Recipients for this year include companies from the UK, India, Germany and others, with innovative concepts covering a broad spectrum, including intelligent recycling solutions and advanced heat pumps poised to supplant obsolete gas and oil steam boilers, as well as pioneering inclusive circular systems.
H&M Foundation programme director Annie Lindmark said: “GCA is about more than specific innovations. It’s about reimagining the entire fashion system. One innovation alone won’t fix fashion – we need to shake the foundations and innovate how we innovate. That’s why we back bold thinkers at the very start of their journeys.
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“These changemakers aren’t just solving problems, they’re challenging outdated systems and showing us what a new future could look like. It’s time to stop tweaking and start transforming.”
The Global Change Award targets four categories within the textile industry, namely responsible production, sustainable materials and processes, mindful consumption and wildcards.
Winners in responsible production category
DecoRpet from China has been recognised for its low-temperature decolorisation process that reduces energy consumption while producing high-quality recycled PET for new textiles.
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By GlobalDataThermal Cyclones from the UK introduces advanced industrial heat pumps capable of replacing traditional boilers and cutting energy use by over 75%.
Another UK innovation, Pulpatronics, offers metal-free, chipless RFID paper tags made with carbon-based ink that are recyclable and cost-effective.
Winners in sustainable materials & processes category
CircularFabrics from Germany has developed NYLOOP technology to reclaim high-quality nylon from mixed textile waste.
A Blunt Story from India presents UNCRUDE, a plastic-free sole made from bio-based and recycled materials.
The UK’s Brilliant Dyes utilises cyanobacteria to produce biodegradable dyes with a low-energy extraction process.
Decarbonization Lab in Bangladesh is an R&D initiative focusing on low-emission textile treatments and dyeing techniques.
Renasens from Sweden offers a waterless, chemical-free method to transform blended textile waste into raw materials without causing pollution.
Mindful Consumption category winner
Loom from the UK connects users with designers through an intuitive tech platform to upcycle unworn clothing into unique items.
Wildcards category winner
The Revival Circularity Lab in Ghana’s Kantamanto Market transforms textile waste into valuable resources while empowering local artisans and fostering circularity within the community.
Each winning innovation will be awarded a €200,000 ($224,572) grant and can participate in the year-long GCA Changemaker Programme. This programme is designed to expedite progress toward net-zero emissions by providing a combination of innovation support, systems thinking, and personal development.
The Global Change Award aims to catalyse innovation that will assist the textile industry in reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by half every decade until achieving net-zero by 2050.
Since its inception in 2015, the GCA has already allocated €10m in grants to support 56 innovative projects that address decarbonisation.
H&M Foundation founder and board member Karl-Johan Persson said: “To truly decarbonise fashion, we need to reimagine every part of the value chain – from how fibres are made to how garments are reused. These changemakers remind us that transformation starts with imagination and action. Their ideas demonstrate concrete ways to challenge the status quo and move the industry towards a net-zero future.”
In February this year, H&M Foundation agreed to join the Fashion ReModel, a demonstration project led by Ellen MacArthur Foundation, to advance the adoption of circular business model solutions for fashion.
