From Waste to Wear - Circular Fashion Gains Momentum
Circular fashion is reshaping the future of textiles
As the global fashion industry faces increasing scrutiny over its environmental footprint, a new approach is taking shape, one that turns waste into opportunity and consumption into care. In this newsletter, we explore how circular fashion is redefining the textile value chain and why it represents one of the most promising pathways toward a sustainable future.
From linear to circular: A necessary transformation
The fashion industry produces an estimated 92 million tonnes of textile waste each year, much of which ends up in landfills or incinerated. The traditional linear model take - make - dispose is no longer viable in a world striving for climate neutrality and resource efficiency.
Circular fashion offers a new paradigm: garments are designed for durability, reuse, repair and recycling. This shift minimizes waste, conserves natural resources and reduces the industry’s dependency on virgin materials. Brands embracing circularity are not just reducing harm, they’re building resilience and innovation into their DNA.
Innovation turning waste into value
Across Europe, the circular movement is gaining speed:
Fiber-to-fiber recycling technologies are converting discarded textiles into high-quality yarns, reducing the need for new raw materials.
Textile sorting innovations, such as Near-Infrared (NIR) scanning are improving material recovery rates and purity.
Start-ups and SMEs are experimenting with biodegradable fabrics, natural dyes and take-back systems to close the loop.
In Sweden, for example, the Renewcell initiative recycles cotton waste into new viscose fiber, proving that circular textiles can scale globally.
Each of these steps brings us closer to a closed-loop fashion economy, where every fiber finds a second life.
Empowering consumers and communities
Circularity isn’t just a supply-chain issue, it’s a social movement. Across Europe, local repair cafés, upcycling workshops and swap events are empowering consumers to participate in change. The “buy less, choose well, make it last” mindset is gaining traction, supported by new policies like the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, which aims to make all textiles durable, repairable and recyclable by 2030.
These collective efforts signal a cultural shift: fashion with values rather than just value tags.
Looking ahead
The future of fashion will be defined by collaboration, between designers, producers, policymakers and consumers. Each small step, from repairing a shirt to redesigning a supply chain, contributes to a much larger goal: a fashion industry that regenerates rather than depletes.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or OeAD-GmbH. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. 2024-1-AT01-KA220-VET-000247059
