UK partners outline route for circular fashion
The Circular Fashion Innovation Network (CFIN) has published a report detailing how 250 fashion sector companies worked together on a project to advance textiles recycling in the UK.
Led by the British Fashion Council and UK Fashion & Textile Association, the project included companies across the supply chain, from raw material suppliers to end-of-life.
The National Textile Recycling Infrastructure Plan provides a framework for developing domestic recycling capabilities to process the 1.3 million tonnes of post-consumer textiles generated annually in the UK.
The modelled National Textile Recycling Hub, integrating three automated sorting plants and a chemical recycling facility, represents a £277 million investment opportunity that would generate hundreds of new jobs and millions in economic benefits for the UK economy, said the partners.
One of the pilot schemes includes River Island and research and education facility LaundRe, which is in the final stages of setting up in Canning Town, London. LaundRe offers a responsive approach where unwashed jeans are finished in the UK with laser-designed patterns and sustainable processing techniques, allowing brands to create trend-led products without committing to inventory.
