large_switch logo.png

medium_switch logo.png

small_switch logo.png

thumbnail_switch logo.png

switch logo.png

This collection features a selection of inspiring examples of the circular economy, compiled in the context of the Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains programme (SWITCH).

Launched in 2020, SWITCH is a five-year initiative that assists EU multinational companies and their suppliers from developing countries to switch to more circular economy approaches and practices in three selected value chains: [Plastic Packaging](https://knowledge-hub.circle-lab.com/switchtocircular/search?collections=832%3D0&framework_elements__5=111), [Textile & Garments](https://knowledge-hub.circle-lab.com/switchtocircular/search?collections=832%3D0&framework_elements__5=99), and ICT and Electronics.

The overall objective of SWITCH is to support the “transformation towards a circular economy”, and to contribute to sustainable growth, low carbon and climate resilient development, decent jobs creation, and a safer, healthier and pollution-free environment.

SWITCH is co-funded by the European Union and the Government of Finland, and implemented by UNIDO, in collaboration with Chatham House, Circle Economy, and the European Investment Bank.
Learn more at www.switchtocircular.eu

![Switch_logo_2022_with_space-01 (1).png](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/Switch_logo_2022_with_space_01_1_c270c8218c.png)





medium_switch_logo_circle-01.jpg

small_switch_logo_circle-01.jpg

thumbnail_switch_logo_circle-01.jpg

switch_logo_circle-01.jpg

Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains

large_SWITCH KH cover image.jpg

medium_SWITCH KH cover image.jpg

small_SWITCH KH cover image.jpg

thumbnail_SWITCH KH cover image.jpg

SWITCH KH cover image.jpg

Business case

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)

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

Fashion and Textiles

Using materials that can be easily reused or recycled after use

Reusable, recyclable materials and inputs

Business

These countries are home to around a quarter of the global population, yet consume over one-third (34%) of raw materials. Shift countries’ material footprint per capita is 4.6 times that of Build countries (largely due to the overconsumption of consumer goods imported from Grow counties) and 1.6 times that of Grow countries.

These are high-income countries in the Global North, as well as in the Gulf, Australia, and Oceania. Examples include:
- Member States of the EU
- the US
- Japan
- the UK
- Canada
- Argentina, ...

While much of their infrastructure is already built, they still contribute heavily to the overshoot of planetary boundaries: they contribute 42% of climate change, 27% of nitrogen, 18% of phosphorus, 16% of freshwater use and 38% of land use change.

To find out what country profile your country belongs to, explore [this interactive story](https://circularity-gap.world) and search for your country on the final map.  


Shift

Extraction and reuse of parts from end-of-life products for use in new products

Part recovery

Reduced use of virgin materials and/or an increase of the use of secondary and bio-based materials

Reduce Material Consumption (SDG12)

Designing products to remove any barriers to recycling and enable easy recyclability

Design for recycling

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

Designing products to be reused for the same or different purposes in multiple lifecycles

Design for reuse

Reduced use of fossil fuel energy sources and/or increased use of renewable energy

Reduce Energy Consumption

Solutions at all stages of the textiles value chain.

Zero Waste Textiles

Direct and indirect reduction in economic costs

Cost Savings

Scalability

Impacts

small_climate-4803653_640.jpg

thumbnail_climate-4803653_640.jpg

climate-4803653_640.jpg

Industries

small_coast-wind-turbine-sea-sky.jpg

thumbnail_coast-wind-turbine-sea-sky.jpg

coast-wind-turbine-sea-sky.jpg

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

large_photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

medium_photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

small_photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

thumbnail_photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

photo-1515534238346-fb9ae3e399d0.jpg

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

Urban Opportunities

Whilst no two countries are the same, there are still obvious similarities between some of them, with discernible development patterns and parallels in evidence. Common problems and shared solutions help place unique country identities and individual issues in context.

