What Is Circular Fashion, And How Can It Make Your Wardrobe More Sustainable?

This post dives in to circular fashion and gives you tips to implement it in your daily life!

Clothing and fashion are a part of everyone’s daily life, and have a significant impact on the economy, people, and the planet. Unfortunately, the way the current fashion industry operates is far from sustainable.

The fashion industry produces over 100 billion garments annually, creating excessive amounts of waste and pollution.¹ This makes it one of the most resource-intensive industries on the planet. Every second, a truckload of clothes is burnt or sent to landfill!²

The core reason for all this waste is that fast fashion, is based on what is called a linear system: “take, make, dispose.” This model relies on overproduction, overconsumption, and a throwaway culture. It is fuelled by aggressive marketing, the power of influencers, and manipulation using microtrends. Their profits are built on encouraging people to replace clothes after minimal use or when trends shift, which is branded as personal identity and social acceptance.³

So what should we do instead? The only real solution is creating a systemic change. Instead of a linear economy we need a circular fashion economy. Instead of “take, make, dispose” we need “reduce, reuse, recycle”.

In short, circular fashion is a sustainable approach that aims to extend the lifecycle of garments, use safer and more renewable inputs, and reduce waste.² Instead of discarding clothes, circularity focuses on keeping clothes in use for as long as possible, through repair, recycling, or repurposing.

But how can circular fashion be implemented in practice? In this post I break down the main principles of circular fashion and how you can contribute to making a change.

The Problem with Fashion Today

It is no secret that the fashion industry is problematic in many ways. From overconsumption, to human rights violations, to environmental pollution, the fashion industry is long overdue for a change. Within the context of the circular fashion economy, there are 3 main issues with the current system:

1. Textile Waste without Recycling

While there has been a small increase in the use of clothing on high streets labelled with “recyclable” or “from recycled materials”, the reality is that less than 1% of textiles are recycled into new garments globally.¹ Most clothing ends up in landfills, incinerators, or are dumped in developing nations, contributing to the already severe global waste and pollution crisis.³

This is made worse by the popularity of fossil fuel-based synthetic fibres like polyester. Polyester alone now makes up 52% of global fibre usage, and that’s not even including other synthetics like nylon and acrylic!¹ These kind of fabrics are not only very difficult to recycle but also emit a lot of greenhouse gases and release microplastics into waterways and the environment.¹

2. Fast Fashion and Overconsumption

The main reason for most of the fashion industry’s issues is fast fashion. Fast fashion is the reason most people expect t-shirts for a fiver, buy new clothes monthly to keep up with the microtrends, and have stopped reading material labels as long as the garment is cheap.

As a result, most clothes are made of plastic, which makes the garment fall apart quickly but stay in the environment for hundreds of years, manipulating people into overconsumption. in 2015, people bought 60% more clothing than they did 15 years before, but kept them for half as long!²

3. Pollution and Environmental Impacts

The fashion industry is responsible for a lot of significant environmental impacts, including:

• The fashion industry creates about 92 tonnes of annual clothing-related waste globally.⁴
• The industry is responsible for 10% of the worlds carbon emissions, more than air travel and maritime transport combined.⁴
• The textile industry uses 98 million tonnes of mostly non-renewable resources per year. This includes fossil fuels to produce synthetic fibres, chemical fertilisers to grow cotton, and toxic chemicals to dye and finish textiles.²
• The industry uses 93 billion cubic metres of water annually, which depletes freshwater resources and pollutes it with toxic chemicals.⁴
• The production and washing of synthetic clothing is among the largest sources of microplastic pollution, causing environmental and health issues.⁴

The 3 Key Principles of Circular Fashion

So how can this system be changed into a circular fashion economy, and how can you do your part? There are 3 main principles to keep in mind when looking for circular fashion. Changes need to be made to the approach to all 3 stages of clothing: design, in-use, and end-of-life.

1. Design for Longevity and Circularity

Circular fashion starts with thoughtful design, both in terms of longevity and recyclability.¹ Clothes should be made to last and to be repairable, repurposable, or recyclable at the end of their life.

This is the opposite of fast fashion, which prioritises cheap materials that fall apart quickly, pushing consumers to buy more. For example, a clothing piece made from a single, natural material like organic cotton will last a long time and can easily be recycled into new garments, but a cheap garment made from a mix of synthetic fibres is incredibly hard to recycle, so it usually ends up in landfill after only a couple wears.

2. Extend the Lifetime of Garments in Use

The longer we use our clothes, the less waste we create. Practising the principles of slow fashion is essential in achieving circular fashion. Clothes should be treated like the valuable resource they are and be enjoyed for years.

