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This collection has been built by a community of passionate researchers, students, and industry professionals as part of <a href="https://worldcirculartextilesday.com/" target="_blank">World Circular Textiles Day</a> (WCTD). 


World Circular Textiles Day takes place every year on 8th October.  Our vision is to galvanise the collective ambitions and goals of people, organisations and businesses to reach a fully circular textiles world by 2050. Our mission is to provide a framework for circularity stakeholders to develop and deliver a collaborative, evolving roadmap and to chart circularity’s momentum annually from the 8th of October until 2050.

What does fully circular by 2050 mean?
- Shared textile resources, in the form of products and raw materials, are kept in **continual circulation**.
- Virgin resources are **replaced with circular materials**.
- Dignity, equity, and equality for the **people** involved in all parts of the circular value chain.

We need to know where we stand today to chart how to get to 100% Circularity by 2050. What circular activity is currently happening in the textiles and apparel industry, and where in the world is it happening? The WCTD Collection aims to answer this question by building the world’s largest digital library of circular textiles case studies. 

World Circular Textiles Day is proud to be supported by our 2022-23 Circular Hero Partners:
[Lenzing](https://www.lenzing.com/), [Texaid](https://retailsolutions.texaid.com/), [Bank & Vogue](https://www.bankvogue.com/), [Usha yarns limited](https://ushayarns.com/), [The Conduit](https://www.theconduit.com/), and [Asia Pacific Rayon](https://www.aprayon.com/en/)

## Want to contribute to the WCTD Collection? Sign up and add your circular textiles activities.





World Circular Textiles Day

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Business case

Impact on the availability of resources as well as their effect on living organisms, ecosystems, and components of the environment.

Ecological Impact

Impacts on the social fabric of the community and well-being of the individuals and families.

Social Impact

Impacts on the financial condition of a company, as well as the the economicconditions of its stakeholders and on economic systems at local, national, andglobal levels.

Economic Impact

Impact on increased knowledge and understanding as a result of the case study

Increase Awareness

Direct and indirect effects that increase revenues or the potential for new revenues, for example from new products, customer segments, partnerships or business models

Revenue Potential

Minimise waste through diversion: Instead of sending waste to landfill, it is redirected into other industrial processes for handling, treatment, recycling, recovery, or reuse in various forms. 

Minimise waste through design: At the outset of a process of project, plan and design such that there is zero waste or minimal waste during production, use, and at end of life. 

Minimise Waste (SDG12)

Reduced use and withdrawal of water and rate of recycling and reuse of water

Save Water (SDG6)

Producing textile and leather products and processing them into apparel and accessories

Fashion and Textiles

Activities to clean, decorate, and restore products back to working condition for original or new purposes

Refurbishment, remanufacturing, renovation

Transforming waste products, materials for reuse within other industries

Open loop upcycling

Working together with stakeholders and parties in other unrelated industries to implement circular economy strategies and opportunities

Cross-industry projects, pilots

VISION:
Products and services are designed for multiple use and material value retention, with maximum positive impact.

DETAIL: 
Imagine a time when…products flow via optimal collection and distribution streams into reusable and repairable product platforms. Reuse and access models are dominant, and products are designed for multiple recirculation before biodegrading (if designed to do so), or being broken down into reusable raw materials for production. People only consume what they need. Production and consumption wastes have been fully eliminated and multifunctional, season-less and timeless fashions are the norm, yet still fulfil our human need for expression and creativity without constraint. All business models, organisations, governments and citizens play a role in maintaining a healthy, functioning circular ecosystem.

Products and Services

Impacts

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Industries

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The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

It is 2050.  Full systems change has taken place. This wouldn’t have been possible without the immediate action and radical steps taken from 2020 onwards. Many targets had to be identified in the early 2020s and achieved by 2030 to ensure that the 2050 goal happened in full. A sense of urgency, turbo stakeholder collaboration, supportive government regulation and clear, data driven targets enabled the mindsets and systems change needed to transform to a fully circular textiles ecosystem.

