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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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The Circular Fashion Partnership is a cross-sectoral initiative that aims to develop effective circular fashion systems by capturing and recycling post-industrial textile waste. This collaborative effort promotes best practices and helps drive the adoption of sustainable practices across Indonesia's fashion industry. 

**Get your circular activities on the map by adding your activities [here](https://knowledge-hub.circle-economy.com/CFPIndonesia/article/new).**

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Circular Fashion Partnership: Indonesia

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Article / Report

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

Ecological Impact

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

Increase Awareness

Direct and indirect reduction in economic costs

Cost Savings

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

Save Water (SDG6)

Providing various support services for businesses and governments, such as research, testing, certification and consulting services, cleaning and maintenance services, security and protection services, legal, accounting and bookkeeping services, information management, data processing, and business process outsourcing services

Research & Commercial Services

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

Fashion and Textiles

Ensure renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy in an efficient way

Prioritise regenerative resources

While resources are in-use, maintain, repair and upgrade them to maximise their lifetime and give them a second life through take back strategies when applicable

Stretch the lifetime

Engage with the local community where facilities or offices are located

Community collaboration

Providing repair services or maintenance services for products or parts

Product maintenance, repair

Preserving and conserving biological products such as food, forests, etc.

Preservation, conservation

 Develop research, structure knowledge, encourage innovation networks and disseminate findings with integrity


Strengthen and advance knowledge

The built environment, including housing, commercial buildings, and the necessary infrastructure for mobility, is essential for our livelihoods, but:
- the extraction of minerals used to produce construction materials is responsible for a quarter of global land use change,
- approximately 40% of global GHG emissions can be attributed to buildings’ construction, use and demolition, and
- construction and demolition processes drive nearly one-third of all material consumption. 

Making the built environment more circular must prioritise a heavy reduction in material use—while also closing the loop on materials and bringing secondary and renewable material choices to the fore. Our four key solutions for the built environment are:
- Make the most of what already exists: Make the most of existing materials by reusing, repurposing, upgrading and renovating following circular approaches. Where new builds are needed, use secondary materials and be as efficient as possible with urban planning solutions that follow circular design principles so that buildings can be reused, repurposed, and easily disassembled in the future.
- Be as energy efficient as possible: From the design phase, utilise circular strategies to create material- and energy efficient buildings. Couple these designs with a rollout of clean energy solutions, and prioritise energy-efficient appliances and retrofitting. 
- Utilise secondary materials: Maximise the high-value reuse of buildings and components where possible. Ideally, enable the utilisation of construction and demolition outputs and ensure that as much of it as possible is recycled to avoid the need for virgin materials, such as sand and gravel.
- Prioritise circular materials and approaches: Transition to using renewable wood, timber or cross-laminated timber instead of steel and concrete, or move to other locally available materials. Utilise mainstream modular construction and prioritise lightweight frames and structures to reduce cement and steel use, as well as green roofs where possible.



🏢 Built Environment

Businesses

Communities

**Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns**

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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)

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12. Responsible consumption and production

Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

Regenerate strategies phase out hazardous or toxic materials and processes and substitute them with regenerative biomass resources. A circular economy aims to mimic natural cycles—by shifting to more regenerative farming practices, for example—while also maximising the share of circular biomass that enters the economy. Regeneration can happen both at the systems level (by designing regenerative processes) as well as at the product level (by switching synthetic to organic fertilisers, for example).

Regenerate

CE Materials

Impacts

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Industries

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Materials

Nace Sectors

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

Topics

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)

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

Browse case studies by type of implementing stakeholder.

Implementing stakeholders

80+ circular strategies for product development 
organised hierarchically into three tiers
with tier 1 and tier 2 based on the Key Elements Framework

DISRUPT

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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The Circular City Actions Framework provides urban changemakers with five complementary strategies they can use to start working towards a more circular system. 

