Sustainable Fashion in Circular Economy

SUSTAINABLE FASHION IN CIRCULAR ECONOMY.

Moving Towards a Circular Fashion Economy

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When you toss out your old jeans, have you ever wondered what happens to them?

The average American citizen will throw away 81 pounds of clothing this year. That amounts to 26 billion pounds of textiles and clothes ending up in landfills — but it doesn’t have to.

Interestingly, we can note in the graph above that the growth in clothing sales has been much steeper than GDP indicating a slow down in inflation (garment pricing). The chase for cheaper price and accelerated cycles to increase the number of new fashion collections in a year, that are at the heart of the fast fashion model, have fostered over production and over consumption.

According to a fact sheet published by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, in 2014 85% of used clothes were not recycled even though nearly all of them could be. This is a direct result of the bad habits we have acquired with our way of consuming fashion. It also highlights the impact of the linear fashion model.

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Impact of Fast Fashion Industry Fast fashion is a modern-day phenomenon. It follows a “take-make-dispose” pattern, and enables companies to mass-market, manufacturers to massproduce, and consumers to purchase the latest trends for cheap. Sounds like a win-win until we consider true cost. Textile production has become one of the most polluting industries, producing 1.2 billion tons of CO2 per year. To keep up with this level of consumerism, natural resources are put on substantial pressure, causing high levels of pollution; including the use of toxic chemicals, dangerous dyes, and synthetics fibers seeping into water supplies and in our ocean. Over 60% of textiles used in the clothing industry are made in China and India, where coal-fueled power plants increase the carbon footprint of each garment.

The linear “take-make-dispose” model relies on large quantities of easily accessible resources and energy, which is becoming more and more unfit for the reality in which it operates. While fast fashion is big business, it is killing the planet, and it is important to reconsider the fashion industry model and our purchasing habits.

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What Is Circular Economy?

Looking beyond the current take-make-waste extractive industrial model, a circular economy aims to redefine growth, focusing on positive societywide benefits. It entails gradually decoupling economic activity from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system.

Underpinned by a transition to renewable energy sources, the circular model builds economic, natural, and social capital. It is based on three principles: -Design out waste and pollution -Keep products and materials in use -Regenerate natural systems

What is Circular Fashion?

A circular fashion industry is defined as a regenerative system in which garments are circulated for as long as their maximum value is retained, and then returned safely to the biosphere when they are no longer of use.

In a circular model, products are designed and developed with the next use in mind. Less than 1% of clothing is recycled into new clothing. The best thing we can do is buy less and reuse more. If everyone bought just one used item instead of new this year, it would have a huge collective and positive impact on the planet.

In simple words, fashion products should be designed with the notion of resource efficiency, non-toxicity, biodegradability, and recyclability in mind.

They should also be sourced and produced with priority given to recyclable sources and ethical practices.

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When the products are not suitable for recycling, the material should be biodegradable and used as compost for plants and other organisms in the ecosystem.

The ultimate goal of circular fashion is that the lifecycle of products should bring no socio-economic or environmental harm.

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Principles of Circular Fashion Green Strategy , an innovation-driven and research-based consultancy firm specializing in sustainability and circularity issues of the fashion industry, has identified sixteen key principles to support and promote a more circular and sustainable fashion, apparel and textile industry: 1. Design with a purpose 2. Design for longevity 3. Design for resource efficiency 4. Design for biodegradability 5. Design for recyclability 6. Source and produce locally 7. Source and produce without toxicity 8. Source and produce with efficiency 9. Source and produce with renewables 10. Source and produce with good ethics 11. Provide services to support longer life 12. Reuse, recycle or compost all remains 13. Collaborate well and widely The first 13 principles are defined from a producer’s perspective, and the other three are relevant to the consumer’s perspective.

14. Use, wash and repair with care 15. Consider loan, rent, swap or redesign instead of buying new 16. Buy quality as opposed to quantity

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The Circular Fashion Economy Wheel

The eco-friendly nature of circular fashion can be easily explained taking a look at the circular fashion wheel. With circular fashion, products should last in the ecosystem for as long as possible with no significant waste. The fashion products should be made with minimal and environmental-friendly resources and should be reused or recycled into a new product so that it keeps flowing through the wheel.

