New Upstream Circularity Playbook Presents a Blueprint for Scaling Textile Recycling in Manufacturing Countries (2024)

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Copenhagen, 28 November 2024: Global Fashion Agenda (GFA), with support from Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) and the H&M Foundation, has launched the Upstream Circularity Playbook, now available in six languages. This comprehensive resource draws on extensive case studies across multiple countries to provide a globally accessible, step-by-step guide specifically tailored for garment manufacturing regions. Designed to help stakeholders scale circular business models by valorising post-industrial textile waste, the Playbook equips manufacturing hubs with tools needed to drive sustainable change.

With over 520 global regulations now encouraging circularity and regionalisation in sourcing and design, the Playbook serves as a critical tool for establishing and scaling upstream circular ecosystems. It equips manufacturers, brands, policymakers, and investors with actionable strategies to implement circular fashion solutions in core manufacturing regions. With significant volumes of post-industrial textile waste yet to be properly harnessed, its consistency and high quality present a pivotal opportunity for scaling textile-to-textile recycling technologies in manufacturing regions. This can pave the way for recycling of post-use textiles and clothing. In Bangladesh alone, embracing textile recycling could unlock USD 4 to 5 billion annually through the export of recycled products, however, limited recycling capacity underscores a critical gap in industrial waste management.

Empowering Circularity in Manufacturing Countries

The Upstream Circularity Playbook draws on over 20 case studies from diverse regions such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, providing an international and regional perspective that fosters knowledge sharing across the fashion industry. The examples showcase successful collaborations between brands, manufacturers, recyclers, and textile waste collectors, offering a replicable model for scaling circular solutions in various global contexts. Collaboration across the entire value chain is critical for unlocking the full potential of circularity. The Upstream Circularity Playbook provides a roadmap for stakeholders to work together in building a just and scalable circular fashion system.

A Constructive Framework for Action

The Playbook offers a pragmatic, step-by-step framework for building the necessary infrastructure to scale circularity in garment manufacturing countries. It provides essential tools for:

  • Segregating textile waste at the factory level to prevent contamination and enhance recycling quality.
  • Leveraging digital traceability platforms to track waste flows and align with recycler requirements.
  • Collecting, aggregating, and sorting textile waste to ensure it is properly prepared and delivered to recyclers.
  • Matching textile waste to the best use case by selecting the most suitable recycling technologies to ensure high-quality material recovery.
  • Designing for circularity by incorporating recycled materials into new products, contributing to the creation of a closed-loop system.

Harnessing the Opportunity
This emphasis on upstream circularity presents an immediate opportunity to valorise post-industrial waste, laying the groundwork for scaling textile-to-textile recycling and ultimately reducing dependency on virgin resources as they are gradually replaced by recycled materials. GFA previously noted in the Scaling Circularity Report that existing recycling technologies have the potential to drive up to 80% circularity in the fashion industry if fully scaled. Additionally, the Pre-Feasibility Report highlights that, in the case of Bangladesh, recycling textile waste could reduce cotton imports by 20%, saving nearly $750 million USD annually. The Upstream Circularity Playbook therefore builds on this research by providing an actionable framework for the industry to harness such opportunities.

Federica Marchionni, CEO of Global Fashion Agenda, says: "The Upstream Circularity Playbook is a vital tool for embedding circularity across the fashion value chain on a global scale. By prioritising innovation and value creation in key manufacturing regions, we are using post-industrial waste to build the infrastructure needed to attract and scale recyclers, ultimately preparing these regions for post-consumer waste recycling and driving meaningful change worldwide.”

Catherine Chiu, GCFF SteerCo member, VP Corporate Quality & Sustainability at Crystal Group, says: "I believe this Playbook brings transformative insights globally. It empowers industry stakeholders in manufacturing regions to innovate and collaborate, turning textile waste into valuable resources. I envision driving the long-term, scalable shift towards a circular business model along the fashion value chain together."

Edwin Keh, GCFF SteerCo member, CEO at HKRITA, says: “Our industry’s pace of change has to accelerate to achieve our climate goals. This Upstream Circularity Playbook is an effort to support the effort and drive momentum. This is a practical guide to how we best use, reuse, and repurpose our supply chain’s resources.“

With contributions from over 20 experts and organisations, the Playbook is designed to spur action on a global scale. It provides a blueprint for fostering economic, environmental, and social benefits in garment manufacturing regions and emphasises the need for collaboration across the value chain to achieve a scalable solution for textile-to-textile recycling.

The Upstream Circularity Playbook is openly accessible and available in six languages, inviting stakeholders worldwide to provide feedback and join the conversation.

Download the Upstream Circularity Playbook here.

For further information, please contact:

press@globalfashionagenda.org

About Global Fashion Agenda

Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) is a non-profit organisation that fosters industry collaboration on sustainability in fashion to accelerate impact. With the vision of a net positive fashion industry, it drives action by mobilising, inspiring, influencing, and educating all stakeholders.

The organisation has been leading the movement since 2009 and presents the renowned international forum on sustainability in fashion,Global Fashion Summitin core fashion regions around the world. GFA influences policy through its advocacy efforts including theGlobal Textiles Policy Forum, publishes thought leadership includingThe GFA Monitor, Fashion CEO AgendaandFashion on Climate, implements impact programmes including theCircular Fashion Partnershipand theGlobal Circular Fashion Forum, presents educational guidance through theGFA Academy, and connects companies with solutions through theInnovation Forum.

Visit globalfashionagenda.org to learn more.

About Global Circular Fashion Forum

Launched in 2022, the Global Circular Fashion Forum (GCFF) is a global initiative, established by Global Fashion Agenda and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and H&M Foundation, which spurs global and local action in textile manufacturing countries to accelerate and scale recycling of post-industrial textile waste – an effort to achieve a long-term, scalable, and just transition to a circular fashion industry. By mobilising industry stakeholders, investors, global brands and retailers, technology providers and others as well as by influencing policy environments and collecting, consolidating and disseminating best practices, GCFF intends to establish the necessary ecosystem for scaling post-industrial textile waste recycling programmes in manufacturing countries. Locally owned and led, these national Circular Fashion Partnerships (CFPs) are now established in Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia, with forthcoming partnerships planned in Vietnam and Turkey, and an open invitation to collaborate in other countries.

Visit https://globalfashionagenda.org/global-circular-fashion-forum/ to learn more or contact us directly via cfp@globalfashionagenda.org.

About Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

GIZ is a global service provider in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work. GIZ has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment, energy and the environment, and peace and security.

GIZ FABRIC Cambodia is a project that acts on behalf of the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). FABRIC supports the textile and garment industry in Cambodia and the region in its transformation towards fair production for people and the environment. To support the creation of sustainable solutions for a competitive textile and garment industry, the project cooperates with various public, private and civil society actors on social and environmental issues.

About H&M Foundation

The H&M Foundation, funded by the Persson family, founders and majority owners of the H&M Group, supports the textile industry in halving its greenhouse gas emissions every decade by 2050, while promoting a just and fair transition for both people and the planet. Its projects target high-emission areas along the textile value chain where the H&M Foundation’s philanthropic strengths can have the greatest impact.

More information hmfoundation.com.

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sustainable fashion circular economy circular fashion Global Fashion Agenda

New Upstream Circularity Playbook Presents a Blueprint for Scaling Textile Recycling in Manufacturing Countries (2024)
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