Circular Fashion Tomorrow: Leading Fashion Brands’ Eco-Forward Moves – Part 2 

By Hyesim Seo & B. Ellie Jin

Part 1 of the series covered the EU’s circularity legislation for the textile sectors. As discussed, the adverse environmental impacts of a linear fashion system are evident in the limited rates of reuse, repair, and fiber-to-fiber recycling of textile products (European Commission, 2022). Following Part 1, this article will explore the initiatives implemented by fashion brands in the realms of recycling, reuse and repair (Table 1).

Table 1. Selected fashion brands’ recycling, reuse and repair initiatives

Category	Brand	Content
Recycling	• Patagonia• Puma• Salomon• On	• Collaborate with Carbios SA, a French enzymatic recycling startup, to recycle polyester with various yarn compositions
	• Adidas	• Launched “Made to be Remade” line of recyclable single-fiber products
Reuse & Repair	• H&M	• Established Looper Textile Co., selling unwanted garments to secondhand businesses and recyclers• Launched rental and repair services
	• Nudie Jeans	• Offers free repair service• Offers a 20% discount for trading in old jeans
	• Levi’s	• Has tailor shops worldwide and DIY videos for repair, alteration and repurpose
	• Eileen Fisher	• Launched its take-back programs for repairing, reselling, remaking, or downcycling them

Recycling

The European Commission is critical of fashion companies that do not prioritize quality, durability and recyclability in the design and manufacturing stages of their products (European Commission, 2022). Although recycling is one of the key actions for a transition to a circular economy in the fashion industry, less than 1% of garment materials are recycled into new garments (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017). Clothes with a mix of materials make recycling difficult (Kirby & Holger, 2022), indicating the necessity of development for advanced recycling technologies. 

To help improve their recycling process, several fashion companies have partnered with startups specializing in recycling technologies. For instance, four sportswear brands Patagonia, Puma, Salomon, and On originating in the U.S., Germany, France, and Switzerland, respectively, have cooperated with Carbios SA, a French startup that offers an enzymatic recycling method to break down polyester (Holger, 2022). The technology facilitates the recycling of textile waste with diverse yarn compositions by depolymerizing the polyester present in the materials (Carbios, 2023). These efforts are in accordance with the brands’ strategies to move towards a more circular business model. By 2025, Puma plans to expand the use of recycled leather, rubber, cotton and polyurethane. Another approach for recyclability includes products with a single material as seen Adidas’s launch of a single-fiber product line under its “Made to be Remade” label (Kirby & Holger, 2022). After a 10-year research and development, Adidas has successfully developed technology to produce recyclable apparel and footwear using 100% reusable thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) (Newcomb, 2019).

Reuse & Repair 

Reusing and repairing textiles is another approach to minimize textile waste. H&M can serve as an example of a fashion brand that has embarked on reuse and repair services. H&M has partnered with Remondis SE, a German waste management company, to establish Looper Textile Co., a joint venture focused on collecting, sorting, and redistributing unused and unwanted garments (Holger, 2023). The joint venture plans to sell unwanted garments and textiles to secondhand businesses and various recyclers (Holger, 2023). Other than selling used garments to other businesses, H&M has also introduced repair and rental services as part of its circularity commitment (Kirby & Holger, 2022). Similarly, Nudie Jeans, a Swedish denim jeans brand, distinguishes itself by providing its customers with free repair services and offering a 20% discount on new purchases when customers trade in their old denim items (Soguel, 2023). Another denim brand Levi’s is offering its tailor shops globally and DIY tutorials, enabling customers to extend their denim items through alteration, repairs or repurposing of old ones. Lastly, an American fashion brand Elieen Fisher has gathered a total of two million products through its take-back program since 2009, and one million of them has been either resold, donated, or repurposed. Practices such as reselling, renting, and repairing clothing can contribute to ensuring that garments are worn more times before being discarded as waste (Rockeman & Bloomberg, 2023).

Conclusion

As shown, various fashion brands are taking diverse approaches to achieve their circularity goals. Much like their European counterparts, numerous U.S. fashion businesses are at the forefront, adopting practices to enhance the life cycle of their products and consequently reduce garment waste. The move towards embracing circular fashion appears to be gaining prominence among U.S. fashion brands and retailers soon.

References

Carbios. (2023, October 2). Carbios unveils major innovation in polyester recycling with new textile preparation line, in the presence of Roland Lescure, French Minister of Industry. https://www.carbios.com/en/carbios-unveils-new-textile-preparation-line/ 

Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2017). A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future. http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications 

European Commission. (2022). EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. https://environment.ec.europa.eu/publications/textiles-strategy_en 

Holger, D. (2022, July 7). Enzymes could help brands like Patagonia and Puma hit plastic-recycling targets. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/enzymes-could-help-brands-like-patagonia-and-puma-hit-plastic-recycling-targets-11657188000 

Rockeman, O and Bloomberg. (2023, May 30). A slew of countries are asking fashion companies to pay for recycling programs as clothing waste becomes overwhelming. Fortune. https://fortune.com/2023/05/30/fashion-waste-recycling-programs-epr-proposed-laws/

Kirby, J., & Holger, D. (2022, September 6). Fashion Firms Look to Single-Fiber Clothes as EU Recycling Regulations Loom. The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/fashion-firms-look-to-single-fiber-clothes-as-eu-recycling-regulations-loom-11662467248?mod=article_inline 

Soguel, D. (2023, May 23). In Sweden, recycled fabrics turn old clothes into new fashion. The Christian Science Monitor. https://www.csmonitor.com/World/Europe/2023/0523/In-Sweden-recycled-fabrics-turn-old-clothes-into-new-fashion