Vision of A Circular Economy For Fashion

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Vision of

a circular
economy
for fashion
A circular economy
is a bigger idea than
incrementally reducing the
harm of our current model.

It tackles the root causes of global challenges regenerates the environment. In delivering
such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and the vision, the rights and equity of all people
pollution, while creating opportunities for better involved in the fashion industry are prioritised.
growth. It is underpinned by three principles, all The circular economy for fashion creates new
led by design: eliminate waste and pollution, keep opportunities for growth that are distributed,
products and materials in use, and regenerate diverse, and inclusive*.
natural systems.
This vision offers a target state to innovate
For fashion, it means ensuring that products towards. Realising it will require collaborative
(apparel, footwear, accessories) are used more, are efforts by industry and government, significant
made to be made again, and are made from safe investments, large-scale innovation, transparency
and recycled or renewable inputs. and traceability. Yet, by taking actions together to
get started today, it can scale fast.
A circular economy for fashion creates better
products and services for customers, contributes
to a resilient and thriving fashion industry, and The time to act is now.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2020

*These topics, while vital, are not the key focus of this vision statement and therefore are not defined in more detail
in this document. Research and actions on social fairness in the fashion industry is being undertaken extensively by
other organisations, for example, Fashion Revolution, The International Labour Organisation, and the UN Alliance for
Sustainable Fashion. Whilst more research is needed to fully understand the social implications and opportunities of
the transition to a circular economy, academia and organisations including BSR and Circular Apparel Innovation Factory
(CAIF) have begun to explore what those could be.

VISION OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR FASHION | 2


In a circular economy for fashion,
products (apparel, footwear,
accessories) are:

Used more • Business models that keep products at their • Businesses empower users with the necessary
highest value, like rental and recommerce, knowledge, tools, and services to maintain the
are the norm across the industry, decoupling physical and emotional appeal of their products.
its economic development from resource
consumption. • All products that are made are used. Excess
inventory is minimised and is never destroyed.
• Products are designed and manufactured to
last, and align with the business model that will • Where relevant, products are enhanced or
deliver them (for example, in rental models, replaced by virtual alternatives such as digital
considering the durability and ability to repair collections or virtual showrooms.
the products).

Made to be • Products and their materials are designed and • Products are in practice collected and sorted
manufactured to be disassembled so that they to be reused, remade, recycled, and — where
made again can be reused, remade, recycled, and - where relevant and after maximum use and cycling
relevant, and after maximum use and cycling - — composted:
safely composted. - Businesses contribute to support
infrastructure, commensurately with what
• Landfill, incineration, and waste to energy are they put on the market, to ensure their
not part of a circular economy. products are collected and reused, remade or
recycled in practice.
• Packaging is minimised, and is made from - Governments support effective collection
reusable, recyclable, or compostable materials, infrastructure, facilitate the establishment of
and is more broadly in line with Ellen related self-sustaining funding mechanisms,
MacArthur Foundation’s vision of a circular and provide an enabling regulatory and
economy for plastic (and equivalent for other policy landscape.
packaging materials).

Made from • The health of people and ecosystems is decoupled from the consumption of
protected by ensuring: finite resources:
safe and - Products and their materials are free from - The need for virgin resources is minimised
recycled or hazardous substances. by increasing the use of existing products
renewable - Production and use of products do not
discharge hazardous substances into
and materials.
- Production by-products are minimised,
inputs the environment. and where unavoidable, are treated as
- Microfibres that may cause harm are valuable materials.
prevented from reaching the environment, - Post-consumer recycled content is used both
either by design or collection. to help decouple from finite feedstocks and to
stimulate demand for collection and recycling.
• Production, supply chain practices, and - Where virgin input is needed it is from
technologies ensure the effective use of renewable feedstocks sourced using
resources, for example by optimising the use of regenerative production practices.
water, energy, chemicals, and materials. - The manufacturing, distribution, sorting,
and recycling of products is powered by
• Production (including inputs used during renewable energy.
manufacturing and processing) is fully
Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2020

VISION OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR FASHION | 3


Common definitions
for the vision

CONTENTS Intro | 5 Safe and recycled


or renewable inputs | 9
Used more | 6 Hazardous substances
Durability Microfibres
Reuse Recycled material
Repair Regenerative production practices
Renewable material
Made to be made again | 7 Waste
Composting
Design for disassembly Transparency
Recycling and traceability | 11
Remaking Traceability
Transparency