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What is Circular Fashion?

Here’s how the steps of the circular fashion wheel go around: – The designers create and source products with low impact materials and a proper purpose.

– Products are transported in ways which have low carbon footprint and are then sold or are given for lease to reuse, redesign or repair.

– If there is an end for product, it is disposed or recycled in an environmentally friendly way.

Advantages of Circular Fashion Economy

The four key advantages of circular fashion include: – Reduced dependency on imported raw materials.

– Creation of eco-friendly industries and jobs.

– Eco-friendly brands benefit from a better public image.

– Reduction in environmental damage caused by resource extraction.

Limitations of non-linear fashion

While we saw several advantages in a circular fashion model, there are some limitations in this cycle as well: – Dependency on the consumers’ actions.

– Creating a new business model on the basis of recycled goods is tough.

– The entire cycle requires integrating product life cycle from raw material to disposal.

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Brands embracing Circular Fashion Not only independent or eco-friendly clothing brands are embracing circular fashion economy. Big players are also acting; on January 2018, 64 of the world’s leading fashion companies such as Adidas or Inditex signed a commitment to accelerate the transition to a circular business model.

To set a direction for this transition, the companies committed to improve four immediate action points: – Implementing design strategies for cyclability .

– Increasing the volume of used garments and footwear collected.

– Increasing the volume of used garments and footwear resold.

– Increasing the share of garments and footwear made from recycled postconsumer textile fibers.

For example, Inditex (owner of Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull and Bear and Stradivarius) pledged that by 2020 its 2000 stores will partner with local organizations to redistribute and recycle garments.

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Smaller brands like Rapanui Clothing are using the “cradle to cradle approach� that consists in encouraging their customers to send back their used Rapanui products to recycle, reuse or remanufacture them.

This also implies that companies will need to invest more and more on training industry experts on sustainability in fashion.

Is Circular Fashion Just Another Trend?

In May 2017, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation launched the Make Fashion Circular initiative. The main goal of this initiative is to foster collaboration among the leaders of the textile industry, brands, innovators and stakeholders to move towards a circular fashion economy.

According to this initiative, the entire fashion industry needs to re-design its operating model. As the industry transforms into a circular system, it will be able to unlock various economic opportunities.

However, this transformation is not possible with a single brand or individual. To actually make fashion circular, businesses, governments, citizens, and innovators have to join forces. Make Fashion Circular initiative has already brought many industry leaders together including GAP, Burberry, H&M, Nike, and Stella McCartney.

The Make Fashion Circular initiative is yet another signal that circular fashion is not just a trend, but a shift in the industry

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The Importance Of Circular Fashion For The Planet And The Industry

With the global population set to reach nine billion people by 2030, nature will struggle to meet human demands like never before. The goal of circular fashion is to ensure that clothes are made from safe and renewable materials, new business models increase their use, and old clothes are turned into new. We want to evolve the apparel industry to a future where every material is used and reused safely, where ecosystems are protected and where people are provided with dignified work. This is the philosophy of circular fashion, and the why it is critically important.

Clothes are an external expression of our personalities, while the importance of choice should not be overlooked, we should be more mindful of how many we truly need and where they come from.

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Unlimited Styles, Without The Waste As young customers begin to shift their preferences away from the need to own everything they wear, towards the need to simply access unlimited fresh styles; so the number of companies that offer resale, rental and subscription models has grown steadily. These companies have become the top three fastest growing retail categories. In fact, the secondhand market is expected to growth 1.5 times the size of fast fashion by 2028. A third of all Instagram users are now buying items on social networks, and the subscription e-commerce market has been growing more than 100% a year.

Major players such as US ThredUP and China’s YCloset are leading the way in the fast fashion resale and rental market. ThredUP has now become the world’s largest second-hand clothing marketplace, allowing customers to sell their own clothes via their site. Over 100,000 items across 35,000 brands are being resold per day, and they are on track to being one of the largest distributors of clothing in North America by 2020. When it comes to rental models, YCloset is taking China by storm, currently offering a subscription membership to 5 million members. The company has observed that one piece of trendy, durable clothing can be used by up to 40 different people.

