A recent report[1] from Lux Research stated, “The fast fashion and apparel industry has been under fire for its linear take-make-waste model, where overproduction of garments has resulted in landfilling of millions of tons of both worn and unworn clothes. This has pushed the apparel industry to move toward sustainable materials and the idea of the circular economy. Consequently, fashion brands are incentivizing the development of new textile recycling methods that enable circular materials.”

This is an important point, but it is broader than just recycling, especially with consumers and environmental activists looking to extend the life cycle of fabric-based products. As the Lux report points out, there are still many barriers to overcome in order to recycle textiles efficiently, including textiles with mixed fiber content, and it may take some time to get where we need to be, both from a recycling technology perspective and the ready access to recycling services.

That’s why brands must be pursuing multiple avenues to reduce the amount of textile waste that is either incinerated or ends up in landfills around the globe. The Lux researchers suggest this should encompass multiple initiatives beyond recycling, “including reuse/resale channels, takeback programs, EPR[2] [extended producer responsibility] schemes, and municipal support. There is an opportunity to develop a textile recovery infrastructure through resale channels with sorting capabilities that feed into textile recycling. Consortiums will be critical to building the textile recovery value chain and promoting the circular economy in apparel [and other textile products].”