Chipotle Goods, wearing your love of guac on your sleeve

Chipotle Goods makes showing your love of Chipotle fashionable.

Whether it is the love of burritos or guac, the new Chipotle Goods apparel line makes it easy to proclaim your love of all things Chipotle. While this collection makes a fashion statement, it also takes upcycling to a whole new level.

Available first to Chipotle Rewards members, Chipotle Goods offers a wide array of Chipotle branded merchandise. From shirts and jackets to bags and water bottles, there is a piece in the line that Chipotle fans will be happy to use.

Although various food brands have launched fashion lines, this Chipotle launch has an interesting twist. The collection features some apparel that has been dyed with upcycled avocado pits. In a way, it is the ultimate upcycle for all those leftover avocado pits that the restaurants use.

According to Chipotle, the company is left with “with nearly 300 million avocado pits per year in its restaurants.” While the six ingredient guac recipe is always a popular choice, all those avocado pits do create a food waste problem.

The avocado dyed goods come from the creation of a sustainable, plant-based dye. It is made from simmered avocado pits. Since each batch is slightly different, the resulting apparel has unique qualities. The varying color creates customized apparel.

As stated by Chipotle, “Each unique piece from the avocado dyed collection requires five avocado pits, equivalent to five orders of guac, depending upon the season and size of the fruit. “ So, it seems that more and more guests need to place a guac order.

The creation of Chipotle Goods is in line with the brand’s messaging. The company believes in supporting thoughtful  initiatives that are better environmental choices. Given that the company is one of the largest avocado purchasers in the world, it was looking to find a way to use the avocado pits in a creative way.

The idea of using food dye fabric isn’t necessarily new but Chipotle is doing it on a larger scale. By showing consumers that the company wants to reduce food waste in a creative way could set a trend for other businesses. Why can’t large businesses re-purpose unused ingredients in creative ways?

Just as home cooks are looking to reduce food waste, larger companies need to be thoughtful as well. While the home cook may not be dying fabric with avocado pits, it could spark a conversation about using watermelon rinds, composting and other environmentally responsible choices.

The new Chipotle Goods collection will be available first to Chipotle Rewards members. The public will be able to access the collection starting August 4.

What do you think of this Chipotle upcycling idea? Could it start a new restaurant trend?