There are also other smaller disruptive companies that are taking additional measures to stimulate further the recirculation and recycling of garments.

Vigga has a subscription model that delivers packages of professionally laundered organic cotton baby clothes at the right size at regular times, to match babies’ rapid growth. In doing so, Vigga significantly increases the number of times a single garment is worn. Clothes that are no longer worn can be recycled into new, different products.

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A New Model For Accessible Luxury And Quality The increase in demand for resale, rental, and subscription models has not only been driven by those that crave novelty. Customers looking for access to luxury and vintage items also contribute to this trend. These are prized possessions that can gain in value over time, and are often seen as tradable assets with a high resale value. Today, items such as leather backpacks, crossbody bags, winter coats and leather boots have the most resale value.

When designed properly, certain garments and accessories last longer, can be repaired, and command greater resale value.

Photo by Nik MacMillan on Unsplash

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A shift towards people valuing experiences over items supports these new practices. Research by Kantar Global MONITOR has shown that 90% of global customers value desirable experiences over material possessions.

As such, rental and resale models are offering an affordable gateway to highly sought-after luxury and vintage experiences. Rent The Runway and The RealReal, both identified as two of the most disruptive companies in the world in 2018, have been early players tapping into these changing customer trends, at scale. While Rent The Runway provides its members with a monthly subscription model offering access to designer clothing, The RealReal offers its members a platform for selling luxury consignment online, together with an authentication and restoration service. Each now have around 9 million members and together they generate over half a billion dollars in sales.

Scaling these types of businesses models will be vital to keep more clothes in use for longer. But how can we further prolong the life of luxury and vintage garments while avoiding waste?

Levi Strauss has committed to address the industry’s wasteful nature through a range of strategies. After buying a pre-worn pair of jeans from Levi’s Authorized Vintage collection, you can go to the in-house tailors in stories in San Francisco and New York where the jeans can be repaired, resized or restyled. If you’ve fallen out of love with them, you can give them a new lease of life by personalising them. When you no longer want the item, you can send them back to Levi’s for renewal, reconstruction, or recycling. Furthermore, by 2025, if you are looking to purchase a new pair of Levi’s, you will find them to be made out of 100% recycled cotton.

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Timeless Garments Offering Durability And Personality Everyone has a few precious items in their wardrobe. Some we value for the performance they offer, others we love for the special moments we have experienced while wearing them. These are items that carry physical and emotional durability.

Perhaps the sector that currently benefits the most from designing durable clothing are outdoor clothing companies whose customers seek highperforming gear. Some may offer an extended guarantee or warranty on their garments, such as Feetures, which designs high-performing athletic socks with a lifetime guarantee.

Outdoor sportswear company Houdini has gone a step further. The Swedish brand ensures that its garments are designed according to circular design principles, with the ambition of becoming a positive and regenerative force in society and nature. Houdini’s highly durable gear can be purchased new or second hand, and a free repair service keeps equipment in use for longer. The company also offers many items on a rental model. This range of offerings could mean customers with differing disposable incomes could access well-made, durable clothing that was previously unattainable.

But what about those clothes that you own, love and just don’t want to give up, but are losing their spark? If they are in need of a fix, you could send them to the Clothes Doctor and they will be expertly repaired, restored or restyled. Services like Shoespa can inject new personality into your footwear. Customising the style or fit from the outset can build an enduring connection with the contents of your wardrobe, enabled by Amazon’s ondemand custom-made clothing, and customisable shoes from Nike By You.

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Taking The Fabric Out Of Fashion In a world heavily influenced by social media, more young people are living and expressing their lives online. There is a growing trend of buying clothes just to showcase them on Instagram. Many are not worn more than once and end up being wasted. However, this has given rise to the concept of ‘digital fashion’. This new phenomenon is virtualising fashion, and in doing so, dematerialising garments.

“Neo-ex”, a digital clothing collection from Carlings, is a recent, radical example. An online store allows you to purchase a digital design, upload a picture of yourself, and have the item made to fit your image. Customers can share the design on social media, without ever owning the physical garment. The digital collection was sold out within a week.

