall of 2012, Burton will also expand distribution of these products to Burton Authorized Dealers, so local snowboard shops can carry these new, sustainable outerwear and apparel styles.

A very interesting joint venture from two big US brands