Whilst this classification is far from clear-cut and exhibits some overlap, it does underline how the discourse on transitioning to a circular economy needs to account for both differences and commonalities, if we are to arrive at a more strategic and instructive analysis. It also allows to highlight a set of key themes that are likely to be central to the countries that fall under the respective profiles. 

Country profiles (Build, Grow, Shift)

thumbnail_bgsimage 14.png

bgsimage 14.png

A framework to distinguish between different country profiles and their circular transition needs.

Browse case studies by type of implementing stakeholder.

Implementing stakeholders

![Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/Screen_Shot_2024_10_21_at_16_53_12_12858da6aa.png)

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

medium_Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png

small_Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png

thumbnail_Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png

Screen Shot 2024-10-21 at 16.53.12.png



Resortecs combined thermal engineering, industrial design, and chemical engineering to develop state-of-the-art solutions to close the loop in fashion. Discover Smart Stitch™ and Smart Disassembly™: Resortecs' solution for multi-material disassembly in a fast, easy, and cost-efficient manner. 


Belgium

large_blob

medium_blob

small_blob

thumbnail_blob

blob

Sustainable apparel: design for disassembly and recycling textiles thanks to dissolving stitching thread technology.


Resortecs

Resortecs combined thermal engineering, industrial design, and chemical engineering to develop state-of-the-art solutions to close the loop in fashion. Resortecs supplies a system including threads that dissolve at high temperatures, allowing for easier disassembly and recycling, as well as repair.

Resortecs - dissolvable thread

Efficient preprocessing for affordable recycled textiles RESORTECS (2).pdf

Article / Report

Efficiency gains on operations or transactions either through cultural or technological shifts

Productivity

Review and update regulation

**Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation**

![9..JPG](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9_aa8da1d9c6.JPG)

The manufacturing industry’s recovery from COVID-19 remains incomplete and uneven: some high-income regions achieved record-high manufacturing value added per capita in 2022 but levels in LDCs were not much higher than the 2015 baseline. 
In the aftermath of the pandemic, data show that higher-technology industries recovered faster and proved to be more resilient, pointing to the need to promote innovation and technology transfer in a way that benefits all countries. 

Inclusive and sustainable industrial development has been incorporated, together with resilient infrastructure and innovation, as Sustainable Development Goal 9 in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

To achieve Goal 9 by 2030 it is essential to support LDCs, invest in advanced technologies, lower carbon emissions, and increase global mobile broadband access.

This goal's target includes:
- develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure, including regional and transborder infrastructure, to support economic development and human well-being, with a focus on affordable and equitable access for all;
- promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and, by 2030, significantly raise industry’s share of employment and gross domestic product, in line with national circumstances, and double its share in least developed countries;
- increase the access of small-scale industrial and other enterprises, in particular in developing countries, to financial services, including affordable credit, and their integration into value chains and markets;
- by 2030, upgrade infrastructure and retrofit industries to make them sustainable, with increased resource-use efficiency and greater adoption of clean and environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes, with all countries taking action in accordance with their respective capabilities;
- enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors in all countries, in particular developing countries, including, by 2030, encouraging innovation and substantially increasing the number of research and development workers per 1 million people and public and private research and development spending;
- facilitate sustainable and resilient infrastructure development in developing countries through enhanced financial, technological and technical support to African countries, least developed countries, landlocked developing countries and small island developing States;
- support domestic technology development, research and innovation in developing countries, including by ensuring a conducive policy environment for, inter alia, industrial diversification and value addition to commodities;
- significantly increase access to information and communications technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in least developed countries by 2020.