Such business models offer customers access to digital Instagram-worthy garments, while avoiding filling closets with clothes that will never be worn. The outcome? Virtualisation leading to a reduction in the demand for “physical” garment production and saving resource and waste management costs. Could this be the future of fashion?

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A Better System Overall

Making fashion circular’ is already helping businesses answer today’s most prevalent customer demands, while at the same time circulating valuable materials and reducing waste and pollution.

In parallel to the trends discussed so far, people have also become more aware and passionate about social and environmental causes. They are becoming more “woke” and challenging the status quo to bring about change. Whether it is the way we produce our food, package our products or generate our energy, many have had enough and are demanding industries to take responsibility for the negative impacts they cause.

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Millennials and Gen Z are one of the strongest drivers of this movement, and also represent USD 350 billion of spending power in the US alone.

Within this group, an estimated 74% prefer buying from ‘conscious brands’ and are willing to pay more for a product that offers complete transparency.

This movement is now influencing the fashion industry. More and more brands are responding by integrating social and environmental themes into their products and services. A number of companies have announced bold ambitions such as H&M committing to use 100% recycled and sustainably sourced materials by 2030; and C&A considering making 50% of their products C2C-certified within a decade, and Target aiming for 100% sustainability sourced cotton by 2022.

Considering the reality that no item of clothing can last forever, and new garments are needed to meet demand, startups and researchers are developing solutions that enable garments to be recirculated within the economy.

Dye producers such as Achroma and Pili have made advances towards developing safe products. Achroma synthesises fully traceable dyes from the non-edible waste products of the agricultural and herbal industries, while Pili works with enzymes and microorganisms to produce biotech dyes and pigments.

In 2017, C&A launched the world’s first Gold level C2C certified T-shirt, made from 100% organic cotton and fully compostable at home. The aim is to design garments that come from renewable materials sources, and can safely return to a natural system when they are thrown out. Other companies have focused on making biodegradable garments using organic industrial waste by-products such as orange peels, milk and pineapple leaves. Innovations have also been made with biotech labs and microorganisms to grow biodegradable fabrics derived from for example spider silk, plants and fruits.

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The Adidas Futurecraft Loop — a trainer designed to the materials can be continuously cycled

When it comes to used garments that are no longer wanted, it is important to ensure that used clothes can be turned into new ones, avoiding downcycling and landfilling. Companies like Re/Done have focused their efforts on redesigning used vintage jeans to be sold as new, while the Renewal Workshop recovers unsold inventory from retailers so that they can be renewed, upcycled or recycled.

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Others have worked on innovations in the field of recycling. Mixed up materials glued together make shoes recycling nightmare. Instead, Adidas has developed a running shoe made from just one recyclable material and no glue, so that each pair can be turned into a new pair of shoes. When it comes to T-shirts, Teemill is paving the way. They are made from organic cotton and designed to be returned and remade again. Scanning the QR codes on the wash-care label generates a freepost label that allows you to send the garment back to Teemill for recycling giving you credit toward the next t-shirt.

Together, these examples point to a future in which garments are produced to be safe and never wasted. Used garments are turned into new garments, while others are made to biodegrade back into our soils.

Redesigning The System Making fashion circular is no small task. The processes, incentives, and systems in place today have been built on many years of the take, make, waste mindset. To put the fashion industry on a more positive course requires a design rethink across the textile value chain. By thinking about how the product will be made, how it will be provided and used, and what will happen to it afterwards, designers can make sure the principles of a circular economy are taken into consideration from the outset.

The good news is that this shift won’t take place from a standing start. There are bright spots of progress emerging throughout the fashion industry, from the large brands raising ambition levels and investing in research, to the startups launching disruptive new business models, and a growing group of citizens demanding better, safer products, and transparency and responsibility from those that make them. By harnessing the creativity and innovation of the industry to connect and scale these efforts, we can create a fashion system that’s beautiful — inside and out.

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References https://motif.org/news/circular-fashion-economy/ https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/explore/fashion-and-thecircular-economy https://textilevaluechain.in/2020/08/09/sustainable-fashion-for-circulareconomy/ https://fashionretail.blog/2019/04/01/circular-economy-in-fashion/