What does circular fashion mean?

You may be familiar with the term sustainability, but now, may also be hearing a different term, called circularity. In my opinion for something to be truly sustainable it needs to be circular. However, there are many different things to consider when it comes to sustainability. For more information on the different ideas around sustainability you can click here.

One of the major values and the most important parts of sustainability is circularity, so what does this mean?

Circular design is the idea that when something is created the entirety of its lifecycle is considered (think recycling). You may also have heard this referred to as “cradle to cradle”. It means that whatever is created is essentially designed to be discarded and returned back to the earth in some shape or form or to be reused in a new way. The entire process is considered from design until the garment has been purchased by a customer and is no longer needed.

In fashion, circularity can be considered in many aspects along the supply chain, starting with the design process.

The Design Process:

Designers need to consider zero waste patterns and design, meaning that the patterns need to be designed so there will be no fabric waste during the cutting process. It may also mean that new clothing needs to be designed with the idea that it will need to be taken apart to be processed into something new. If there is excess fabric, it needs to be considered on how it will be used instead of ending up in a landfill. For example, remnant pieces can be used as pockets or straps for a dress.

Labeling:

Fabric makeup is important when fibers need to be constructed down in order to make new fabric. Labeling requirements will need to change in order to make this more accessible. In addition to accurate fabric content being very important, it is also important for the resale market that style numbers be used. Style numbers can help resellers better identify each garment and can help the consumer more easily find what they are looking for. Scaling a second hand business can be challenging and properly labeling will allow businesses to do this much more easily.

Manufacturing:

This process is an extension of the design process, working with factories that care about and understand circularity is key because otherwise there can be a LOT of waste during the manufacturing process. Even having a factory that recycles the cardboard boxes that fabric may arrive in is a key part of considering circulatory in your manufacturing process.

Shipping:

Shipping comes with a huge amount of waste, according to the EPA 80.1 million tons in 2017 alone. Shipping material needs to be considered in all aspects of the supply chain. Fabric being produced is often wrapped in plastic and then put into a cardboard box to be shipped to the factory. Once the clothing has been made it is often then put into individual plastic bags, called polybags, and then shipped in boxes to the designer or warehouse to ship to customers. Then from there the clothing stays in the polybags and goes into another box of plastic mailer that is then sent directly to the customer. Then if the customer wants to return the item, it then again often goes into a new box or mailer. Returns alone in the US account for 5 billion pounds of landfill waste each year, according to Vogue Business. Typically, the shipping system does not allow for circular thinking as plastics bags are meant to be used once and then thrown away instead of reused or recycled. There are many brands working on solutions to this problem so that this big part of the supply chain can become more circular.

End of Lifecycle:

After you are done using your clothing and no longer want it you typically have two options, to throw it away or to donate it, both which can cause an array of other challenges which I will address at another time. Circular thinking encourages businesses to think about this differently, to offer give back programs so that they can collect their customers no longer wanted clothing and upcycle these items into something else, preventing clothing from ending up in the landfill or being incinerated (according to the Ellen McArthur Foundation, one full

garbage truck load of clothing is ending up in the landfill or being incinerated every

second). Two brands that consider this type of thinking are Harper Wilde and For Days, both offer return programs for customers to ship back there no longer wanted clothing.