The pressure on textile manufacturers to align with climate goals is increasing. New legislation will push for more circular design and materials. To prepare for these new demands, the Ministry of Environment of Denmark and the Lifestyle and Design Center initiated a sectoral collaboration. Ten companies have joined this initiative already and all companies in Denmark are invited to join. They set ambitious objectives in terms of recycled material percentages, the creation of circular design requirements and the extension of textiles life. 

The overconsumption of textiles in the EU, 15kg per person per year, leads to a high amount of textiles being discarded. It also means that the textile product group is ranked 4th for the most impact on climate and the environment in the EU. This has prompted a change in the legislation on textiles, for example the new EU Sustainable and Circular Textile Strategy. This means textile producers in Denmark, and elsewhere in the EU, will have to adapt to new conditions. 

In the context of this change in demand and legislation, the Ministry of Environment of Denmark and the Lifestyle and Design Center decided to initiate a new collaboration in the textile sector. The aim is for Danish textile manufacturers and design companies to be at the forefront of the new demands, with a further goal to share knowledge and experience to achieve progress together. 

The outcome of this initiative has been an alignment of three objectives, and the creation of a steering group and secretariat.

The three goals are the following:

- Before 2030, all clothing and textiles from Danish companies will consist of at least 40% recycled material, including at least 10% recycled directly from textile fibres. This will be calculated as an average for each company.

- The creation of common circular design requirements for longer lifespans. These will have to be applicable to both large and smaller companies.

-  An increase in the share of clothes coming from resale and in their lifespan.

The steering group is so far composed of ten representatives from Danish companies, representatives from the Lifestyle and Design Cluster, WEAR and Dansk Mode & Textil, and some representatives from the Ministry of Environment of Denmark. However, all Danish textile manufacturers and designers are invited to join. 

The list of Danish companies:

- AIAYU

- Bestseller

- DK-Company

- Salling Group

- Ganni

- JYSK

- Dansk Wilton

- Mammut Hoffmann

- Trendsales

- Green Cotton