#Sustainability

2018-05-17

Industry leaders join forces to Make Fashion Circular

Some of the biggest names in fashion are joining forces to create a thriving industry based on the principles of a circular economy. As core partners of Make Fashion Circular, Burberry Group plc; Gap Inc.; H&M; HSBC, NIKE, Inc.; and Stella McCartney, will work with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to radically redesign the fashion industry. Together they will deliver the solutions needed to meet the changing demands and expectations of society, and address the issues that have seen the fashion industry become one of the most polluting and wasteful operating today.

Burberry Group plc; Gap Inc.; H&M; HSBC; NIKE, Inc.; and Stella McCartney announced as Core Partners of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative
Made possible by C&A Foundation and Walmart Foundation, the initiative will develop solutions to some of the biggest issues faced by the fashion industry
A circular economy for fashion that phases out harmful materials and keeps clothes in use can unlock a USD 560 billion economic opportunity
Actors from across the fashion industry will work to realise the vision

The initiative was made possible with the support of C&A Foundation and Walmart Foundation. A further 16 stakeholders, including city authorities, fashion producers, designers, and brands have joined the initiative as participants. The group will help drive momentum towards the vision for a circular economy for fashion, first set out in the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s 2017 report ‘A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future’.

“For the fashion industry to become truly circular, each part of the system must change and every actor must play its role. C&A Foundation understands the power of collaboration, which is why we supported the Circular Fibres Initiative and why we believe Make Fashion Circular is so crucial going forward. This initiative represents a significant opportunity to worktogether to fundamentally redesign and recreate the fashion system in a way that benefits everyone", said Douwe Jan Joustra, Head of Circular Transformation, C&A Foundation.

Participants of the Make Fashion Circular initiative will unite behind three key principles to create a system that delivers benefits for citizens, the environment, and businesses:

1. Business models that keep clothes in use

2. Materials that are renewable and safe

3. Solutions that turn used clothes into new clothes.

DuPont Biomaterials, Fung Group, Hallotex, I:Collect, Inditex, Kering, Lenzing Group, London Waste and Recycling Board, Nanushka, Primark, RadiciGroup, Solvay, Texaid, Tintex Textiles, VF Corporation, W.L. Gore and Associates have already signed as participants and others are invited to join.

By working towards this bold new vision, the fashion industry can capture USD 460 billion currently lost due to the underutilisation of clothes. An additional USD 100 billion from clothing that could be used, but is currently lost to landfill and incineration, can also be captured.

Ellen MacArthur, founder of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, said: “For the fashion industry to thrive in the future we must replace the take-make-dispose model, which is worn out. We need a circular economy for fashion in which clothes are kept at their highest value and designed from the outset to never end up as waste. By joining forces to Make Fashion Circular we can harness the creativity and innovation that is at the heart of this USD 1.3 trillion industry to create a system that delivers benefits for everyone.”

And Julie Gehrki, Vice President-Program, Walmart Foundation, added: “The launch of Make Fashion Circular is an exciting step in the journey toward achieving a waste-free apparel industry. We hope this roadmap serves as a tool that helps build partnerships across all regions and markets, catalyzes action and accelerates innovation on critical issues related to sustainable apparel.”

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Textile Exchange reports growth in certifications and industry engagement

Textile Exchange has published its 2025 Annual Report, highlighting continued growth in certified sites, industry participation and the development of its standards and membership structure. According to the report, more than 100,000 sites worldwide are now certified to Textile Exchange standards, more than three times the number recorded in 2020. Preliminary figures also indicate 12% year-on-year growth across the organization's current standards, including the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), Recycled Claim Standard (RCS) and the Responsible Animal Fiber standards.

PERFORMANCE DAYS announces new focus topic & forums for October 2026

With its upcoming October 13–14, 2026 edition, PERFORMANCE DAYS is placing the spotlight on one of the textile industry’s most important transformations: “Bio-Based Materials – From Fiber to Fabric”, a two-part Focus Topic exploring the future of bio-based innovation across the textile value chain. Part 1, presented in October 2026, will focus on fibers and next-generation material developments, while Part 2 at the March 2027 edition will shift the perspective toward dyeing, finishing, additives, and processing technologies.

Febratex 2026 to be the largest edition of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas with 10 exhibition halls

Febratex 2026 will be the largest edition in the history of the leading textile trade fair in the Americas. Dedicated to the textile and apparel manufacturing industries, the event will take place from August 18–21, 2026, in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, with a strong focus on technology, sustainability, and business generation.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues field trip brings international stakeholders closer to Brazil’s cotton production chain

How do you build trust across the global textile value chain? By opening the farm gates. This is the principle behind the Cotton Brazil Dialogues. At the end of July, the programme welcomed its first group of international participants for a five-day immersion into Brazilian cotton production, combining field visits with technical workshops to showcase the quality, sustainability, innovation and traceability behind one of the world’s leading cotton origins.