lished initiatives that are innovative, and none are transformative. The work so far has not taken into account the waste pyramid or the studies that indicate there is little to gain by going from energy-recovering to material recovery for textiles. An environmentally proactive efforts must concentrate on quantity (and growth rate). This is an area where few policies have been developed and little knowledge on change is available. However, fast fashion is neither an old phenomenon nor something that makes a positive contribution to society. This suggests that it should be easy to change as a phenomenon. The fact that there are a number of small consumer-driven initiatives (shop-stop, wardrobe detox, etc.) suggests that the idea of replacing fast fashion with something else, is winning terrain. Politically, it is important to give the consumers who want the opportunity to change their consumption means of doing so. To achieve this, knowledge about textiles in general and on the individual product specifically, is crucial. It will allow the consumer the possibility to choose. We therefore believe that labeling schemes that deal with quality and durability should be given high priority. Similarly complaints, claims, lifetime warranties, etc. are policy areas to address for textiles and apparel, as this also has a commercial side. Work on new business models and a shift towards a more service-oriented textile sector should be encouraged. It is interesting to note that industry and consumers here have many common interests. Knowledge about use can be better utilized and here the Nordic industry really has an advantage with its proximity and potential knowledge about a large group of users of their products.
6.4 Reduce
In the efforts to reduce the burden of production and consumption of textiles, this is the “region� where the work has progressed furthest, both nationally and internationally in the Nordic countries. It would therefore be wise to connect the RM closely to the international initiatives who work with this and thereby maximizing resources and already active stakeholders’ contributions. This can be done by supporting stakeholders to take part in this process, together with platforms for sharing the news and outcome of the process. There are, however, major differences of opinion in this field of work, both about the facts the work builds on and how best to move forward. Such discussions are important because they bring out several possible options and reveals potential for improvement. These efforts should also be followed up with political
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Mapping sustainable textile initiatives