Your cart is empty!
Fashion loves a buzz word and one you’ve probably come across a few times is “circular economy”. Despite it only being around since 2014, it’s something that is fast becoming part of marketing campaigns and driving conversations in the design room.
A circular economy is one where waste is repurposed into new products. The idea means that we never need to send anything to landfill, recycling and repurposing things again and again and again. In a circular shape, get it?
It goes something like this:
DESIGN -> USE -> RECYCLE -> DESIGN -> USE -> RECYCLE ETC.
The goal is to design out waste, completely.
While you’re here, why don’t you get the low down on responsible recycling?
WHAT DOES CIRCULAR FASHION MEAN?
Is circular fashion a term you’ve heard a lot, but you’re not exactly sure what it actually refers to? We’ve got you.
What is Circular Fashion and Why is it Important?
Circular fashion is a sustainable approach to clothing where garments are designed to be reused, recycled, or repurposed, minimising waste and resource use.
Circular fashion refers to a system where the lifecycle of clothing and accessories is extended through practices like reusing, repairing, recycling, and redesigning. The goal is to minimize waste by keeping products in use for as long as possible and eventually repurposing materials to create new items. This contrasts with the traditional linear fashion model, which follows a "take, make, dispose" approach.
The Role of Recycling in Circular Fashion
We have a few versions of the circular fashion economy in fashion. Traditionally, it's meant using other objects and turning them into fabrics through mechanical recycling, so unwanted clothes made from cotton might be broken down and recreated into new cotton clothes, and the loop can go on and on.
Recently we’ve seen a whole new kind of recycling enter the scene, called chemical recycling. This system was born from more fashion brands using mixed fabrics that blended natural and manmade materials together. Lots of fast fashion brands use these material blends because they are cheaper to produce, and durable. The downside is that they were traditionally difficult to recycle into new materials, because the fibres react in different ways.
Chemical recycling allows us to split the fibres from unwanted clothes into their different fibres so that we can create new materials, and turn those into new clothes.
This is the sciency stuff of the future but it's going to completely change the way we produce clothes, and allow us to create far more closed loop systems (meaning not using any new materials, or wasting anything).
Reskinned are huge advocates for both mechanical and chemical recycling, and we’re excited to see how these processes grow and develop in the near future.
We invest in those who are already able to offer the most exciting new processes in recycling and production and are driving research forward to be able to offer this across a multitude of materials.
WHAT ARE THE THREE PRINCIPLES OF CIRCULAR FASHION
You might have heard of the three key principles of circular fashion, and if not, you’re about to. There are three main points of focus which should be covered when designing or creating a circular product.
- Design for Longevity
During the design process, longevity should be a key consideration. That means durability, and a timeless appeal, ensuring that the things you make can be worn again and again, and won’t fall apart or stop working early on.
This can be done by using high quality materials, prioritising timeless designs, and creating versatile styles that reduce the need for frequent replacements.
- Keep Products and Materials in Use
The second key principle of circular fashion is to keep products and materials in use for as long as possible. This is the part where we usually swoop in and support our brands, but offering resale, reuse and recycling solutions to keep clothes out of landfills and in circulation for as long as we can.
This principle also includes repair, which can be done either at home, or by a professional. We repair the items we receive through our takeback schemes, if they have small flaws that are stopping people from being able to wear them.
Things like shopping pre-loved, clothes swaps and using clothing rental services are all ways that you can embody this principle, and also takeback schemes and responsible recycling for the clothes you no longer wear.
- Regenerate Natural Systems
And finally regeneration of natural systems. This means using resources in a way that benefits the enviroment. For example, using renewable or biodegradable materials. Practices like organic farming are encouraged, and sustainable processes that help to regenerate our ecosystems instead of depleting them, as fashion products often do.
When a designer, or a company adheres to these principles, they’re creating a more sustainable, closed-loop system that is better for people and the planet.
WHAT IS THE CIRCULAR FASHION CHALLENGE?
Fashion has reached levels of hyper-speed, with 92 million tons of clothes going to landfill, and still only 1% (possibly even less) of recyclable textiles ending up actually getting recycled.