A circular economics model underpins what we have created. It reflects and supports a living organism made up of makers, users and restorers, interacting across vibrant and interconnected networks. Checks and balances, alongside transparency and accountability, ensure a healthy system. Financial, environmental, and social metrics have the purpose of serving communities and the planet. There is shared ownership of profit and loss – across all three metrics – throughout the value chain.

This is what we’ve achieved over the last 30 years:

WCTD Themes

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Based on the work of [Bocken et al. (2016)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309699661_Product_design_and_business_model_strategies_for_a_circular_economy), the Four Flows Framework serves as a simple framework for managing resource flows in a circular economy by using less (Narrow), using for longer (Slow), using again (Cycle), and using clean, regenerative materials and energy (Regenerate).

These different principles of circular economy can be applied to our socioeconomic metabolism: we can design stocks like buildings, infrastructure, machinery, and vehicles to be rich resource mines for the future, and design manufactured goods and consumables to be cycled and made regenerative. Furthermore, the focus must also centre on getting more value out of fewer materials. Achieving the aims of a circular economy—minimising material use, regenerating the Earth, and preventing material losses—can be done through these four key strategies mentioned above.

Source: Circle Economy. (2023). *[The circularity gap report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023)* (p.22). Amsterdam: Circle Economy. 

Four Flows Framework

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  In collaboration with Homeboy Industries, GUESS has developed a unique process to give new life to old clothing. By transforming recycled pieces into fun, fashionable creations, GUESS is building a new pathway to being fabulously sustainable. Sustainability is at the heart of all that GUESS does, and the Company’s partnership with the non‐profit Homeboy Industries represents this commitment.

 GUESS will work directly with Homeboy Recycling, a social enterprise branch of Homeboy Industries on the new Upcycled Collection. In partnering with GUESS, Homeboy Recycling has expanded from exclusively electronics recycling into the world of textiles and apparel. GUESS and Homeboy Recycling have created not only a remarkable new line of goods and apparel, but a new way to support environmental sustainability, facilitate creativity, create new jobs, and uplift our community: upcycled with a whole lot of heart.
 