The framework is action-based to provide users with concrete strategic directions and showcase the desired outcomes of each strategy. 
The framework consists of five complementary **strategies**, under which **sub-strategies** provide further detail. Finally, each sub-strategy consists of a diversity of tangible **solutions** which are framed in relation to key thematic areas. 

Note: solutions are currently focused on:
- 🍏 **Food systems**
- 🏢  **Built environment**
- 👕📱  **Consumer goods**
- ⚡ **Energy Systems**
- 🚌 **Mobility Systems**
- 💧 **Water Systems**

More thematic areas are coming soon...

'Click through each of the five strategy cards below to explore the framework and circular economy case studies in more depth!'



This framework was developed in collaboration with ICLEI, Metabolic and Ellen MacArthur Foundation with support from the MAVA Foundation. Read more about it [here]( https://circulars.iclei.org/action-framework/). 



Circular City Actions Framework

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An action-based framework for local governments working towards circular cities

Thematic Areas

City Stakeholders

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**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)

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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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    Return to view details about Our Ancestors Knew Best: Traditional Southeast Asian Textile Treatments and their Place in Modern Conservation    spafapubadmin, Traditional Southeast Asian Textile Treatments and their Place in Modern Conservation.pdf    Download   Download PDF    

     SPAFA SESH #8 was a collaboration between SEAMEO SPAFA and UCLA’s Engaged Scholarship in the Asia-Pacific. Moderated by Linh Anh Moreau, SEAMEO SPAFA’s Programme Officer, this lively discussion included the participation of four panelists:

Julia M. Brennan (Senior Consulting Conservator, Caring for Textiles),
Annissa M. Gultom (Director, National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE),
Mohd Syahrul bin Ab Ghani (Curator, Division of Research and Documentation, Department of Museums Malaysia, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia), and
Lilian García Alonso-Alba (Conservation Scientist/Professor, Escuela Nacional de Conservación, Restauración y Museografía, Mexico),

all of whom played a significant role in the research project entitled “Capturing and Sharing Traditional Methods in Textile Preservation in Southeast Asia”, which included 20 local researchers and practitioners documenting indigenous knowledge between 2016 and 2018.
This SPAFA SESH presented the benefits of soapnut, rinsed rice/coconut water, rice stalk/coconut palm front ash, betel leaf, tea, butterfly pea and toddy palm leaf basketry among the 62 plants identified for textile treatment in the research, the results of which will be published in a soon to be launched publication entitled “Our Ancestors Knew Best: Traditional Southeast Asian Textile Treatments and their Place in Modern Conservation”, produced by SEAMEO SPAFA with the support of the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles (QSMT).
In discussing their research methodology, the panelists shared how they reached out to their local family, professional and community networks with whom a pre-established trust has been formed, revealing how a wealth of information can be found at one’s doorstep. Of particular relevance was the success story of Bali’s indigo community, which has, under the leadership of a charismatic community leader, become a sustainable ecosystem of knowledge, heritage and creative economy that has contributed to the landscape’s regeneration. In addition, the scientific testing of these methods has proved that these traditional methods are more effective than museum-grade products.
In discussing conservation in general, it was said that adaptive reuse makes more sense and seems to be more effective in localized contexts, as opposed to Western models of conservation which rely on listings and legislation.
As for education and the application of indigenous methods, the participants all shared their enthusiasm in the younger generation, students, and practitioners who are willing to undergo processes of ‘unlearning’ Western methods and ‘relearning’ sustainable indigenous knowledge as the hopeful future of conservation communities.
While demonstrating the links between people, heritage, knowledge and landscape, the participants also agreed that sharing knowledge and heritage with the wider world is key, as they carry with them important values for the sustainability of the planet and the resilience of its peoples.  
   Date: 12 November 2020
Time: 9:00 AM (BKK and Jakarta time) / 10:00 AM (KL time)
Online Platform: Facebook Live https://www.facebook.com/seameo.spafa/ and on Zoom (Please register for Zoom link) *Please note you will be taken to the registration form of UCLA – a collaborator in this SESH.*
Southeast Asian traditional textiles are world renowned and valued as expressions of cultural identity, from the weaving and dyeing processes to the symbolism of their aesthetics and uses. However, local knowledge and actual methods to preserve such deterioration-prone organic material is an under-studied field. To identify tropical-climate appropriate, locally sourced, sustainable, and cost-effective methods that can be adopted by local practitioners working in the preservation of traditional textiles, SEAMEO SPAFA collaborated with local researchers on a region-wide project to collect, document, and compile invaluable indigenous knowledge on caring for textiles. Data collected includes plant materials and methods for wet cleaning, dry cleaning, stain removal, insect mitigation, storage, and associated spiritual beliefs. A first study of its kind, it brought together a dynamic group of textile professionals, museum experts, conservators, historians, scientists, and anthropologists, eager to research, chronicle and learn more about their own national and indigenous practices – before the knowledge is lost.
Panelists: Julia M. Brennan (Senior Consulting Conservator, Caring for Textiles); Annissa M. Gultom (Director, National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah, UAE); Lilian García Alonso-Alba (Conservation Scientist/Professor, Escuela Nacional de Conservación, Restauración y Museografía, Mexico); Mohd Syahrul bin Ab Ghani (Curator, Division of Research and Documentation, Department of Museums Malaysia, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Malaysia)
Moderator: Linh Anh Moreau (Programme Officer, SEAMEO SPAFA)  