This section provides common definitions and


Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2020

explanations to underpin the vision, aiming to


support transparency and consistency. The section
builds on ISO and BSI definitions where applicable.1
1 Permission to reproduce extracts from British
Standards is granted by BSI Standards Limited
(BSI). No other use of this material is permitted. British
Standards can be obtained in PDF or hard copy
formats from the BSI online shop:
www.bsigroup.com/Shop

VISION OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR FASHION DEFINITIONS | 4


Increasingly based on renewable energy and
materials, a circular economy is based on three
principles, all led by design: eliminate waste
and pollution, keep products and materials in
use, and regenerate natural systems.

Materials in the circular economy can flow in Where relevant, materials can then enter
two cycles, the technical cycle and the biological biological loops such as composting or anaerobic
cycle. In the technical cycle products and their digestion to generate additional value, for
materials can continuously cycle through the example by increasing the health and carbon
system so that they can be maintained at their content of soil.
highest value at all times.
Circulation of materials is enabled by keeping
For fashion, all materials (including biological different technical materials separate or easily
materials such as wool or cotton) should first separable (as not doing so can hinder recycling),
be cycled through the technical cycle loops of as well as keeping biological materials and
reusing, repairing, remaking, and recycling. technical materials separate or easily separable
(as not doing so can hinder recycling
and composting).
Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2020

VISION OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR FASHION DEFINITIONS | 5


USED MORE
In a circular economy, products and materials are kept in
use at their highest value at all times. Reuse is the preferred
option wherever relevant.

DURABILITY of the circular economy in organizations – Guide’, based on


Section 2.59 Reuse/reused
The ability of a physical product to remain functional
and relevant over time when faced with the challenges of Notes:
normal operation. • Reuse refers to the repeated use of a garment, either by a
single user or by multiple users, with the aim of increasing
Notes: the average number of times it is used and of keeping it in
• This definition applies to a product over multiple uses and use for as long as possible.
users, and acknowledges repair, maintenance, and other • Examples of business models that support reuse include, but
services as means to increase overall durability. are not limited to, rental and recommerce. If employed, these
• Durability can generally be categorised into two broad models should effectively increase the average number of
aspects which are equally important: uses of each garment.
- Physical durability: considers garment construction and • Products are designed to align with such business models.
component reinforcement in order to create products that This means that product design, development, and
can resist damage and wear. manufacturing ensure that the product can be reused
- Emotional durability: considers the product’s ability to stay as many times as possible, for example by identifying
relevant and desirable to the user, or multiple users, components that might fail first and improving their
over time. durability or repairability and offering support for users to
• Products should be designed and manufactured to last, care for the products.
meaning they are both physically and emotionally durable.

REPAIR
REUSE
Operation by which a faulty or broken product or
Operation by which a product or component is used component is returned back to a usable state.
repeatedly and for long periods of time, for its original
purpose, without being significantly modified, remade, SOURCE:
or recycled. Products might need to be ‘prepared for BS 8001:2017 - ‘Framework for implementing the principles
reuse’, which often involves cleaning, repairs, or small of the circular economy in organizations – Guide’, based on
modifications so that they can continue to be used Section 2.56 Repair
throughout time and multiple users.
Notes:
SOURCE: • Repair is a key strategy to keep products in use and
BS 8001:2017 - ‘Framework for implementing the principles could be coupled with business models such as rental
and recommerce.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2020

VISION OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR FASHION DEFINITIONS | 6


MADE TO BE MADE AGAIN
From the outset, products are designed and
manufactured so that they can be reused, remade,
recycled, and - where relevant, and after maximum use
and cycling - safely composted.