Every second, the equivalent of a rubbish truck load of clothes is burnt or buried in landfill. Waste is prevalent in every part of the fashion industry, as a result of overproduction, over consumption and problematic end-of-life solutions. Every second, the equivalent of a rubbish truck load of clothes is burnt or buried in landfill. This statistic, revealed by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, is scary. Waste in the fashion industry is an increasing concern for many, and for good reason. How widespread is waste in the fashion industry exactly? Why is there so much waste in the first place? What’s the solution? Who is paving the way for a new system? And what can we do as consumers and citizens? In this article we tell you everything you need to know about waste in the fashion industry. How widespread is waste in the fashion industry? The short answer is: extremely. The long, and more detailed answer is: it’s estimated that 92 million tons of textile waste is created annually by the fashion industry. It’s also said that textile waste is to increase by around 60% between 2015 and 2030, with an additional 57 million tons of waste being generated annually, reaching an annual total of 148 million tons. Producing too much A lot of this waste comes from manufacturers and retailers themselves, who generate around 13 million tons of textile waste every year. Why so much? Largely because they overproduce: every season about 30% of the clothes produced are never sold. With the advent of fast fashion, retailers started producing clothes at breakneck speed, with the goal to get the newest styles on the market as fast as possible, so shoppers can snap them up while they are still at the height of their popularity and then, sadly, discard them after a few wears. It’s this toxic system of overproduction and consumption that has made fashion one of the world’s largest polluters. Fashion Revolution revealed that the number of garments produced annually has doubled since 2000 and exceeded 100 billion for the first time in 2014. The unsold garments are often burned: in 2017, it was revealed that H&M had been burning 12 tons of unsold clothing every year since 2013. Textile overproduction, and the resulting waste, are harming our planet. Buying more than ever before Manufacturers produce a lot of clothes, but we, consumers, also tend to buy more as the years go by. Around 56 million tonnes of clothing are bought each year, and this is expected to rise to 93 million tonnes by 2030 and 160 million tonnes by 2050. We buy more clothes, and we wear them less: the average piece of clothing is worn 36% fewer times now than it was 15 years ago. And what do we do with the stuff we don’t wear? We throw it away: in the US alone, 85% of textiles thrown away are dumped into landfills or burned. The average American is said to throw away about 37kg/81 pounds of clothes every year. Problematic end-of-life solutions Contrary to popular belief, a lot of our clothes aren’t recyclable. It’s said that only 13.6% of clothes and shoes thrown away in the US end up being recycled and that just 12% of the material used for clothing ends up being recycled. This 12% will likely end up being shredded and used as furniture stuffing, or made into insulation or cleaning cloths. Less than 1% of what is collected will be used to make new clothing. A lot of clothing these days is made out of plastic, which, as we know, can take hundreds of years to decompose. Even if clothes made out of natural fibres end up in landfills, they don’t break down as well surrounded by plastic and other household waste. Landfills are said to be the third-largest source of methane emissions in the US, which contributes to the pressing issue of global warming. A note on donating clothes Even if we decide to donate our clothes to thrift stores or charities, in some cases, charities are forced to spend money sorting and disposing of this material, of which an estimated 25% goes directly to landfill. An additional 40-50% is exported into the problematic global second hand clothing trade, which swamps the local textile market of countries such as Ghana and Chile, and ends up in landfills.  Luxury fashion brands aren’t blameless H&M is not the only retailer burning its unsold stock. In the middle of 2018, a wave of outrage spread across the internet when it was revealed that Burberry, one of the world’s most recognisable luxury brands, had burned a big pile of unsold stock. £28.6 million (US$37 million) worth of clothes, accessories, and perfumes went up in flames. It was shocking. Burberry was the brand that sparked a big brouhaha, but waste in the luxury fashion sector is thought to be commonplace. Big names rumoured to have destroyed stock include Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, and Juicy Couture. So why do they do it? Luxury brand excuse #1: exclusivity Beyond the design and materials, the allure of luxury fashion is that not everyone can afford to wear it. It’s a status symbol. Burning excess stock, as opposed to selling it as a discount, maintains the brand’s value and sense of exclusivity. Then there’s the “grey market” where genuine designer goods are bought cheaply and resold by others. Some brands even offer discounts to staff and industry insiders to reduce the amount of unsold stock out there, and prevent it falling into the hands of resellers. In one high-profile case, Richemont, the parent company of fine watch brands such as Cartier and Montblanc, was caught up in controversy after it destroyed more than £400 million worth of designer timepieces in a bid to stop them being sold by unauthorised vendors. In response, Richemont also said it had bought back some unsold stock and recycled some of the precious metals and stones. Luxury brand excuse #2: tax breaks Luxury brands may also have a financial incentive to destroy unsold stock. For example, brands have to pay all sorts of taxes and charges to import goods into the USA. But if the goods are unsold, and the brand exports them again or destroys them under US customs supervision, they can recover up to 99% of the taxes and charges they paid in a process known as “drawback”. Luxury brand excuse #3: stopping the fakes Some brands have argued that destroying stock protects them against counterfeiting. Counterfeiting is an enormous, illegal industry worth US$450 billion. It’s also unethical in multiple ways, with vulnerable people often exploited for low-cost labour by the criminal gangs that profit from the counterfeiting. But it’s hard to see how burning unsold stock by itself is an effective response to counterfeiting. Towards a new system After its own stock-burning blow up, Burberry had a rapid change of heart and vowed to not to burn stock again. It has also been taking steps to address its climate impacts, and was witness to the UN Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Change in December 2018. This ambitious plan has a vision for net 0% carbon emissions from fashion by 2050. There are other brands taking some measures to reduce waste. Design samples are commonly wasted in fashion, but luxury suit giant Hugo Boss has said it will stop producing physical samples. Instead, it will use large touchscreens to showcase its latest designs, eliminating all resources needed in the production and saving time and money. Gucci has also implemented a Scrap-Less program where its tanneries reduce the quantity of leather treated. Gucci then saves on waste, water, energy and chemical use in its leather supply chain. We know waste is a design flaw, and so for fashion designers at the top of their game, reducing waste should be a top priority. There needs to be a shift from a linear model to a more circular system that gives value to recycled and reclaimed goods, and focus is on the longevity and life cycle of our possessions. Waste and Good On You’s brand ratings Good On You rates brands across the three key pillars of people, planet, and animals. When it comes to environmental impact, brands are awarded points for taking concrete action and incorporating efforts and commitments to circular economy principles. Examples of measures brands can take to demonstrate a commitment to a circular economy and reducing waste include:  using recycled materials or deadstock fabrics taking back and reselling second hand products minimising blends of fibres to ensure that clothes can be more easily recycled at the ends of their useful lives using low-waste cutting techniques in their cut and sew processes collecting and re-using offcuts from their cut and sew processes offering a rental scheme   What you can do to help Consumers play a key role in reducing waste in the fashion industry. From increased  support for more sustainable models, we are seeing circularity seeping into supply chains, manufacturing, and at the final stage; after a consumer has finished with an item. Some key actions you can take to align with circular fashion and reduce waste in the industry: Brands leading the way in environmental action A lot needs to be done. But we have hope that those brands that are forward-thinking and environmentally sustainable will lead the way.