  

Sophie Slater, co-founder of sustainable brand Birdsong London, hangs her clothes in the shower instead of ironing them, and sprays others with rose water or vodka solution to keep them fresh. In sharing these tips with customers, Birdsong is part of a new movement to make the way we care for our clothes more sustainable.Burberry and Erdem, among other brands, are working with the aftercare industry to build sustainable clothing care into their design processes, while the aftercare industry is veering from intensive and harmful dry-cleaning methods. Clothing care labels, the bridge between industry changes and consumer habits, are also being reformed.“Misconceptions about clothing care are widespread,” says Francois Souchet, who leads The Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular Initiative. “Our vision for circular fashion is to increase clothing use and lifespan.”He adds: “Care labels need to be easy to understand.”Clothing care accounts for around 30 per cent of a garment’s total carbon footprint. The recent Fashion on Climate report by McKinsey & Company and Global Fashion Agenda found that reduced washing and drying could deliver 186 million tonnes of carbon emission reductions, if consumers skip one in six washing loads, wash half below 30 degrees and substitute every sixth dryer usage with open-air drying.But clothing manufacturers, the aftercare industry and consumers have been slow to change, largely using the same methods to produce and care for apparel. Adam Mansell, CEO of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, says the UK is behind other markets in moving away from traditional dry cleaning, due to the high number of independent dry cleaners with little room to invest in new machinery. “Sixty per cent of cleaning shops in Germany use wet cleaning now,” he adds.Dry cleaning is overusedBrands use the dry-clean-only label more than necessary because they are nervous about recommending domestic washing, says Charlotte Turner, head of sustainable fashion and textiles at Eco-Age. But dry cleaning is vilified for its environmental and health impact because of its reliance on perchloroethylene, a highly effective solvent for oil- and grease-based stains. Health and environmental agencies, including the US Environmental Protection Agency, have linked perchloroethylene exposure to several types of cancer and neurological impairment. In 2007, California set a 2023 deadline for banning perchloroethylene. France announced its own ban in 2012 to take full effect by 2022.


