A while ago, I wrote about a concept we at CAIF call “Circular+” — it’s not just about circularity but going a few steps beyond to be circular and socially inclusive. Today’s post will break down what “circular” exactly means in the context of the textile industry. Future posts will delve deeper into “+” and how we can make fashion not just environmentally but also socially impactful.
In 2017, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Report “New Textile Economy” revealed the urgent and impending need to rethink fashion’s future. A quarter of the chemicals produced in the world are used in textiles. One garbage truck of textiles is landfilled or incinerated every second. Stats such as these are not new, and cannot be ignored for any longer. The wastefulness of fashion and its underlying effects on pollution are alarming enough to rethink the entire system and go back to the drawing board. Circular fashion, as a response to these deep fractures of the system, is an approach to transform the current linear fashion value chain.
But exactly do we mean when we say “circular fashion”? Very simply put, circular fashion is a fashion industry that operates on the basis of the core principles of circular economy.
Design out waste
Not treating waste only at the output stage but reducing or eliminating wastefulness or the creation of waste within the value chain by design. So instead of adopting an approach of designing from waste; this principle focuses on minimizing leakage and negative externalities.
The Global Material Flow in 2015 estimated that around 12% leakage losses occur in the production stage on manufacturing floors including factory offcuts and overstock liquidation.
Keep products and materials in use
Ensuring that the utilization of products is maximized and they are actively used for the longest duration possible. The principle emphasizes extracting the highest value from its use alongside creating value at the end of the use cycle.
It is important to highlight that over the past 15 years, while clothing production has doubled, its utilization has fallen by 40%. Moreover only 1% of the waste goes back to the textile system (i.e. textile to textile recycling) for closed loop recycling.
Regenerate natural systems
Which is ensuring that the system creates positive environmental impact, mitigates carbon emissions and other climate risks.
Globally, it was found that approximately 97% clothes are made from virgin materials such as plastic cotton and others. Further, the textile industry’s emissions stand at 1.2 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent per-year — very close to levels of the automobile industry.
And finally, the Fourth Principle of Social Inclusion
Read more about it in our post here.
If you’re working on circular business models like rental, repair and re-sale, contact us to collaborate on the Circular+ Project.
Photo by Cristofer Jeschke on Unsplash