Because chemical recycling is a process still being developed, there aren’t tons of places that offer it, and with the increased demand of people buying and throwing away their clothes, it’s going to take a few years for everything to catch up.
We don’t shy away from a challenge over here at Reskinned, so we’re always looking for solutions, and working with companies that are offering the best of the best when it comes to recycling for clothes, shoes and accessories.
WHY IS CIRCULAR FASHION A GOOD THING?
The demand for raw materials is expected to triple by 2050 (WRAP).
For every item of clothing made, lots of intensive resources have gone into it. From the water used for the crop that may become the materials, to the energy used to produce the fabric, to the chemicals and dyes that may pollute water systems in the product development process.
SO much energy goes into one item.
And it's not sustainable. Fashion has a big part to play in the journey to reducing global temperatures and reducing climate change, and the environmental impact of our clothes. The quicker we can move towards a new system celebrating a circular economy, the less pressure we put on natural resources and the less the risk of waste.
WHAT IS THE VISION FOR CIRCULAR FASHION AT RESKINNED?
Reskinned wants more clothes to be made out of materials already available.
That's why we encourage the use of mechanical and chemical recycling wherever possible, and commit to sending nothing we receive to landfill, no matter how challenging it is to recycle.
It's not easy stuff. It involves a lot of time and careful sorting of items by hand in our warehouse. We have to remove anything like buttons or zips from clothes before they're ready for recycling, and use our RFID identification machine (aka. fabric identifying robot scanner) to make sure we’re choosing the right process for the right fabric.
We also opt for reuse over recycling, always. We will only recycle something if it's completely at the end of its life and can't be resold, repurposed or upcycled.
CIRCULAR FASHION FAQ’S
How does circular fashion impact sustainability?
Circular fashion has a significant impact on sustainability, because it reduces the demand for new raw materials, and decreases waste production. It also helps by cutting down on carbon emissions, pollution and water usage associated with manufacturing and disposal processes. When we encourage people to reuse and recycle their old clothes, circular fashion supports a more sustainable fashion industry.
What are the benefits of circular fashion?
There are many benefits of circular fashion. Here are a few:
- Environmental Impact. Reduces the amount of textile waste going into landfills and also lessens the strain on natural resources.
- Economic Value: Offers new business opportunities in resale, repair, and recycling industries and creates jobs that don’t harm the planet.
- Consumer Responsibility: Encourages people to make mindful choices and invest in longer-lasting, higher-quality products.
- Fashion Innovation: Sparks creativity by using recycled materials and encouraging sustainable designs.
Why is Circular Fashion important for the future of fashion?
Circular fashion is essential for the future as it provides a solution to the environmental challenges posed by fast fashion, which are pretty huge. With the fashion industry being one of the largest contributors to pollution, shifting to a circular model can help preserve ecosystems, reduce waste, and foster a more sustainable economy. We genuinely can’t keep going the way we are, which is why a change is vital.
Is Circular Fashion affordable?
A common misconception about circular fashion is that it’s for rich people. But circular fashion can be affordable - in fact, it can be even cheaper than buying things new. Buying secondhand items often comes at a lower cost than new products.
Additionally, repairing or upcycling existing garments can extend their life without the need for costly replacements - in that way, circular fashion actually saves you money.
HOW CAN I SUPPORT CIRCULAR FASHION?
So you want to get involved in circular fashion. Who can blame you. Here are the best ways:
- Buying secondhand clothing from platforms or stores like Reskinned.
- Repairing or altering your garments instead of throwing them away.
- Donating or selling your used clothing to give them a second life.
- Recycling your textiles through take-back programs or recycling centres.
In essence: keep clothes in existence for as long as possible.
That means caring for them and passing them on if you're not reaching for them anymore. If they're at the end of their life or you haven't got a friend who wants to take them off your hands, send them to us via one of our takeback partnerships, and we’ll handle the rest.
We will find the right home for anything that comes our way.
Whatever you do, don't put clothes in the bin.
Info
Sign up to Reskinned to find out more about what we do and be the first to find out when drops are happening from the brands you love.