What does it mean to take care of your clothes in a sustainable way? Is it only about the materials themselves, or are there other things to keep in mind? Having truly sustainable garment care practices starts from shopping for an item to how often you wear it, to washing it, to storing it, and finally, mending or disposing of it. Think of it as the life cycle of a garment.
We’re sharing the top tips and tricks from sustainable brands, as well as which fibres are most sustainable, what detergents to use, how to keep your clothes in shape, and how to mend them when they break. If you’ve ever had a question about caring for your clothes, this guide is here to help!d How to shop for the most sustainable clothes
There are a few things to keep in mind when shopping for sustainable clothes. The first is considering whether you need to buy something at all. Sustainable Swedish menswear brand ASKET notes, “We can’t shop our way to sustainability, so a good place to start is to consider if you need to buy something new. The Swedish research institution Mistra Future Fashion says that by wearing a garment twice as many times, its environmental impact can be halved. The research noted that on average, a T-shirt is used 30 times and washed 15 times.”
Once you’ve decided to buy, find out how and by whom the clothes are made. As sustainable Danish brand Organic Basics says in their A-Z Guide to the Fashion Industry, “Ask where it’s made. Ask who made it. Ask because you deserve to know how your clothes are made. They’re your clothes after all.”
Ethical production is a necessary part of sustainability; if it’s not ethically-made, it’s not sustainable. Most websites now have at least a corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy. If they don’t, don’t be afraid to reach out directly to brands. It’s our experience that even brands that have impressive CSR policies sometimes don’t effectively communicate them.
Next, consider how you’ll be using your garment; this will help you decide what fabric is best for you. Things to keep in mind include how often you’re likely to wear it, what kind of tailoring or mending it might require over time, how it will need to be washed, and how you’ll store it.
Shop Organic Basics and get 10% off your entire Organic Basics order with the code SCANDINAVIA10. 






 Is steaming better than ironing?
For the most part, yes! Steaming is much more gentle on your clothing as the heat of the device doesn’t come into direct contact with the fabric. This is especially true for more delicate fabrics such as silk. 
The only time we recommend ironing over steaming is when the wrinkles cannot be removed with steam alone.








Cirrus Travel Steamer by Steamery Stockholm, €120
Get 20% off your Steamery order with the code Scandi20. How often should I wash my clothes?
As little as possible! This will differ for everyone. It depends on how you wear your clothes, how much you typically sweat, and the fabric of the garment, among other things. There are some fabrics, such as SilverTech, which are antimicrobial and therefore require less washing. Danish brand Organic Basics has a SilverTech collection that includes activewear and undergarments.
Some natural fibres are also antimicrobial, such as alpaca wool. Unless you stain the fabric, alpaca wool needs to be washed very infrequently; in fact, too much washing will damage the material. Instead, treat it like a rug: hit it gently to get out any dust or dirt, and air it out to get rid of slight smells or mustiness. 








Above: Aiayu says that if unsure, a good rule of thumb is to wash gently by hand, or at low temperature/low cycle if you use machine. Are natural fibers better than man-made fibres?
Not always! Although we’ve been led to believe that natural fibres are always superior to manmade ones, this isn’t always the case. In fact, technical and manmade fabrics will be an important part of the future of sustainable fashion and overall textile production. 
For example, lyocell is a manmade fabric, created from wood pulp. Growing the trees to create lyocell takes far less water than growing cotton, so it is therefore a more sustainable fabric.
Also important is how you plan to wear a fabric; if you’re working a job that requires intense physical labor, or you’re often in extreme weather, technical fabrics like Gortex can be a smarter choice than, say, wool, because they’ll actually last and won’t tear easily. Are recycled fabrics as good as new ones?
Well, that depends! When fabric is mechanically recycled, meaning it is physically disassembled so the fibres can be used again, the fibres are necessarily weaker each time you use them. Mechanical recycling is the most commonly-used form of fabric recycling because it is relatively inexpensive. It is fairly easy to recycle items that are 100% cotton, polyester, or wool, but harder to recycle blended fabrics, particularly those with elastane.
Chemical recycling, which is unfortunately still mostly in the testing phase and is quite expensive, actually produces stronger fibres than the garment that preceded it. In this process, the garment is chemically broken down to create new fibres. It only works on single-fibre items and is currently only in use on a large-scale in Asia, with lab testing elsewhere. 
Clothing made from recycled plastic, which has become a popular way to reuse plastic, does create strong material, but unfortunately has a down-side: if the item is something you wash frequently, such as a shirt or leggings, it will leak microplastics back into the water. If, however, the item is something you wouldn’t frequently wash in a washing machine, such as a jacket or boots, that’s less of an issue. Recycled plastic still isn’t biodegradable, but at least it’s extending the life of plastic so that it doesn’t end up in a landfill! 
If you do have synthetic textile such as recycled plastic, polyester, or other materials known to contain microplastics, we recommend washing them in GUPPYFRIEND, a washing bag that catches microplastics so they can be disposed of properly. 