Sources: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal9](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal9)
[https://sdgs.un.org/topics/industry](https://sdgs.un.org/topics/industry)

large_Sustainable_Development_Goal_9.png

medium_Sustainable_Development_Goal_9.png

small_Sustainable_Development_Goal_9.png

thumbnail_Sustainable_Development_Goal_9.png

Sustainable_Development_Goal_9.png

9. Industry, innovation and infrastructure  

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation

Cycle strategies aim to cycle and reuse materials at their highest value: they maximise the volume of secondary materials re-entering the economy, ultimately minimising the need for virgin material inputs and therefore also narrowing flows. Of course, virgin materials will always be needed to a degree: all materials degrade and can’t be cycled infinitely, use energy, and require blending with virgin materials to maintain strength and functionality.

Cycle

**Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development**

![17..JPG](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/17_471b84d9a8.JPG)

Progress towards achieving SDG17 has been mixed. On the one hand, there have been some advances in areas such as development aid, remittances flows, and access to technology. However, funding for development remains a major challenge, particularly in low income countries. 
Additionally, geopolitical tensions and the rise of nationalism in some parts of the world have made it more difficult to achieve international cooperation and coordination. 
Many developing countries are battling record inflation, rising interest rates and looming debt burdens, competing priorities, and limited fiscal space. A major surge in concerted action is needed to ensure developing countries have access to the financing and technologies needed to accelerate SDG implementation.

To achieve goal 17, capacity-building activities are essential as they're aimed at strengthening and maintaining the capabilities of states and societies to design and implement strategies that minimize the negative impacts of current social, economic and environmental crises and emerging challenges. This particularly makes sense to support national plans to implement all the sustainable development goals, including North-South, South-South, and triangular cooperation.
As the achievement of Sustainable Development requires all hands on deck, these multi-stakeholder partnerships must happen around key topics such as finance, science, technology and trade. 


Sources: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal17](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal17)
[https://sdgs.un.org/topics/capacity-development](https://sdgs.un.org/topics/capacity-development)


thumbnail_17.png

17.png

17. Partnerships for the Goals

Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development

Working together with industry peers to engage in business activities or exploratory projects that advance the circular economy

Joint industry ventures, projects, pilots

Conduct research

Information campaigns

**Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable**

![11..JPG](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/11_05a380c82a.JPG)

The pandemic has caused major shifts in migration patterns, including huge movements of people in and out of urban areas. Furthermore, climate change and conflicts tend to have disproportionate impacts on cities. These factors mean that the world is far from achieving the goal of sustainable cities.  
In many developing countries, slum populations have been growing, putting at risk the target of adequate housing for all by 2030. Since 2015, the number of countries with national disaster risk reduction strategies has more than doubled. 

Cities are hubs for ideas, commerce, culture, science, productivity, and social, human and economic development. Urban planning, transport systems, water, sanitation, waste management, disaster risk reduction, access to information, education and capacity-building are all relevant issues to sustainable urban development.

This target entails multiple essential concepts such as disaster risk reduction (DRR) and sustainable transport.

To achieve SDG 11, efforts must focus on strengthening capacities for planning for urban development, improving access to public transportation, and enhancing waste management. 

Sources: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal11](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal11)
[https://sdgs.un.org/topics/sustainable-cities-and-human-settlements](https://sdgs.un.org/topics/sustainable-cities-and-human-settlements)


medium_Sustainable_Development_Goal_11.png

small_Sustainable_Development_Goal_11.png

thumbnail_Sustainable_Development_Goal_11.png

Sustainable_Development_Goal_11.png

11. Sustainable cities and communities

Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

Providing services where customers are charged only when they use it

Payment per use

Impact on the ease of innovation, and facilitating uptake of innovations

Innovation

Data, knowledge & information sharing

Extended Producer Responsibility

Designing products of multiple parts that can be easily disassembled

Design for disassembly

Using waste materials that have been processed and recycled to produce new products within the same industry

Using closed loop recycled materials

**Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts**

![13..JPG](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/13_26b36d59ff.JPG)

The science is clear: our climate is heating rapidly. The average global temperatures have increased by 1.2 degrees Celsius since 1880, particularly in the late 20th century. The concentration of atmospheric CO2, the GHG that contributes more than 2/3 to global warming, is at its highest level ever. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) steadily points out that human activities have warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land, producing widespread and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere. 