COMPOSTING DESIGN FOR DISASSEMBLY

Composting is the process by which materials biodegrade Design principle that enables the product to be taken apart
through the action of naturally occurring micro-organisms in such a way that allows components and materials to be
and do so to a large extent within a specified timeframe. reused, remade, or recycled.
The associated biological processes will yield CO2, water,
inorganic compounds, and biomass which leaves no visible SOURCE:
contaminants or toxic residues. ISO 14021:2016(en) - ‘Environmental labels and declarations
— Self-declared environmental claims (Type II environmental
Notes: labelling)’, based on Section 7.4.1 Usage of term
• The high resource, energy, and labour intensity of textile
production implies that a large amount of value is lost when
garments are composted. At the same time, textiles typically
contain very few nutrients that can enhance soils. RECYCLING
• The priority is therefore to keep products in use for as long as
possible through reusing, repairing, remaking, and recycling, The process of reducing a product back to its basic
before considering composting. For example, a product material level, reprocessing those materials, and using them
made from 100% compostable materials (including trims, in new products, components or materials.
threads and accessories unless they are removable) would
be designed to be durable so that it can be used for a long Notes:
time, repaired, the material remade or recycled, and when no • Recycling is an important part of a circular economy, yet the
longer possible returned back into the biosphere. loss of embedded labour and energy and the necessary costs
• Composting can take place in an industrial facility, through to make products from their raw materials mean that it is a
a controlled process managed by professionals, as well as lower value process than reuse and remaking.
in home-composting units, where the process is subject to • Scaling recycling will require technologically and
the householder’s skills and other environmental conditions. economically viable solutions. This can be supported by
Products can be certified2 as “Home Compostable for converging towards a selection of materials that can be
direct inclusion in a home composting bin along with other recycled in practice and developing them alongside highly
organic waste (compostable at 20-30°C for a maximum of 12 effective collection, sorting, and recycling processes for those
months with 90% level of biodegradation), or as “Industrially materials.
Compostable” (compostable at 58°C for a maximum of 6 • Where material blends are used, these can be separated to be
months with 90% level of biodegradation). either returned to the biosphere or continue to be cycled in
• Where products are designed to be compostable it should be the technical cycle as relevant. Developing new materials or
proven that these can be composted in practice and at scale, innovation of recycling processes will be required where no
for example there are opportunities and infrastructure to current ones can provide both the desired functionality and
collect, sort, disassemble, and compost them. In addition, all recyclability.
materials (for example, trims and threads) used in the product • Mechanisms for transparency and traceability integrated
must also meet the necessary requirements. in the design of clothing and aligned with processes across
• Any chemicals or production processes applied to the the value chain will support the identification of materials
product would need to take into account the ability to safely in the system to improve the output quality of the recycling
return biological nutrients to the environment after use. process.
• The term ‘biodegradable’ should not be confused with • Where products are designed to be recyclable it should be
‘compostable’. ‘Biodegradability’ designates a property which proven that these can be recycled in practice and at scale.
is needed - among others - to make a product compostable. • Recycling within a specific industry is the preferred option,
It does not indicate whether a product can in practice be to stimulate design for recyclability, materials innovation and
collected and composted following a managed process (for demand for recycled inputs. Where products are recycled
example, indicating how quickly and under what conditions into other industries or applications these should be designed
Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2020

it can biodegrade). Given that ‘compostable’ is defined more to be recycled again and ultimately separated.
comprehensively and precisely by international standards, • Processes that turn materials into fuels or energy are not
compostable is therefore typically the preferable term considered recycling and are not part of a circular economy.
• In a circular economy, products and materials are circulated
at their highest value at all times. Within recycling, this
principle results in a general order of preference for recycling

2 Based on European standard EN 13432

VISION OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR FASHION DEFINITIONS | 7


types, favouring techniques that retain most embedded
value. Yet, this should not be seen as a strict hierarchy for REMAKING
determining the best option for every single product:
1. Fibre recycling is performed by sorting garments by Operation by which a product is created from existing
colour and material which are then shredded and products or components. This operation can include
processed back into fibres. This type of recycling is also disassembling, re-dyeing, restyling, and other processes
referred to as ‘mechanical fibre recycling’. to improve emotional and physical durability.
2. Polymer recycling takes fibres back to the polymer level,
destroying the fibres but keeping the chemical structure Notes:
of the material intact. This can be achieved by either • Remaking can comprise both the product-level operation
melting and extruding textiles (‘mechanical polymer of refurbishment (which can bring a product to an ‘as-new’
recycling’), or by extracting the polymer with a solvent condition and can include updates and improvements) and
(‘chemical polymer recycling’). the component-level operation of remanufacturing (which
3. Chemical monomer recycling breaks polymers down brings a component to an ‘as-new’ condition and level
into individual monomers or other constituent materials of performance).
that can then serve as feedstock to produce virgin- • Remaking examples include taking pieces of complete fabric
quality polymers. from used products and sewing them together to create a
• For the definition of recycled material, see page 9. new product, as well as replacing sections of fabric within a
• More information on textile recycling can be found in the product. For knitted garments, remaking can be performed
report A New Textiles Economy - Redesigning Fashion’s by unraveling the yarns while keeping them intact, and re-
Future (Chapter 3). knitting them into a new garment.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2020

