The partnership, alongside Oxfam and Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems, aims to establish new processes for retrieving, sorting, and preparing non-reusable textiles produced nationwide.
According to the companies, approximately 1.4 million tonnes of post-consumer textiles were produced in the UK in 2024, with nearly half deemed non-reusable.
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The consortium said the project is intended to help address this challenge by developing new systems to recover and recycle garments at scale.
The first phase of The Circuit is scheduled to begin in January 2027, bringing together partners at Oxfam’s site in Batley, West Yorkshire.
Activities during this phase will focus on testing automated textile sorting, implementing reporting frameworks to improve traceability, and exploring operational models that could support further expansion.
Oxfam will be responsible for operating the automated sorting equipment and separating reusable items from those to be recycled.
Circle-8 is developing the infrastructure and commercial frameworks needed to connect textile recovery with fibre-to-fibre recycling.
As part of the initiative, Circle-8 is supporting the creation of automated textile sorting and pre-processing facilities designed to generate feedstock for both existing and emerging textile recyclers.
The scheme aims to support the broader UK economy through job creation and manufacturing opportunities by keeping much of the sorting and pre-processing local to where textiles reach the end of their useful life.
The partnership also hopes to stimulate both mechanical and chemical recycling activities, making it possible for recovered fibres to re-enter regional and global textile supply chains.
New Look chief executive officer Lynda Petherick said: “The Circuit gives retailers an opportunity to play an active role in developing the systems that could turn non-reusable textiles already in circulation into the raw materials of the future. For New Look, this is about looking at how we can help create more resilient, circular supply chains over the longer term. We’re pleased to be part of The Circuit, to help demonstrate what can be achieved at scale.”
Oxfam retail director Rachel Cosgrove-Pearce added: “Developing the infrastructure to recover valuable fibres from end-of-use textiles is an important part of building a fashion system that uses fewer virgin resources and creates less environmental harm, and The Circuit brings together the expertise and investment needed to move this forward at scale. We’re proud to be playing our part, building on Oxfam’s long history of textile recovery and our work at Batley.”
The initiative comes amid growing demand for recycled textile materials and recognition of the gaps in existing recovery systems.
Partner organisations said they hope that by combining efforts and expertise, The Circuit will accelerate progress towards large-scale, circular textile systems in the UK.
Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems CEO and co-founder Cyndi Rhoades commented: “Through The Circuit, we’re powering the relationships, infrastructure and commercial frameworks needed to make that possible. No one organisation can create a circular textile value chain alone, and we look forward to welcoming others to The Circuit.”