Without transformative action starting now and within this decade to reduce greenhouse gas emissions deeply and rapidly in all sectors, the 1.5°C target will be at risk and with it the lives of more than 3 billion people. 
According to IPCC, warming beyond 1.5 degrees could have irreversible and irreparable consequences. However, effective and equitable adaptation and mitigation actions can significantly reduce vulnerability and contribute to climate resilience. To limit global warming to well below 2, preferably 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels, countries came together to hold themselves accountable under the Paris Agreement. 

Failure to act leads to intensifying heat waves, droughts, flooding, wildfires, sea-level rise, and famines. Emissions should already be decreasing now and will need to be cut almost by half by 2030 - a mere seven years from now. 


To combat climate change and its impacts by 2030, urgent and transformative action is needed to meet the commitments under the Paris Agreement across mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Sources: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal13](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal13)
[https://sdgs.un.org/topics/climate-action-synergies](https://sdgs.un.org/topics/climate-action-synergies)

thumbnail_13.png

13.png

13. Climate action

Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts

**Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns**

![12..JPG](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/12_ff44598f2b.JPG)

The world is seriously off track in its effort to halve per-capita food waste and losses by 2030.The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on consumption and production patterns, with disruptions to global supply chains and changes in consumer behaviour. 

Responsible consumption and production must be an integral part of the recovery from the pandemic. 
But the global economy also needs to speed up the decoupling of economic growth from resource use by maximizing the socio-economic benefits of resources while minimizing their negative impacts. 

Reporting on corporate sustainability has tripled since the beginning of the SDG period, but the private sector will need to significantly improve reporting on activities that contribute to the SDGs. 

This primarily entails environmentally sound management of "toxic chemicals" A substantial use of chemicals is essential to meet the social and economic goals of the world community, and these can be used with a high degree of safety when best practices are followed.  Gross chemical contamination, with grave damage to human health, genetic structures reproductive outcomes, and the environment, has been continuing within some of the world's most important industrial areas, and restoration will require major investment as well as the development of new techniques.
Effective control of the generation, storage, treatment, recycling and reuse, transport, recovery and disposal of hazardous wastes is another similar challenge. 
In addition,  solid wastes include all domestic refuse and non-hazardous wastes such as commercial and institutional wastes, street sweepings construction debris, and, in some countries, human wastes. As hazardous waste is frequently intermixed with other waste, this poses particular management challenges.
Finally, this target ensures that radioactive waste is safely managed, transported, stored and disposed of, with a view to protecting human health and the environment. 

To deliver SDG12, it is crucial to implement policies that support the shift to sustainable practices and decouple economic growth from resource use.

Sources: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12](https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal12)
[https://sdgs.un.org/topics/chemicals-and-waste](https://sdgs.un.org/topics/chemicals-and-waste)

thumbnail_12.png

12.png

12. Responsible consumption and production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

A framework of policy instruments that enabled and encourage the transition to the circular economy

Policy Instruments

medium_image-20160922-22514-1aqaw5j.jpg

small_image-20160922-22514-1aqaw5j.jpg

thumbnail_image-20160922-22514-1aqaw5j.jpg

image-20160922-22514-1aqaw5j.jpg

A framework of policy instruments that enable and stimulate the transition to the circular economy

![fh.JPG](https://goldilocks-images.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/fh_45de648312.JPG)

**These 17 Goals recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth – all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests.**

The SDGs build on decades of work by countries and the UN, and especially on the Millennium Declaration adopted in September 2000 at UN Headquarters in New York which let to the elaboration of eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) to reduce extreme poverty by 2015.