VISION OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR FASHION DEFINITIONS | 8


MADE FROM SAFE AND RECYCLED OR RENEWABLE INPUTS
In a circular economy, substances that are hazardous to Moving away from a take-make-waste model, a circular
health or the environment are designed out to allow safe economy aims to decouple production from the
material circulation and ensure that no pollutants are consumption of finite resources. This is achieved first
released into the environment. and foremost by drastically reducing the need for virgin
inputs through reuse, remaking and recycling, and then,
by sourcing the remaining virgin inputs from renewable
materials using regenerative production practices.

HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES • to release substances of concern by breaking down in the


digestive system.
Compounds exhibiting intrinsically negative properties • Microplastics additionally have the potential to accumulate
such as being persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances of concern on their surface, meaning these
(PBT), very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB), substances can concentrate in the bodies of larger animals.
carcinogenic, mutagenic and toxic for reproduction (CMR), Microplastics have also been found in other products
or endocrine disruptors (ED). consumed by humans, such as beer, honey, salt, and sugar,
although the source and the contribution of textiles still
SOURCE: needs further investigation.
ZDHC Knowledge Base - Glossary (September 2020) • A common test method needs to be decided upon and
adopted rapidly to test and identify sources of microfibre
shedding, as industry progress has been stalled by a lack of
robust data.
MICROFIBRES • The capture of microfibres has been the focus of efforts to
date. Eliminating their release in the first place by changing
Textile fibres, or fragments of textile fibres, that are how clothes are designed and made is less explored and
shed from the product during production, use, and after- requires a robust evidence base.
use phases. • A systemic understanding and fundamental rethink of the
materials used to make textiles, and of the processes used in
Notes: production, will be needed to avoid microfibre pollution. It
• The term microfibre is applicable to both synthetic (for will require the research and development of new materials
example, plastic-based) and natural (for example, cellulose- and production processes to design out microfibre shedding,
based) fibres. Plastic-based microfibres are a type of increasing the effectiveness and scale of technologies that
microplastics. capture the microfibres.
• Although often referred to as fibres less than 5mm in length, • More information on microfibres can be found in the report
there is no common definition for the size of microfibres. A New Textiles Economy - Redesigning Fashion’s Future
What is most significant to consider is the potential impact (Chapter 1).
that fibres of any size may cause if they end up in
the environment.
• The term ‘fibre fragment’ is used interchangeably with the
term ‘microfibre’. RECYCLED MATERIAL
• In recent years, the textiles industry has been identified as a
major contributor to the issue of plastic entering the ocean. Material that would have been disposed of as waste, but is
Approximately two thirds of textiles are made from synthetic instead reprocessed by means of a manufacturing process
materials, dominated by plastic-based polyester, polyamide and made into a final product or into a component for
and acrylic. incorporation into a product.
• Natural or cellulose-based fibres are often treated with textile
finishing treatments which may prevent microfibres from SOURCE:
biodegrading safely in the environment, or allow substances ISO 14021:2016(en) - ‘Environmental labels and declarations
of concern to be released in the digestive system of species — Self-declared environmental claims (Type II environmental
that ingest them. labelling)’, based on Section 7.8.1. Usage of terms
• Microplastics are moving up the food chain. Ingestion of
microplastics has been demonstrated to cause starvation and Notes:
stunted growth in some species, and to have the ability • The term ‘secondary raw material’ (SRM) is used
Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2020

interchangeably with the term ‘recycled material’3 .

