Social Distortion become first band to use fully upcycled merch in Europe as part of Bravado and Universal Music Group’s sustainability project
Bravado, the world’s leading artist merchandise company, and Universal Music Group have announced the completion of an ambitious program to upcycle more than 400,000 obsolete or unsold t-shirts. Punk rock band Social Distortion is the first act to feature merch made from the newly upcycled materials on the European leg of its “Born To Kill” tour, which kicked off this month in Oslo in support of the band’s first new album in more than 15 years.
The initiative was sparked by Maggie Baird, mother of Billie Eilish, whose long-standing environmental advocacy spurred UMG’s sustainability team and Bravado to carry out a large-scale plan. More than 400,000 unsold t-shirts and other merch sitting in Bravado’s Nashville warehouse were shipped by cargo vessel to Tangier, Morocco, to be processed by Hallotex, a company globally recognized for its sustainable textile methods. Over a six-week process, the old garments were broken down and spun into new yarn, now being used to produce an estimated 280,000 new t-shirt and hoodie blanks made entirely from recycled cotton, for use by Bravado artists on their European tours.
Social Distortion frontman Mike Ness called the switch to recycled blanks an easy decision, stressing the importance of reducing the band’s environmental footprint and saying he hoped fans would love the new merch, which features the band’s signature leopard head from the “Born To Kill” album cover and its skeleton-with-cocktail-glass-and-cigarette logo. The band previously released a sustainable capsule collection with brand Lost Love in 2025.
According to Bravado president Matt Young, a large number of artists have been waiting for this kind of sustainable merch option, and the company is thrilled that Social D is among the first bands to take the new shirts and hoodies on the road. The initiative joins a series of other upcycling efforts by Bravado and UMG, including collaborations with Suay for Billie Eilish and Fashion-Enter for The Rolling Stones. The European leg of the “Born To Kill” tour wraps up July 4 in Dresden, before the band heads to North America, kicking off with a July 16 date at the Ottawa Blues Festival and continuing for more than 30 U.S. dates.