In 2015, the Paris Agreement was signed. A major blueprint came out of this: The Sustainable Development Goals: 17 overarching goals—and 169 targets—that governments are aiming to meet by 2030. Significant progress has been made in terms of poverty, health and inequality, but there's still a way to go. This is where the circular economy comes in: by circulating resources multiple times, the circular economy tackles issues of scarcity and allows all to access what they need—without overburdening the earth. If it's implemented in a holistic way—affording attention to social considerations and the fair distribution of resources— it also offers a pathway for achieving the SDGs; and the link between the two is ever-growing. To read more about the link between the SDGs and the circular economy, click [here](https://www.circle-economy.com/blogs/how-the-circular-economy-can-help-us-reach-the-sustainable-development-goals).

It is the Division for Sustainable Development Goals (DSDG) in the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) which provides substantive support and capacity-building for the SDGs and their related thematic issues. TheDSDG plays a key role in the evaluation of UN systemwide implementation of the 2030 Agenda and in advocacy and outreach activities relating to the SDGs. In order to make the 2030 Agenda a reality, broad ownership of the SDGs must translate into a strong commitment by all stakeholders to implement the global goals. DSDG aims to help facilitate this engagement.
Alongside this, the annual High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development serves as the central UN platform for the follow-up and review of the SDGs.
In addition, the UN Secretary-General presents an annual SDG Progress report, which is developed in cooperation with the UN System, and based on the global indicator framework and data produced by national statistical systems and information collected at the regional level.

To read more information: [https://sdgs.un.org/goals](https://sdgs.un.org/goals)

