Simply put, circular fashion is a system of keeping our textiles out of landfill.
It requires a community, working together, to...
- Design out waste
- Support a close loop system
- Consider materials and production thoughtfully
- Value utilizing a product with care and longevity
- Creatively repurpose materials
- Ensure use and reuse for as long as possible
- Return any unavoidable waste to nature safely
- Know where things come from, what they are made of, who made them, and being accountable for the overall lifecycle of our belongings.
It is part of the circular economy
which is a model that exchanges the typical cycle of take-make-waste in favor of as much reusing and recycling as possible
Fashion is predominantly operating in the LINEAR economy
We need to operating in the CIRCULAR economy
Where do you come in?
Although we are a long way from a completely circular model in fashion, as more and more brands and consumers become aware of and invest in it, we are already preventing waste and degradation that would otherwise exist, which is a step in the right direction.
Explore with Reclypt at our Circular Fashion Playground!
Clothing should never end up in landfills, but recycling clothing should be viewed as the conscious consumer’s last resort. Reduce, Rewear, and Repurpose your clothing. Then, when all else has failed and your clothing has lived a long and happy life, Recycle.
-Remake, 2020
Important to note:
And we are still continuing to produce new products from virgin materials at a rapid rate. The progress made is not enough to offset growth.
Circularity is not just about material recovery. Nor is it just about resale or rental or designing for longevity. It is about bringing all of those things and more together.
Buy-back programs
Currently corporate run take-back schemes incentivise shoppers to bring back used clothing by offering vouchers to buy more. According Fashion for Good's The Future of Circular Fashion report “80% of customers returning garments utilise their voucher to purchase a new item from the same brand”.
