The amount of textiles discarded is increasing every year, with projections of further acceleration. Although some of this waste is reused, a significant proportion is diverted for recycling. Creating the infrastructure necessary to effectively recycle these textiles requires an understanding of their material composition. The current textile sorting system, which relies heavily on manual input, cannot provide accurate information given the often unreliable and absent clothing labels.
One of the main problems is that discussions of circularity are often limited to just one piece of the larger puzzle, identifying it only with resale, rental or the use of recycled materials. Simply having a used-clothing take-back system in place does not mean that you are operating, out of the blue, with a circular model. What's more, data suggests that, right now, less than one percent of recycled clothing ends up as new clothing.
To achieve a circular system, a new end market for non-reusable textiles is required, with an infrastructure and a digital matching system that can support the activities of sorters and recyclers.
The Solution: Sorting for Circularity
Based in Amsterdam, Fashion for Good is a global platform that fosters sustainable innovation in the fashion industry. The platform collaborates with brands, suppliers, and retailers in various programs, one of which is the Scaling Programme, which supports innovations in circular apparel and footwear.
Fashion for Good has recently launched the "Sorting for Circularity Project" to address this challenge on a larger scale than ever before. The project, which brings together key brands and industry leaders from across Europe, will conduct a comprehensive analysis of textile waste using more accurate and innovative near-infrared (NIR) technology while mapping textile recycler capabilities.
This research will lead to an open digital platform for linking textile waste from sorters with recyclers, enabling their alignment and building infrastructure toward greater circularity in the coming years.
The goal of the 18-month project is to create a stronger link between textile sorters and textile recyclers by stimulating a recycling market for unwanted textiles that can generate new revenue streams for sorters. Traditionally, the sorting industry generates revenue through the sale of reusable textiles, with the remainder being recycled, incinerated, or landfilled.
Which Brands Are Getting Involved?
The Sorting for Circularity project is driven by Fashion for Good with funding provided by the Laudes Foundation and facilitated by brand partners such as adidas, BESTSELLER and Zalando, as well as Inditex as an external partner. Fashion for Good is buildin a global coalition of partners which include Arvind Limited, Birla Cellulose, Levi Strauss & Co, Otto and PVH Corp.
Circle Economy is leading the creation and implementation of the methodology, with support from Refashion, to assess the composition of textile waste. Both organizations draw on their extensive experience in similar projects, such as the Interreg Fibersort Project and previous textile composition analyses.
The analysis will provide the most representative snapshot of the composition of textile waste generated in Europe. In addition, Fashion for Good and Circle Economy will map the current and future capabilities of textile recyclers in the region, illuminating crucial gaps between the sorting and recycling industry, and the innovation, investment and policy changes needed to accelerate circularity.
The findings of this research will ultimately enable sorters to take action by supporting a digital platform that links their textile waste to recyclers. This open source platform will provide greater transparency, generate greater harmonization across industries and ensure that learnings contribute to fundamental change for the industry as a whole.
Investing in Sustainability with Zalando
On January 9th, Fashion for Good announced its collaboration with e-commerce giant Zalando to stimulate sustainable innovation in the fashion industry. By partnering with the Dutch platform, Zalando will have the opportunity to engage from an early stage with innovators focused on the future of fashion.
In addition, the e-commerce will have the opportunity to offer support in the search for and evaluation of innovations. In collaboration with other companies, Zalando will also participate in the selection of new brands and offer its experience and know-how to new circular textile production companies.
Fashion for Good's mission is to bring together the entire fashion ecosystem to reimagine the way fashion is designed, manufactured, used, and reused.