Above: Organic Basics Silvertech Activewear made from recycled materials What are the best detergents to use on clothes?
Liquid detergents tend to work better on oily stains because they can better break them down, while powder detergent is better of mud stains. But there isn’t a huge difference in effectiveness, so it’s really a matter of what you prefer. Overall, finding a detergent that does not contain phthalates, phosphates, and non-biodegradable surfactants will make your wash as healthy for your skin and the run-off water as possible.
If you plan to wash wool, cashmere, or silk, make sure your detergent is enzyme-free. Enzymes attack these natural fibres, causing the fabric to errode over time.
For an entirely natural detergent, try Soap Nuts. These dried nut husks are made from soapberry and produce saponin when put in water. They are usually sold in bulk; you then take three to five nuts, place them in a small fabric bag, and toss them in with your wash. They’ll act just as a regular detergent would, and each bag of soap nuts lasts approximately five washes. 
While the soap nuts are a natural alternative to detergent and are also safe for delicate washes like wool and silk, they are mainly imported from India and Nepal. If you are not local to those areas, it’s worth considering whether the environmental impact of importing them cancels out their benefits. How to wash fabrics
Cotton
Cotton is a cellulose fibre that comes from Gossypium, the cotton plant. Items that are 100% cotton can shrink easily; to avoid this, make sure to wash in cold or lukewarm water, and spot-treat any stains before washing. When you take a cotton item out of the washing machine, gently shake it to avoid deep wrinkles, and immediately hang or lay flat to air-dry. Do not tumble dry pure cotton.
If the item does get wrinkled, use a steamer or, if necessary, an iron.







 Silk
Silk is a delicate fibre made from the cocoons of silkworms. The best way to clean silk is by hand in cold water. Items that aren’t overly delicate (for example, vintage pieces) can be put in the washing machine, but should be washed only with like-items (other silks and delicates) in cold water. Make sure to use enzyme-free detergent so as not to damage the fabric.
It is best to steam silk. If an iron must be used, make sure it is on the lowest possible temperature. Wool and Cashmere
Wool is a natural fibre that comes from sheep, alpaca, llama, or other animals, while cashmere comes from goats. June at sustainable Danish brand Aiayu, says: “At Aiayu we are partial to wool, especially llama wool. Llama wool is a self-cleaning fibre, and because the fibres are long, it does not pill easily. To reduce the effects of daily use – simply air it instead of washing it. Airing will rid of most smells and odours, give it a fresh look and feel, and the added bonus of the scent of fresh air that you simply cannot get in any other way.”
She continues, “for minor spills, spot-wash gently by hand under cold water. To retain shape always fold and lay woolens flat instead of using a hanger. Keep moth infestations at bay by using your woolens regularly. When storing them away for the summer, pack in an airtight container with dried cedar as a natural repellant. If you are unfortunate to get a moth infestation – freeze the item before repairing.”
If your wool or cashmere begins to pill, use a fabric shaver or comb to gently remove the pilling. A mark of really good wool and cashmere is that it seldom pills; instead, it becomes slightly shiny and develops a patina. This can be found in really high-quality items and often in thick vintage pieces. 

Steamery Pilo Fabric Shaver, €40
Get 20% off your Steamery order with the code Scandi20.