Most clothes can easily be repaired with some basic sewing skills or be brought to a tailor, and taking care of clothes with mindful laundry settings and detergents can extend the lifetime significantly.¹ And there is a reason that thrifting is making a comeback: unloved clothes can be easily donated or traded to be worn for years to come.

3. Close the Loop to Recirculate Materials

At the end of their lifecycle, clothes should be recycled into new garments rather than thrown away. Achieving this requires systemic changes in how we produce and dispose of clothing, from reducing blended fabrics to improving recycling technologies.¹

Challenges in Achieving Circular Fashion

The concept of circular fashion is not new, and the benefits are obvious. So why have we not achieved it yet?

1. Recycling Limitations

Most clothing nowadays is made from blended, synthetic fabrics. These pose significant technical challenges to recycling, as mixed fibres are hard to separate.¹ Designing clothes with recyclability in mind, such as using mono-materials, would help, but brands choose not to do this because of costs or trends.

On the other end, current recycling technologies are not as well developed as they should be. They are not widely or economically available and are not always efficient enough.¹ Recycled fibres usually lose some of their strength because the fibres become shorter. This is why it is hard to create new clothes from 100% recycled fibres and major brands don’t go for it. However, recycled fibres can still be blended with virgin fibres (of the same material) to create a high-quality garment.

2. Consumer Behaviour

Many people are so used to fast fashion’s convenience and low costs that they don’t realise they are being manipulated into overconsumption. Often, people justify shopping fast fashion by saying they cannot afford sustainable clothing. At the same time, they buy new “cheap” clothes every month to replace old ones and to follow trends. But buying just a few quality, sustainable garments a year would cost way less in the long run as you don’t have to replace clothes as often.

The challenge is the mindset of instant gratification versus the cost per wear. Not to mention the cost to the environment and garment workers. Shifting mindsets towards valuing quality over quantity is key!¹

3. Systemic Issues

Most of the issues that prevent a thriving circular economy are due to systematic issues with our modern society. Fast fashion is just one symptom of a society that is built around overproduction, rapid consumption, and instant gratification. Due to the advancements of modern technology, people no longer value the effort and thoughtful design that used to go into making clothes. We’ve stopped treating clothes and their materials as the valuable resources they are.

Another systemic issue is greenwashing, where big brands promote “sustainable” or “circular”’ practices for profit, without actually achieving sustainable outcomes. For example, some of the bigger fashion brands have introduced “take-back schemes” where people can donate old clothes for credit, but most of the donated clothing they collect doesn’t make it to recycling facilities.

Fortunately, more and more people are recognising these issues and are rebelling against them, by refocusing on sustainable fashion. It will take collective efforts and major systemic change to achieve a truly circular fashion economy, but that doesn’t mean it is not possible!

10 Tips to Start With Circular Fashion

So, you now understand the importance and benefits of circular fashion, what actions you can take to support it? Here are my top tips to get you started:

1. Choose quality over quantity by purchasing clothes from brands that prioritise quality and sustainability. Invest in timeless pieces and remember that sustainable clothes may be more expensive to purchase, but they will last longer with less damage the environment, so they are cheaper per wear in the long run.
2. Explore second-hand stores to buy pre-loved clothes, like in thrift shops, charity shops, and online platforms like Vinted.
3. Take good care of your clothes to extend their lifetime, like by washing at the gentlest cycles at low temperatures and airdrying.
4. Learn simple repair skills, like sewing buttons or patching small tears. No reason to throw out your clothes because of a single tear!
5. Attend clothing swaps to exchange items you no longer wear.
6. Try out clothing rental schemes to rent clothing for a few days. This is great for special occasions that need expensive new outfit.
7. Donate your old clothes to charities to support both the circular economy and social projects.
8. Support brands with take-back programmes that recycle old clothes into new ones, especially if they are closed loop.
9. Buy clothes made from recycled materials, especially natural fibres or actual textile waste, not from plastic bottles which are not truly circular solution.
10. Repurpose old clothes, like using an old T-shirt as a cleaning rag, cut jeans with tears into shorts, and so on. There are lots of DIY tutorials online for inspiration!

Remember that you don’t have to be perfect. Try out a one or two solutions at a time until they become a habit, and keep trying more from there!

Sources

1. https://www.reconomy.com/2024/09/03/the-state-of-the-circular-economy-in-the-fashion-industry/
2. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/fashion-and-the-circular-economy-deep-dive
3. https://www.thesustainablefashionforum.com/pages/what-is-circular-fashion
4. https://earth.org/fast-fashion-statistics/