Mapping Sustainable Textile Initiatives

This report responds to an invitation from the Nordic Council of Ministers to map out Nordic initiatives within textiles as a pre-study to the initiation of a Nordic Roadmap for Sustainable Textiles in 2015. The work has been conducted by:SIFO - National Institute for Consumer Research (Norway)SFA - Sustainable Fashion Academy (Sweden)NFA - Nordic Fashion Association/nicefashion.org (Nordic)IVL - Swedish Environmental Research Institute (Sweden)CRI - Copenhagen Resource Institute (Denmark)Nordic Committee of Senior Officials for Environmental Affairs (EK-M) has been responsible for the funding of this project. The project’s steering committee consists of representatives from members from the working groups; Nordic Chemicals Group (NKG), the Nordic Waste Group (NAG) and the Group of sustainable consumption and production (SCP) and officers from the Environmental Protection Agency in Denmark. This steering Group is jointly responsible for the direction and decisions regarding the project. NAG has been coordinating the work. Coordinator of project has been Yvonne Augustsson from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency.

Available online: https://pub.norden.org/temanord2023-502/ This report maps existing initiatives in the Nordic countries supporting the transition towards a sustainable and circular textile economy. The mapping acts as a knowledge base to create recommendations for new initiatives under The Nordic Textile Collaboration, where stakeholders across the Nordic fashion and textile industry can come together and shape the future. The Nordic Textile Collaboration is initiated by Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish authorities and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The project addresses the significant environmental impacts associated with the production and consumption of textiles, with the aims of reducing unnecessary consumption, extending the lifetime of textiles, promoting circular business models, stimulating digitalization and traceability in the fashion and textile industry, supporting increased and improved collection, sorting, reuse and recycling of textiles.

As identified in the COP 2015 Paris Agreement there is an urgent imperative for global efforts to tackle climate change and environmental damage from major industrial activities. This report supports this process in the European textiles, fashion and footwear sector, a major industry providing employment for nearly 1.7million people across the EU in approximately 176,000 businesses. These are mainly small businesses with less than 50 employees, representing 90% of the overall workforce. Small and micro businesses (with less than 10 employees) are recognized as key players in change-making for the industry, due to their agility and overall control of their operations. Here we focus on the potential for SMEs to adopt more sustainable business models and embrace the circular economy, and the key enabling factors. This report maps many current initiatives and key organisations operating in sustainable fashion and textiles across Europe and provides an overview of the opportunities for and challenges hindering the adoption of environmentally and economically sustainable business models in the fashion sector. It also identifies key enablers that will assist in the transformation towards a circular economy. With a special focus on designers, start-ups and SMEs, the report provides 12 case studies drawn from 9 member states as exemplars of best practice, to encourage sustainability throughout all stages of the fashion value chain from design and production, to services and end-of-life solutions. These include: new fibre development and materials recycling (Orange Fiber, Ecoalf, re:newcell); design and manufacture of fashion products and accessories using a range of sustainable, recycled and upcycled materials (Elvis & Kresse, VEJA, REDU, Rifò, MUD Jeans, Stanley/Stella); retail customer services including repair and take back (MUD Jeans, Elvis & Kresse), new clothes sharing and reselling business models (The Nu Wardrobe), software systems for on-demand fashion production (Unmade), plus a consumer and industry facing campaign for positive action and education for a more transparent and sustainable fashion system (Fashion Revolution). Within each case study comparator businesses have also been identified, working around particular business models, sub-sectors or practices that may use a different assortment of sustainable or circular activities.

This book provides a wide landscape for recycling and product lifetime management in the textile and fashion sector. Through this approach, the book attempts to deepen the understanding of the sustainability transformation, which is currently desperately needed but also already happening in the design, manufacture, consumption and recycling of textiles and garments. The textile and garment recycling and redefining product lifetimes of this transformation are at the core of the new understanding of sustainability. An accessible and compelling read, Recycling and Lifetime Management in the Textile and Fashion Sector will appeal to students, scholars, professionals, policy makers and industry practitioners.

Circular Economy (CE) is considered as one of the important strategies in addressing Sustainable Development Goals. Practicing Circular Economy provides an overview of CE, covering its evolution, describing the key concepts, programs, policies, and regulations. It illustrates several business opportunities over a hundred hand-picked case studies that encompass numerous sectors, various scales of operations and geographies. Another unique feature of the book is the activities listed in each chapter to invoke thoughts, frame assignments, and generate discussions. Each chapter lists key additional reading materials and takeaways. Aimed at mid- and senior-level managers, policy makers, investors, entrepreneurs, consultants, researchers, professors, and academic students involved in the subject of environmental management and sustainability, this book: Introduces the evolution of CE to clarify the key concepts and introduce some of the important global programs and initiatives CE economy with case studies Gives a global overview of adoption of CE covering countries such as India, Japan, Korea, China, EU, North America, Australia, and several more Includes information on methodologies followed, tools, and knowledge resources for practicing CE Provides insight to the business models with numerous case studies covering product design, manufacturing, and services and the role of innovation and financing Presents a comprehensive overview of opportunities in CE in sectors such as textile, steel, agriculture, and food Covers newly emerging paradigms of CE such as regional circular economy, circular supply chains, and sustainable procurement and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CE Practicing Circular Economy is thus an important resource for every circular economy practitioner and especially to those who aspire to make a career in circular economy.

This book provides critical perspectives on contemporary collaborative consumption, a recent societal phenomenon shaking up previously fixed socio-economic categories such as the producer and the consumer. The contributors discuss the role of trust and reciprocity in collaborative consumption through seven case studies. The chapters advance debates on the contradictions of positioning collaborative consumption as possible solutions for a more sustainable development and exacerbating new forms of inequalities and injustice. The book contributes a nuanced appraisal of social and economic activity for reflecting socio-technological changes in contemporary societies.

This book illustrates key sustainability issues in global textile and fashion value chains, by examining individual types of fibers either at a single step in or along the entire value chain. It approaches sustainability-related issues in the textile and fashion value chain from an interdisciplinary and holistic viewpoint, with each contribution linking questions on the textile and fashion value chain to various drivers, indicators and concepts of sustainability. Each chapter represents a single step in the textile and fashion value chain, exploring and considering a wide range of interwoven and interdependent technological, environmental, social, political and economic aspects. Various fibers, textile engineering and chemical treatment steps, as well as innovative business concepts and regulatory frameworks across the entire textile and fashion value chain are identified, analyzed, discussed and critically evaluated. The book provides a systematic overview of the potential and challenges of sustainable textile and fashion value chains, making it of interest to practitioners and scientists in sustainability science, environmental economics, and business, management and innovation. Further, it offers a valuable source of information for industrial and mechanical engineering researchers, and for students in the areas of textile engineering, fashion, or the apparel and clothing industry.