 Blended textiles
Blended fabrics are usually quite durable. It’s most important to pay attention to the natural fibres, if any, in the item. For example, does it contain cotton, wool, or silk? If so, try to care for it as if it were entirely made of that fabric in order to best preserve it. Man-made textiles
Man-made textiles such as polyester can be washed on medium heat in a washing machine. Even the most durable items shouldn’t be washed in very hot water unless absolutely necessary, as this distresses the fabric. How to mend your clothes
Mending clothes is an invaluable skill. Being able to sew a button, ripped seam, or patch will ensure that your clothes remain useful regardless of normal wear-and-tear. You’re much more likely to simply mend your clothes and continue to wear them when you have these skills, as opposed to throwing them away. If you don’t already know how to sew a button or other relatively simple mending tasks, YouTube has some great tutorials:

 
Larger or more complex repairs may require a sewing machine. If you don’t have access to a sewing machine, you may not be able to mend thicker items like leather and denim. It may also be difficult to mend extremely frayed edges or large holes. For situations like these, find a local tailor! Getting to know your local tailor is a great investment for your clothes.
Some brands have years-long guarantees for their garments, or offer repair services. One such brand is Swedish denim company Nudie Jeans. Their website explains, “Denim is not armor. The more you wear your jeans, the closer they get to that rainy day when a rip occurs. Fortunately we’ve got the remedy. As we provide the jeans, we also take care of them when they’re torn.” Nudie offers lifetime repairs on all of their jeans, and also recycles any Nudie pair you no longer want.
Feeling empowered to mend your clothes, or have experts do it, not only makes your clothing lasts for longer, but makes you feel more invested in your purchases. When you know that the item you’re buying will last for a long time, you can feel good about your choice.
ASKET notes, “we’ve become used to replacing instead of repairing, which is hardly surprising, with a t-shirt costing less than a Big Mac. Fast fashion brands have been feeding a throwaway culture. Yet, as a consumer the single best thing you can do reduce your impact is keep your garments for longer. It decreases the need to buy more and in the long run reduces an individual’s demand on the planet’s resources as well as reducing their waste output.” The best way to get rid of old clothes
Keep your clothes for as long as possible. Sometimes, of course, an item can no longer be worn, or you simply know you won’t get further use from it. 
If an item is still wearable, give it to a friend, take it to a consignment store, donate it to a thrift shop, or repurpose it. 
If the garment is no longer wearable, recycle it. This doesn’t just mean dumping it in your nearest second-hand bin. Instead, find a service in your area that recycles textiles. A few large brands do this at their stores, including ARKET, H&M, Levi’s, and The North Face. You can also find your nearest textile recycling location using the Recycle Now website (USA only).
 







 TerraCycle offers a wonderful service; you order a box from them, fill it with clothing, then send it directly to them for zero-waste recycling.
 



The first sustainable laundry device is launching on the market, the W’air, which is looking to revolutionise the way we wash our clothes with hydrodynamic technology.

The three-in-one sustainable clothing care W’air device has taken six years of research and development and works by creating a blast of water, air and detergent that “actively collides” with dirt, grime and everyday odours to clean clothes, soft furnishings and even trainers.

As well as refreshing garments and deep cleaning delicates between washes, W’air removes stains, dirt and odours, which means the washing machine can be used less frequently, enabling consumers to keep their favourite clothes “looking fresher and newer for longer”. 

The device also uses just a fraction of the water, energy and detergent of conventional laundry, with the manufacturer stating it uses up to 99 percent less water and 77 percent less detergent than conventional laundry.

The environmental footprint of the fashion industry and its strain on the planet has increasingly become a concern, and according to a report commissioned by W’air, one in three (30 percent) of British consumer admits to throwing an item of clothing in the bin due to a stain they couldn’t remove.

The report in partnership with environmental organisation Hubbub, adds that the UK is moving away from the fast fashion trend with over half of Brits (55 percent) saying they buy clothes to wear at least 30 times. However, four in 10 (38 percent) admit they are unaware of the impact washing clothes has on the environment.