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

large_sdgs.png

medium_sdgs.png

small_sdgs.png

thumbnail_sdgs.png

sdgs.png

 As the global community continues to grapple with the urgent need for sustainable solutions, the textile industry stands at a critical crossroads. With increasing awareness of environmental degradation and resource depletion, there is a growing imperative to reevaluate traditional manufacturing practices and embrace more sustainable alternatives. At the forefront of this movement is the concept of eco-design, which emphasizes the integration of environmental considerations into product development processes. As the European Union discusses the EU Ecodesign Directive and other measures to boost textile circularity, it is clear that the environmental impact of textile products has made fashion one of the region’s top priorities in the circular transition. On average, an EU citizen consumes 26 kg of textile and generates 11 kg of waste each year. Yet only 1% of the material used in textile production is recycled — the remaining 99% is landfilled or incinerated. In alignment with the principles of eco-design for sustainable products (ESPR), this study seeks to estimate the achievable target for recycled content in textile products, specifically apparel, that are placed on the European market. The focus is on utilizing recycled content sourced from collected textile waste within Europe over the next decade. By leveraging recycled materials, manufacturers can reduce reliance on virgin resources, minimize waste generation, and mitigate the environmental footprint of their products. Through a comprehensive analysis of industry trends, consumer preferences, and regulatory frameworks, this report aims to provide insights and recommendations for establishing meaningful recycled content targets that promote sustainability without compromising product quality or performance. The study aimed to assess the potential feedstock available from collected textile waste in Europe, both with and without pre-recycling preparation such as disassembly. It investigated the amount of attainable feedstock achievable under current conditions, as well as the additional feedstock that could be obtained if pre-recycling preparation methods like disassembly were implemented.The following assumptions were considered in the calculation:• Global Market Size: The global market for textile products is estimated to consist of 116 billion pieces annually. Of these, the European market represents 28%, equivalent to 32.5 million pieces, with an average weight of 300g per piece, totaling 9744 tons per year. This value is assumed to remain stable over the study period despite the growth potential. • Monomaterial Fraction: Currently, monomaterial products constitute 22% of total fashion collections. It is anticipated that this proportion will increase due to eco-design requirements (ESPR), reaching 30% by 2035.• Composition of Materials: PET accounts for 12% of the material composition, while cotton represents 40%. The recycling efficiency is estimated at 47% for PET and 49% for cotton, accounting for material loss during recycling processes such as melt spinning, twining/spinning, weaving, and confection.• Disruptors and Multimaterial Products: Products made from mono-materials and containing recycling disruptors such as zippers, labels, and buttons comprise 69% of total fashion pieces7. Multi Material products constitute 9% of the total fashion pieces7.• Textile waste collection rate: The average textile collection rate in Europe is currently estimated at 38% with the aim of achieving 100% with the mandatory textile waste collection.  In the light of the waste framework directive WFD EC 2008/98 and the mandatory collection of separated textile waste the percentage of the collection rate is expected to increase from the present state of 38% to 60% in 2027, up to 80% in 2030 and 100% by 2035.  The mono-material fraction currently constitutes around 22% of the total garments in the EU market. With the implementation of eco-design requirements and the potential for garments to be designed as mono-material, eliminating the need for trims or multi-material components to meet performance and durability standards, this fraction is projected to rise to 30% by 2035. Accordingly, given the current collection rate of 38% of textile waste in Europe, the textile industry can procure 98 tons of polyester feedstock and 326 tons of cotton feedstock in 2024.  This volume of feedstock will be adequate to meet the requirement for 4% recycled content in new garments without necessitating any modifications to current practices or additional investments. With the aim of achieving collection rates of up to 100% in the EU, the potential feedstock obtainable from mono-material textile waste collected in Europe is anticipated to amount to at least 346 tons of cotton feedstock and 1152 tons of polyester feedstock. This could potentially translate into achievable recycled content targets of 14% to 15% by 2035, respectively.  Table 1: Potential textile recycled content targets and their feasibility in the EU.  Tapping into multi-material textile products, which may consist of mono-material with recycling disruptors or multi-layer compositions, and assuming they are prepared for recycling through effective disassembly, the achievable PET feedstock is projected to increase from 130 tons in 2024 with a 38% collection rate to 343 tons in 2035 with a 100% textile waste collection rate. Consequently, the achievable PET recycled content from multi-material sources will range from g.  A similar trend is expected for cotton feedstock, estimated at 454 tons in 2024 and evolving to 1195 tons if 100% of multi-material apparel waste is collected and disassembled in Europe. This will result in achievable cotton recycled content ranging from 12% to 31%. Combining the potential PET feedstock collected in Europe from both mono-material and multi material apparel products will result in 16% of achievable recycled PET target in 2024 with projection to increase to 45% by 2035, as demonstrated in Figure 1.   Figure 1: Achievable Recycled PET Content (%) from Mono-Material and Multi-Material Textile Waste Collected in the EU. Combining the potential cotton feedstock collected in Europe from both mono-material and multi material apparel products will result in 39% of achievable recycled cotton target in 2024 with projection to increase to 43% by 2035, as demonstrated in Figure 2.  Figure 2: Achievable Recycled Cotton Content (%) from Mono-Material and Multi-Material Textile Waste Collected in the EU. The study’s results underscore the tangible potential for achieving significant levels of recycled content in new apparel products. The min achievable recycled content target is 4% from mono-material garments without changing any current practices that could rise to 14% when 100% of textile collection rate is attained. By tapping into multi-material garments after preparation for recycling, a min achievable recycled content target is 11% with potential to rise to 31% when 100% of multi-material  textile collection rate is attained. With careful management of current European textile waste, a realistic recycled content target of 15% is within reach. Looking ahead, as textile waste collection becomes mandatory and reaches 100% penetration over the next decade, the projected recycled content target could soar to an impressive 43%. It’s crucial to note that while market growth may amplify these volumes, our study prioritizes responsible production practices and expects products to have longer lifespans in the market, and it didn’t consider any market growth.  The study findings highlight the pivotal role of the disassembly process, exemplified by Resortecs’ design for disassembly solution. Effective preparation of products for recycling will unlock higher volumes of feedstock with the necessary purity for textile-to-textile recycling processes. This optimization not only streamlines the sorting process and increases recycling yields,  but also generates financial benefits for sorters and recyclers. Moreover, it significantly mitigates environmental impact by reducing waste generation and curbing the need for new material sourcing. This emphasizes the imperative for defining eco-design requirements that foster an enabling environment for textile-to-textile recycling, thereby actualizing the waste hierarchy. Such an environment must prioritize pre-recycling techniques like disassembly and set ambitious recycled content targets that not only reflect high percentages but also ensure the origin of recycled content is sustainable and traceable. This holistic approach is essential for driving meaningful progress towards a circular and sustainable textile industry. 1. 2009/125/EC2.  Textiles in Europe’s circular economy, EEA, 19 Nov 2019.3.  A new textile economy: redesigning fashion’s future (Ellen MacArthur Foundation) – Circular Fibers Initiative analysis.4. Statista – Apparel Europe, and Apparel Market Worldwide.5. Global apparel market: The revenue of the global apparel market was calculated to amount to 1.53 trillion U.S. dollars in 2022 while Apparel – Europe: In 2023, the revenue in the Apparel market in Europe is estimated to be US$474.40bn hence the EU market share of the global apparel market is 28%.6. Resortecs internal calculation for an average garment weight.7. Refashion, Characterisation study of the incoming and outgoing streams from sorting facilities report, 2023.8. Fashion For Good, Sorting for Circularity Report, 2022.9. Recycling efficiency was estimated on analysis of current recycling technology and industrial discussions with developing recycling technologies at lower TRL.10. EU exports of used textiles in Europe’s circular economy – Feb 2023.11. European Directive ((EU) 2018/851) amending Directive 2008/98/EC 