3 According to the European Commission, SRMs are materials that can be recycled and then injected back into the economy as new raw materials.
(EU Circular Economy Action Plan 2015)

VISION OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR FASHION DEFINITIONS | 9


• Recycled material refers to both post-consumer4 and pre-
consumer5 content, either coming from recycling of fashion RENEWABLE MATERIAL
products or from other industries.
• Post-consumer recycled content from apparel-to-apparel Material that is composed of biomass from a living source
recycling6 is the preferred source of recycled feedstock, as it and that can be continually replenished. When claims of
allows the industry to continuously cycle the materials it puts renewability are made for virgin materials, those materials
on the market, and avoid material value loss within its own shall come from sources that are replenished at a rate equal
and other industries. to or greater than the rate of depletion.
• In a circular economy, the concept of pre-consumer waste
is eliminated. Production by-products and excess inventory SOURCE:
are minimised, and where they are unavoidable, treated as ISO 14021:2016(en) - ‘Environmental labels and declarations
valuable materials and used, for example as recycled inputs. — Self-declared environmental claims (Type II environmental
• The use of post-consumer recycled content from other labelling)’, based on Sections 7.14.1. Usage of term and 7.14.2.
industries can help reduce the need for virgin input in the Qualifications.
fashion industry and hence increase the profitability of
collectors, sorters, and recyclers. However, this option must Notes:
not prevent higher-value recycling in those industries, and • The way land is used to produce renewable materials must
within the fashion industry itself, when this is possible. not negatively impact or degrade natural ecosystems,
• For the definition of ‘waste’ see on this page. including ancient and endangered forests and other
landscapes, or compete with land needed for the production
of food.
• The aim is to grow all renewable materials using regenerative
REGENERATIVE PRODUCTION PRACTICES production practices as applicable (see on this page).
Renewable material refers to organic material (including, but
Regenerative production practices build soil health and not limited to, crops, trees, algae, and animals), as well as to
carbon content, increase water quality and biodiversity, and waste and by-products of biological origin (including, but not
improve the resilience of ecosystems. limited to, agricultural and food waste).

Notes:
• The term ‘regenerative’ is used to refer to methods that
regenerate natural systems (it does not refer to recycling WASTE
materials such as fibres).
• Regenerative production practices in agriculture can include Materials or substances that are discarded and no longer
agroforestry, permaculture, and managed grazing. used, typically resulting in landfill, incineration, or leakage
• Practices such as organic farming, which rely on naturally into the environment.
occurring substances rather than synthetic inputs, can be
considered as a means to move towards implementing Notes:
regenerative production practices. • In a circular economy, products, materials, and components
• The improvements achieved by regenerative production never become waste. Waste is ‘designed-out’ by intention.
practices are compared to a baseline of conventional • Through redesign, materials or substances that would
practices which, in the example of agriculture, rely on, inter become waste are eliminated, become feedstock for another
alia, inputs from finite resources and a small number of production process, or are safely returned to the biosphere.
crop varieties, and have impacts such as soil degradation,
pollution, and biodiversity loss.
• Regenerative production practices used on depleted land
have the potential to improve natural ecosystems.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2020

4 Post-consumer recycled content is material generated by households or by commercial, industrial, and institutional facilities in their role as end-users
of the product which can no longer be used for its intended purpose. (Source: ISO 14021:2016(en) - ‘Environmental labels and declarations —
Self-declared environmental claims (Type II environmental labelling)’, based on Section 7.8.1. Usage of terms)
5 Pre-consumer recycled content, also referred to as post-industrial recycled content, includes materials diverted from the waste stream during
a manufacturing process. (Source: ISO 14021:2016(en) - ‘Environmental labels and declarations — Self-declared environmental claims (Type II
environmental labelling)’, based on Section 7.8.1. Usage of terms)
6 Apparel-to-apparel recycling refers to the recycling of old garments into new ones, after they can no longer be reused or remade.

VISION OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR FASHION DEFINITIONS | 10


TRANSPARENCY AND TRACEABILITY

Achieving the vision will require transparency and traceability


across the value chain, for example on product specifications,
chemical inputs, materials used, and production practices. Such
information will be crucial to inform after-use practices such as
sorting, remaking, and recycling

TRACEABILITY

The ability to trace products, components, and materials,


as well as the social and environmental conditions in which
they were made, along the whole supply chain, including
after use.