Globally, the way we wash and dry our clothes and the regularity at which we do so is thought to account for an enormous 120 million tonnes of CO2, explains W’air. With around a third of clothing’s carbon footprint coming from how we wash and care for what we own and textile washing is thought to account for as much as 35 percent of primary microplastics in our oceans. 

In addition, almost two in five (38 percent) admit they are unaware of the impact washing clothes has on the environment, while one in three (33 percent) said that they would be willing to wash less frequently to be kinder to the planet. 

Four in 10 consumers unaware of the impact washing clothes has on the environment

Clothing ends up in landfill due to becoming misshapen, having shrunk or faded, all of which can result from over-washing and 22 percent admitted to having damaged clothing by washing them incorrectly, while half of Brits say they rarely, or never, spot clean garments which can lead to over-washing an entire garment excessively.

Jonathan Hewlett, Pilot Lite venture lead and W’air chief executive, said in a statement: “The accelerating climate crisis has propelled the issue of sustainability into almost every aspect of our lives. Consumers are now demanding sustainability from the products they buy from point of creation to end of life. But it’s not just about demanding businesses are better, they want to do their bit for the planet too and are looking for the tools that can help them. This is where W’air comes in; it helps people care for their clothing differently and reduces their environmental footprint along the way.

“We know it’s hard to ask consumers to completely change their shopping behaviour but the rise in vintage clothing and re-selling sites has shown consumers are pushing for a sustainable future. With the help of W’air, we hope that people will begin to change their laundry behaviour and re-imagine the way they care for their clothes.” 
 Image: courtesy of W’air

W’air clothing care device looking to revolutionise the way clothes are washed

Kirstie Brittain, spokesperson at Hubbub, added: “Advancements in the products and appliances available to consumers will be important to extending clothing life and reducing the environmental impact laundry can have. Recent years have seen innovation in the efficiency of washing machines, rising popularity for laundry detergent that is better for the environment and more innovative clothing care devices. The combination of this, alongside further education and practical advice are providing consumers with the tools to enable them to make positive changes in their clothing care rituals.”

W’air launches in the UK for 199 pounds with an exclusive high street partnership with Selfridges during June and then across key European markets and other selected retailers including Amazon from July. 
 Image: courtesy of W’air


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The SEAMEO Regional Centre for Archaeology and Fine Arts (SEAMEO SPAFA) promotes professional competence, awareness and preservation of cultural heritage, in the fields of archaeology and fine arts in Southeast Asia. 

SEAMEO SPAFA

Queen Sirikit Museum Of Textiles

The better methods we use for the aftercare of our clothes, the longer our clothes will remain in best use. A circular textile economy needs to also focus on the aftercare of the clothing which seems to be an understudied field. Frequent use of detergents, soaps and dry cleaning can ruin the clothes in a short span of time without it achieving the optimum usage.The process and the resources used in the manufacture of textiles widely influence the choice of processes to conserve it so that it lasts for a longer time. Indigenous cloth, produced locally using traditional techniques, have specific care methods due to which they are easily passed onto the next generations as heirlooms. These traditional textiles which are Handspun, Naturally Dyed and Handwoven can last for hundred years. They retain their original shape, strength and color because of the care expertise innovated by the indigenous people in their local ecosystem. The research project entitled “Capturing and Sharing Traditional Methods in Textile Preservation in Southeast Asia” collected data which includes plant materials and methods for wet cleaning, dry cleaning, stain removal, insect mitigation, storage, and associated spiritual beliefs. A first study of its kind, it brought together a dynamic group of textile professionals, museum experts, conservators, historians, scientists, and anthropologists, eager to research, chronicle and learn more about their own national and indigenous practices – before the knowledge is lost. Traditional methods and associated plants used in the preservation of textiles were documented in ten Southeast Asian countries through field interviews and research, and then compiled drawing from diverse fields of practice. The study also outlines how such practices can be adopted by the modern textile care industry.

Longer Lifetime for our Clothing: What can be learnt from the sustainable care methods found in the Indigenous Knowledge for Textile Preservation in Southeast Asia?