Brussels Capital

Relying solely on mono-material textiles will not generate enough high-quality recycled content to achieve a closed-loop system. To meet circularity targets,&nbsp;multi-material textile products must also be recycled—but doing so requires&nbsp;efficient disassembly and sorting.Current disassembly methods yield only ~50%, creating financial and material losses that make recycled textiles less competitive. At this efficiency, the process can result in&nbsp;losses of up to €0.15 per garment.Design-for-Disassembly technologies, like Resortecs®, significantly improve preprocessing efficiency—up to 4.6x for complex textiles—resulting in a&nbsp;3.3x yield increase&nbsp;across all textile categories and turning the cost into a&nbsp;€0.13 profit per garment.To unlock circularity at scale, the&nbsp;Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation must mandate design-for-disassembly&nbsp;alongside recycled content targets. Only then can we ensure higher material recovery rates and economic viability for textile recycling.

Efficient pre-processing for affordable recycled textiles -
The power of design-for-disassembly in garment recycling

Ecodesign and Efficient Pre-Processing: Key to Closing the Loop in FashionAs the EU advances its Ecodesign Directive and circular economy policies, it’s evident that tackling the environmental impact of textiles is crucial. Each EU citizen consumes 26 kg of textiles and generates 11 kg of waste annually, yet less than 1% is effectively recycled. This is due not only to gaps in reverse logistics and recycling infrastructure but also to products not being designed for disassembly or recycling. 1) The Challenge: Complexity in TextilesWith 78% of garments containing mixed materials and 9% being multilayered, traditional recycling struggles with zippers, buttons, and trims. Design-for-Disassembly is essential to unlock textile-to-textile recycling at scale. 2) The Solution: Design-for-Disassembly- Active-Disassembly solutions like Smart Stitch™ &amp; Smart Disassembly™ are plug-and-play technologies enabling automated, non-destructive textile disassembly without major manufacturing changes.- Operational Efficiency: Doubles material recovery rates (up to 90% vs. 45-60% with manual/mechanical methods).- Cost Efficiency: Reduces costs through scalable processes, with ROI achieved even at low product collection rates (~2-20%).- Environmental Impact: Enables 2x more recycling and reduces CO₂ emissions by up to 50% compared to incineration. 3) Conclusion:Design-for-Disassembly innovations can position Europe to lead in textile circularity, boosting both sustainability and economic competitiveness globally.