Closing the loop - circular economy in fashion

Fashion’s circular economy could grow as big as $5 trillion in the next few
years. With the Paris climate agreement and pandemic, our eyes are now
being trained to look towards the side of sustainable growth.

Major fashion
brands analyzed based on their green score. This puts them under a constant
scanner. Circular economy in fashion closes the linear loop of take-make-throw
into a more environmentally friendly manner.

A circular economy gives an orderly way to attain sustainability in fashion. It is
mostly of three parts – reduce, reuse and recycle. It begins by taking stock of
how much waste is produced and how much resources are being exploited.
There has to be digitalized to keep track of where our production is going.
Mammoth proportions of wastes have to be recycled. This just does not limit
fabrics, but with trims, tags and packaging as well to create circular economy in fashion.

Only 1% of fashion clothes are recycled where it should be much higher than
that. Products must have a defined amount of recycled material used in them.
Governments need to set up policies encouraging industries and incentivizing
them to take up recycling in fashion.

We have very few reuse purchasing-selling platforms. Due to the lower
longevity of fast fashion brands, most of them have to be discarded quite soon.
If the products are traceable, a system similar to cellphone recycling can be
adopted. The producer should be able to repurchase when the garments are
discarded or cannot be resold. Brands can include this policy in their marketing
strategy.

Upcycling of used fabric and garment into new products can also be
considered. This can be executed in association with local waste collectors and
local government bodies. When people are more aware of how the production
cycle works and the stress it creates on the environment, they will buy and
useless.

The reduced aspect will become an easier process. Industry and
consumers play equal linkages in a circular economy. Both have to be in touch
and cater to each other to complete the loop.