#Recycling / Circular Economy

2021-02-25

Worn Again Technologies is part of the Circular Fashion Ecosystem Advisory Board

Launched in October 2020, the Circular Fashion Ecosystem (CFE) programme is the inaugural project of the IPF. Its aim is to focus on the creation of a circular fashion economy in the UK. The programme will work with industry, academia and government to inform and implement change.

The British Fashion Council (BFC)’s Institute of Positive Fashion (IPF) has announced the Advisory Board for its first project, the Circular Fashion Ecosystem (previously known as ‘The Waste Eco System Project). The Board is made up of nine industry experts: Alan Wheeler, Director, Textile Recycling Association; Claire Bergkamp, Chief Operating Officer, Textile Exchange; Cyndi Rhoades, Founder, Worn Again Technologies; Dax Lovegrove, Director of Sustainability, Jimmy Choo; Franz von Bismarck-Osten, Senior Director of Sector Development for the eRetail & Fashion Industry, DHL; Jalaj Hora, Vice President of Product Innovation and Consumer Creation, Nike; Judith Rosser-Davies, Head of Government Relations and Education, BFC; Shailja Dubé, IPF Programme Lead and Circular Fashion EcoSystem Project Lead, BFC and Sonia Thimmiah, Head of Sustainable Brands and Customer Partnership, Reckitt Benckise.

The organisation also welcomed sustainability consultancy 3Keel who will work alongside Founding Partner Vanish, part of Reckitt Benckiser, and DHL to support the initial stages of the Circular Fashion Ecosystem.

Collaboration across the industry is needed now more than ever. The CFE programme will help determine what a new ecosystem looks like, the responsibilities of each stakeholder, and what are the practical next steps needed to arrive at the key programme objectives:

• To accelerate industry-wide ability for textile recycling in the UK

• To make the UK a major fashion “revalue” centre within the global industry

• To influence consumer behaviour into adopting responsible consumption habits

This is a multi-year, multi stakeholder endeavour which will establish a roadmap for change to enable a circular UK fashion economy.

As part of London Fashion Week February 2021 Presented by Clearpay, the BFC hosted a panel discussion on Tuesday 23rd February in line with the start of the research phase in order to raise awareness of the programme. Hosted by Caroline Rush, BFC Chief Executive, the CFE Advisory Board will discuss the project to enable a call to action to welcome collaborators, including NGOs, brands, big business, government agencies and innovators.

Listen to the talk panel: Circular Fashion Ecosystem Project, A Conversation:

https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/schedule/282/the-circular-fashion-ecosystem-project-a-conversation

The Circular Fashion Ecosystem consortium will be led by Oxford-based certified B-Corp 3Keel LLP, an award-winning firm of sustainability advisors with particular focus on product supply chains. Comprising six core practice areas, 3Keel’s mission is to work with others to create a better future for people and the environment, through ideas, evidence, and by bringing people together. They have considerable experience of delivering lasting change through working with businesses, policy makers, and non-profit organisations. To maximise impact, 3Keel purposefully pursues collaborative projects such as the recently launched BRC Climate Roadmap, their Landscape Enterprise Networks (LENs) programme and the ground-breaking Podback scheme.

The consortium will comprise four other partners, collectively combining expertise in circular business models and strategy, consumer trends, and behaviour change in the fashion and textiles sector.

• QSA Partners: a specialist team of circular economy and sustainable business experts with more than 30 years’ experience working with the fashion sector on resource efficiency including significant experience in circular textiles.

• Flourish CSR: a team of industry-leading corporate social responsibility specialists with deep fashion sector knowledge and the network to match.

• Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow: one of the world’s top 100 universities and home to leading researchers in the fields of consumer research, marketing and sustainable clothing consumption.

• Icaro: a leading consumer insights agency with expertise in market research and behaviour change who apply the latest insights from behavioural economics to help their clients understand their audience and design change strategies and interventions.

The consortium will be led by Dr Alex Hetherington, who heads up 3Keel’s Circular Economy Practice and has extensive expertise in partner engagement, stakeholder management, circular economy and LCA in addition to practical end-of-life solutions and circularity for difficult to recycle materials.

