The second annual status report from the Global Fashion Agenda suggests fashion brands must urgently accelerate efforts to reach the remaining targets of the 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment. It also notes progress is being hampered by a lack of high-quality fibre-to-fibre recycling solutions.
The three-year 2020 Circular Fashion System Commitment (2020 Commitment) launched in spring 2017, and has been signed by 90 fashion companies – representing 12.5% of the global fashion market. It includes the likes of H&M, Target Corp, and Kering, who are working towards a number of targets towards a circular fashion system by next year.
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Yet as of July 2019, 79% of the initial targets are still outstanding, the latest progress review has found.
The Year Two Status Report shows that over the last 12 months signatories have reached 45 (21%) of the 213 targets set.
Milestone targets set and reached for each point so far show:
- Action point 1: Implementing design strategies for cyclability: 87 targets set, 24 reached;
- Action point 2: Increasing the volume of used garments and/or footwear collected: 52 targets set, 12 reached;
- Action point 3: Increasing the volume of used garments and/or footwear resold: 27 targets set, 4 reached;
- Action point 4: Increasing the share of garments and/or footwear made from recycled post-consumer textile fibres: 47 targets set, 5 reached.
Progress has been most prominent within the first action point – ‘Implementing design strategies for cyclability’ – which highlights the importance of creative departments and designers in influencing the environmental impact of a product and its ultimate sustainability. For example, signatories such as Asos, Nike and Target have set their focus on training employees in various departments in circular design and on integrating circularity in design briefs.
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By GlobalDataRoadblocks to progress
The most challenging action for the majority of signatories is point 4, ‘Increasing the share of garments and/or footwear made from recycled post-consumer textile fibres.’
This encourages them to loop products back into the fashion system in a continuous flow as secondary raw materials, tackling the increased scarcity of virgin raw materials.
“Nevertheless, current recycling practices tend to down-cycle textiles and, with historically low prices for non-reusable textiles, the need for new fibre-to-fibre recycling solutions is becoming more urgent than before,” the report explains. “Hence, to facilitate higher quality fibre-to-fibre recycling – simultaneously increasing economic viability and sustainability – investments in new recycling technologies and automated sorting solutions are needed.”
Most signatories are still in the early phases of integrating post-consumer textile fibres in their production processes. Hence, they need to allocate time to in-depth research, testing and product development.
After the initial research phases, they have to find suitable partners, suppliers, and technologies to enable the sourcing of recycled content and to gain a deeper insight into the various options and alternatives available.
Whereas the majority of signatories aim to work with a partner or already have entered into a partnership that enables them to directly source post-consumer textile fibres, a few companies are working closely with their suppliers on the development of new fabrics.
And most of the companies who have set targets for action point 4 indicate a close relationship with suppliers and partners is a prerequisite for success and that constant dialogue and education are required on both sides, which is time-consuming and resource-intense, the report states.
Another key learning is the relevance of continuous testing and quality control of recycled fibres.
“We’ve found most recycled fibres to be less consistent; there’s no way around testing each material and product for long-term durability to ensure that the end product meets our customers’ high expectations,” says Brad Boren, director of innovation and sustainability at Norrøna Sport.
The Year Two Status Report also identifies three main barriers to change: a lack of industry tools and standards for circular design; supportive and incentivising regulatory frameworks; and sorting and recycling technology available for scale.
The road ahead
There is also a need for industry-wide standards, best practices, legislation and supportive regulatory frameworks to help achieve the remaining targets. So looking ahead, GFA says governments and policymakers must play a strong role in creating a supportive regulatory framework.
GFA recently collaborated with Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) and the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI) to launch a Policy Hub for Circular Economy in the Apparel and Footwear Industry, which will align policies for circularity with inputs from a range of stakeholders engaging in the topic.
“Policymakers are increasingly looking towards the fashion and textile industries for good examples and innovative approaches to transitioning to a circular economy. This report provides a rich evidence base for policymakers, bringing forward key learnings on concrete circular fashion actions. It can hopefully serve as inspiration for smart policy initiatives that can help support industry progress,” says Jonas Eder-Hansen, public affairs director at the Global Fashion Agenda.
Click here to read the full Year Two Status Report.
