Social Distortion Uses Recycled Merchandise on European Tour in Major Sustainability Push

Social Distortion sells tour gear made from more than 400,000 unsold T-shirts on the European leg of their Born To Kill tour, per BusinessWorld. Bravado and Universal Music Group announced the completion of their upcycling program on Thursday, June 25.

The band kicked off the European shows earlier this month in Oslo. Fans can snag T-shirts and hoodies created from recycled blanks that were gathering dust in a Nashville warehouse.

Bravado shipped the unsold garments via cargo vessel to Tangiers, Morocco. There, Hallotex broke down the old items and spun them into new yarn. The six-week process will create an estimated 280,000 new 100% recycled cotton t-shirt and hoodie blanks for artists on their European tours, per the report.

“It’s important to everyone in the band that we always do what we can to reduce our footprint on the environment, and using these 100% recycled blanks for t-shirts on our tour is an easy way to do just that,” said Mike Ness, per The Licensing Letter. “We hope that our fans will love them.”

The recycled items cost 10 to 20% more than new pieces. Matt Young, CEO of Bravado, told Reuters that the higher price exists because the program hasn’t reached scale yet.

“By doing this and getting more people to do it and having more partners that start doing it, the price will get to be the same as a new piece at some point,” said Young to Reuters.

Maggie Baird, mother of Billie Eilish, sparked the initiative with UMG’s sustainability team. Both Baird and her daughter have spoken out about environmental causes and sustainability.

“There are a huge number of artists that have been waiting for this kind of sustainable option for merch on their tours,” said Young, per The Licensing Letter. “We’re thrilled that SOCIAL D will be among the first bands to take these new t-shirts and hoodies out on the road with them.”

Dylan Siegler, head of sustainability for Universal Music Group, thinks fans will feel good about buying the items.

“Merch gives fans a tangible way to connect with artists, and this project gives them a way to connect with sustainability at the same time,” Siegler said. “These are pieces fans will feel good about purchasing.”

The band launched a sustainable collection with Lost Love in 2025.

The European leg wraps on July 4 in Dresden, Germany. Then the tour picks up in North America on July 16 at the Ottawa Blues Festival and continues for over 30 dates across the U.S.