 Company News, News | August 1, 2022 | By: IFAI  
 In collaboration with Homeboy Industries, GUESS has developed a unique process to give new life to old clothing. By transforming recycled pieces into fun, fashionable creations, GUESS is building a new pathway to being fabulously sustainable.  GUESS will work directly with Homeboy Recycling, a social enterprise branch of Homeboy Industries on the new Upcycled Collection. In partnering with GUESS, Homeboy Recycling has expanded from exclusively electronics recycling into the world of textiles and apparel. GUESS and Homeboy Recycling have created a new way to support environmental sustainability, facilitate creativity, create new jobs, and uplift the community: upcycled with a whole lot of heart. It is with absolute pride that GUESS announces the Upcycled Collection. Transforming recycled clothing yields distinctly unique pieces, and that is its ultimate appeal. Tote bags, patchwork denim, bustiers, and even throw pillows; upcycled fashion for everyone. The Upcycled Collection is a sustainable, fashionable, purposeful way to shop‐the truest form of circular fashion. “Homeboy Industries is grateful for the partnership with GUESS for the Upcycled Collection. We thank GUESS for supporting our mission to provide hope, training, and support to this marginalized population, allowing them to change the arc of their lives and become contributing members of the community. Homeboy Industries provides comprehensive trauma‐informed, wrap‐around support services such as tattoo removal, mental health services, education, legal, housing navigation, case management, workforce development, and job training,” says Chris Zwicke, CEO of Homeboy Industries. “Through this partnership, our employees at our fastest growing social enterprise, Homeboy Recycling, will gain more job skills and training, which we are very excited about.” “The Upcycled Collection in collaboration with Homeboy Industries is designed with the hope that each piece can give purpose to a member of the community who can learn the skills needed to turn discarded merchandise into desirable, commodified items with an eye to the fashion set. The designs are determined by the resources at hand, which are carefully organized and sorted. The product range is fashion to non‐fashion pieces, so there is something for everyone. And the true joy is the wonderment around the former life of each piece and how it came to be,” says Amy Enuke, Young Contemporary Design Director. With GUESS’ commitment to circular fashion and Homeboy Recycling’s foundation of sustainability, this partnership is the launching pad for a new kind of sustainable fashion—one that not only supports the environment but also directly supports our communities. To learn more, visit guess.com/sustainability.
    

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<p>In collaboration with Homeboy Industries, GUESS has developed a unique process to give new life to old clothing. By transforming recycled pieces into fun, fashionable creations, GUESS is building a new pathway to being fabulously sustainable. Tote bags, patchwork denim, bustiers, and even throw pillows - upcycled fashion is for everyone.</p>