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI reshape textile processing

Investment decisions in textile processing have become increasingly complex. Rising energy prices, labour shortages and geopolitical uncertainties are forcing companies to prioritise technologies that deliver measurable improvements in efficiency and process stability. This applies not only to apparel production, but also to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. Modernisation projects are therefore being evaluated more selectively – but the pressure to upgrade production systems continues to grow. Texprocess 2026 reflects this tension between cautious investment behaviour and increasing technological demand.

Textile Chemicals & Dyes: Innovation in Textile Chemistry moves into focus at Techtextil 2026

From PFAS-free finishes and water-saving dyeing technologies to advanced coatings and recycling-compatible formulations, innovation in textile chemistry is accelerating across the industry. Reflecting this development, Techtextil 2026 introduces Textile Chemicals & Dyes as a dedicated product segment, highlighting the growing role of chemical solutions in shaping the next generation of technical textiles.

textile.4U publishes special edition “Top 100 Textile Recycling Companies 2025”

With a comprehensive 176-page special edition, textile.4U is dedicating its latest issue entirely to one of the most dynamic and influential topics in today’s textile industry: textile recycling. The new issue, published exclusively in high-quality print, presents the Top 100 textile recycling companies researched and selected by TexData – organizations that already play a key role in the transition to circular textiles or are expected to have a significant impact in the near future.

Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 signed by Governor

Senator Josh Newman (D-Fullerton) is proud to announce that Senate Bill 707 (SB 707), the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024, has been signed into law by the Governor of California, Gavin Newsom. This groundbreaking legislation establishes the country’s first Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) textile recycling program, marking a significant step forward in the state’s efforts to combat waste and promote sustainability.

Europe needs tipping point to scale textile-to-textile recycling, BCG and ReHubs say

A new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and ReHubs, titled “Advancing Textile Circularity – Europe’s textile waste challenge: Scaling Textile-to-Textile requires enabling mechanisms”, highlights the urgent need for systemic action to tackle Europe’s growing textile waste and scale a circular textile economy.

AI Circular Economy Conference 2026 fuels innovation at the intersection of AI and Circular Economy

The AI Circular Economy Conference 2026, organised by nova-Institute, brought together 116 participants from 15 countries in Cologne and online to explore the transformation of the chemical and materials industry supported and accelerated by artificial intelligence. During the two-day event, leading experts from industry, research, start-ups and the investment community discussed how AI can maximise the potential of renewable carbon creating efficient circular value chains. The conference featured 24 presentations and multiple panel discussions, highlighting the growing convergence of digital technologies and circular material systems. It demonstrated how artificial intelligence is progressing from the experimental stage to real industrial implementation within the circular economy.

Circ deepens access to recycled fibers with Xinxiang Bailu Chemical Fiber Co., Ltd. partnership agreement

Circ®, a global leader in textile‑to‑textile recycling, today announced a new partnership agreement with Xinxiang Bailu Chemical Fiber Co., a Canopy Dark Green Shirt producer and one of the world’s leading producers of viscose filament. The agreement marks a significant step in Circ’s continued expansion in China and strengthens its position within the country’s rapidly evolving circular textile ecosystem; further supporting Circ’s ability to supply recycled fibers near existing fashion supply chains.

YKK launches “YZiP® Light” aluminum alloy zipper for cotton pants

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) has launched YZiP® Light, a lightweight aluminum alloy zipper for cotton pants, with sales beginning in late March. The introduction of YZiP® Light expands YKK’s zipper portfolio—led by the flagship YZiP® copper alloy zipper—providing customers with greater flexibility to meet diverse garment needs.

Shima Seiki showcases WHOLEGARMENT® and 3D knitting solutions for technical textiles at Techtextil 2026

Leading textile technology solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, along with its Italian subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI ITALIA S.p.A., will be participating in the Techtextil 2026 exhibition in Frankfurt, Germany next month. On display will be WHOLEGARMENT® and other advanced three-dimensional knitting applications across a wide range of industries besides fashion apparel that are not typically associated with knitting, such as technical textiles using industrial materials and advanced three-dimensional knitting.