TRANSPARENCY

The ability to make information (for example on product


specifications, chemical inputs, materials used, and
production practices) available to all actors of the supply
chain (including users), allowing common understanding,
accessibility, comparability, and clarity.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2020

VISION OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR FASHION DEFINITIONS | 11


Acknowledgements and support
We are very grateful for the support we have received in producing this vision for a
circular economy for fashion. This document has been co-created with input from
leading organisations across the fashion industry, and in close collaboration with Global
Fashion Agenda (GFA), Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), and Textile
Exchange. Special thanks go to our Advisory Board for their guidance, our Participants
for their active involvement, and also to the many leading academic, industry, NGO, and
government experts who provided invaluable perspectives.

PHILANTHROPIC PARTNERS Tintex Textiles


Laudes Foundation Unilever
MAVA Vestiaire Collective
Postcode Dream Trust VF Corporation (VFC)
W. L. Gore & Associates
CORE PARTNERS Wrangler
Burberry YELLOW OCTOPUS
Gap Inc.
H&M Group AFFILIATES
HSBC Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute
Inditex Fashion For Good
PVH Corp Fashion Positive
Stella McCartney Global Fashion Agenda
HKRITA
PARTICIPANTS RSA
adidas Textile Exchange
Aditya Birla Fashion & Retail Ltd The Sustainable Angle
Apex Spinning and Knitting Mills Limited ZDHC Foundation
Arvind Limited
Asos FURTHER EXPERTS
Bank & Vogue Apparel Impact Institute
Bestseller Art Partner
C&A BGMEA
Circular Systems S.P.C BPCM
DuPont Biomaterials BRING | JEPLAN, INC.
Farfetch British Fashion Council
Fast Retailing Co., Ltd. Canopy
Fung Group China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC)
Guess?, Inc. Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)
Hallotex Defra
Hirdaramani Euratex, European Apparel and Textile Confederation
HP Inc European Environment Agency (EEA)
I:Collect (I:CO) Fashion Revolution
Intesa Sanpaolo Innovation Center Government of Catalonia
Kering Group IDH, The Sustainable Trade Initiative
Lee KG Fabriks
Lenzing AG Kipas Textiles
London Waste and Recycling Board LA Sanitation & Environment (LASAN)
Nanushka International Zrt Municipality of Milan
Nordstrom, Inc. Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy (PACE)
NYC Department of Sanitation SAITEX
Outerknown Susannah Frankel
PRIMARK Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC)
Procter & Gamble United Nations Environment Programme
RadiciGroup University of Leeds
Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2020

Reformation University of Portsmouth


Salvatore Ferragamo World Resources Institute (WRI)
Solvay WRAP
TEXAID Textilverwertungs-AG

VISION OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR FASHION | 12


About the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation was launched in 2010 with the aim of accelerating the
transition to the circular economy. Since its creation, the charity has emerged as a global
thought leader, putting the circular economy on the agenda of decision-makers around
the world. The charity’s work focuses on seven key areas: insight and analysis; business;
institutions, governments, and cities; systemic initiatives; circular design; learning;
and communications.

Further information: www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org | @circulareconomy

About Make Fashion Circular


Make Fashion Circular was launched by UK charity the Ellen MacArthur Foundation at
the Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2018. It brings together leaders from across the fashion
industry, including designers, brands, cities, philanthropists, NGOs, and innovators. It is
leading international efforts to stop waste and pollution in fashion by creating a circular
economy for the industry, where clothes are used more, are made to be made again, and
are made from safe and recycled or renewable inputs.

To make fashion circular, businesses, governments, innovators, and citizens need to join
forces. Make Fashion Circular is supported by Philanthropic Partners Laudes Foundation,
Mava, and players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, awards funds by the Postcode
Dream Trust.

Make Fashion Circular is made possible by:

Further information: tiny.cc/makefashioncircular


Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2020

VISION OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR FASHION | 13


Disclaimer
This document has been produced by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation (the “Foundation”).
The Foundation has exercised care and diligence in the preparation of this document,
and it has relied on information it believes to be reliable. However, the Foundation
makes no representations and provides no warranties to any party in relation to any of
the content of the document. The Foundation (and its related people and entities and its
and their employees and representatives) shall not be liable to any party for any claims
or losses of any kind arising in connection with or as a result of use of or reliance on
information contained in this document, including but not limited to lost profits and
punitive or consequential losses.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation 2020

VISION OF A CIRCULAR ECONOMY FOR FASHION | 14

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