The fashion industry has been undergoing a paradigm shift towards circular fashion, which prioritises sustainability and resource efficiency. The circular future of fashion is centred around the principles of circular economy and sustainable design. It is a response to the harmful effects of the linear “cradle-to-grave” model that has been prevalent in the industry. The cradle-to-grave model refers to the traditional linear lifecycle approach in which products are manufactured, used, and then disposed of at the end of their life. Fast fashion, which is a model used by many clothing brands, is an example of a cradle-to-grave approach. Fast fashion involves the rapid production and consumption of low-cost clothing items that are designed to be quickly discarded after a few wears. This approach has been criticised for its significant environmental impact, including the generation of large amounts of textile waste and the depletion of natural resources.

In contrast, a circular economy model seeks to minimise waste and maximise the use of resources by keeping materials in use for as long as possible, through strategies such as recycling, reusing, and repairing products. This approach is often seen as a more sustainable alternative to the cradle-to-grave model. Many companies are beginning to adopt circular economy principles in their operations, in order to reduce their environmental impact and increase their sustainability. This includes clothing brands, who are exploring new business models such as rental, thrifting and swapping, and investing in sustainable materials and production methods.

Circular fashion emphasises the value of utilising a product right to the end and repurposing it into something else. It is a collision of the “circular economy” with sustainable and ethical fashion, and it brings stronger ambition and advocacy to the industry’s sustainability journey.

Key points of circular fashion include using less materials, removing non-recyclable and polluting materials from the supply chain, recapturing everything from garment offcuts to packaging for reuse, ensuring use and reuse for as long as possible, and returning any unavoidable waste to nature safely. Businesses can adopt circular fashion by designing products that can be easily disassembled and reused or recycled, using sustainable materials, and implementing closed-loop supply chains.

Cradle-to-cradle is a design framework in circularity that proposes that all materials used in the production of a product should either be completely recyclable or biodegradable, so that they can be used again and again in a closed loop. In this system, the product and its components are designed to be safely and effectively reused, rather than being disposed of as waste. The aim of cradle-to-cradle is to create a world where there is no waste, only resources that are constantly circulating within the economy.

Cradle-to-gate, on the other hand, refers to the environmental impact of a product from the beginning of its life cycle (the cradle) up until the point it leaves the factory gate. This approach focuses on optimising the production process to minimise environmental impact, without necessarily considering what happens to the product at the end of its life.

Both cradle-to-cradle and cradle-to-gate are related to the circular economy because they prioritise resource efficiency and aim to minimise waste. Cradle-to-cradle is a more comprehensive approach, as it considers the entire lifecycle of a product and its components. It promotes the use of materials that can be safely and effectively reused or recycled, thus keeping them in circulation within the economy. Cradle-to-gate, however, focuses on reducing the environmental impact of the production process, but does not necessarily prioritise the circularity of the product itself. A lot of thought is needed to be poured in to understand what happens to the product at the end of the life. A design strategy should be well thought of and needs to be embedded in the design stage itself.

Design for Disassembly (DfD) is a sustainable design strategy that involves designing products so that they can be easily disassembled for repair, reuse, recycling, or safe disposal at the end of their lifecycle. This approach enables a circular economy to take shape by reducing waste, promoting resource efficiency, and reducing the environmental impact of products. For example, the denim jeans have zippers that can be easily removed, allowing the fabric to be easily recycled. The jackets and dresses have detachable collars and sleeves, making them easy to separate into individual pieces for recycling.

In addition to the efforts of traditional recycling, there are innovative companies such as Worn Again Technologies that are taking the concept of circularity to the next level. Worn Again’s ‘regenerative technology’ is a crucial piece of the puzzle in achieving circularity for PET and cellulosic raw materials. This technology enables these materials to be recycled and reused in manufacturing, breaking away from the traditional linear supply chain and moving towards a circular system. The resulting fibres can then be used to create new fabrics, reducing the need for virgin materials. This approach not only has environmental benefits, but also has economic and social benefits as well.

Another instance is pre-consumer recycling by H&M which involves recovering, reusing, and recycling offcuts and scraps from garment and textile production that are typically considered as waste. By treating this waste as a valuable resource, a circular supply chain can be created. The fashion industry needs to shift its mindset to better manage resources and recover the value embedded in waste materials. The use of digital tools can help trace waste generation in the supply chain and direct it towards recycling. The company aims to increase the use of recycled materials in its products to 30 per cent by 2025, and has surveyed sorting and recycling companies to develop a new approach to designing for circularity.

Businesses can adopt circular fashion by designing products that can be easily disassembled and reused or recycled, using sustainable materials, and implementing closed-loop supply chains. By adopting circularity principles and sustainable design strategies such as cradle-to-cradle, cradle-to-gate, and DfD, the fashion industry can become more sustainable and reduce its environmental impact, while also promoting a more responsible and ethical approach to fashion.