TOP STORY

Recycling Cannot Save Clothing Designed Only to Be Thrown Away

The economics of reuse are under strain as ultra-fast fashion floods markets with garments never designed to last. In this environment, circular systems are absorbing rising costs without corresponding value. Steven Bethell, Founder of Bank & Vogue and Beyond Retro, outlines how low-quality imports are destabilising charities, recycling infrastructure, and material integrity across the secondhand ecosystem.

Latest: Updates
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CIRCULARITY / RECYCLING / SECONDS / WASTE

Researchers Develop New Method to Transform Textile Waste into Energy and Cement Binder

Researchers at Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) are pioneering methods to convert textile waste into energy and high-performance cement alternatives — a dual breakthrough that could ease pressure on two of the world’s most resource-hungry sectors: textiles and construction.

 
FLASHPOINT: CLIMATE
GHG Emissions / Localisation

Locally produced circular sportswear could have a smaller environmental footprint than a conventional polyester garment reference, a new lifecycle and microfibre assessment has modelled. Renewable-energy use, shorter transport routes, and circular design choices together could reduce climate impacts and microplastic emissions, the researchers have contended.

Climate Action / WRAP Roadmap

Climate action NGO WRAP has unveiled a new UK Textiles Pact Roadmap to fast-track circularity and environmental progress across the industry. Despite per-tonne cuts in carbon and water use, soaring production volumes and linear business models threaten to erase those gains. The Roadmap strengthens collaboration, targets upstream emissions, and supports policy reforms for a resilient circular future.

 
 
 
FOCUS: COTTON

‘MSP Isn’t Distorting Prices’: CCI Head on Imports, Yields, and the Road to Cotton Stability

The single largest cotton trading company and a public sector undertaking under the Union Ministry of Textiles, the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), established in 1970, undertakes price support and commercial purchase operations to safeguard the economic interest of farmers in the cotton growing regions and to ensure its smooth supply to the textile industry. A Q&A with its Chairman-Cum-Managing Director, Lalit Kumar Gupta.

 
 
 
SPOTLIGHT EDITIONS: SELECT 4
Cotton for Good 2024 7 Oct 2024
State of Leather 2024 21 Oct 2024
 

"Quote Unquote"

Francesco Mazzarella
Francesco Mazzarella
Reader, Design for Social Change
London College of Fashion
Fashion has often been an instrument of colonialism, exporting aesthetics, material cultures, erasing identities and traditional cultural practices. Decolonising fashion means challenging colonial legacies of oppression and exploitation, decentring the fashion system through critical research, cultural plurality, and communication of often untold stories, foregrounding indigenous knowledge, beyond Western logics.

"Quote Unquote"

Annemiek Smits
Annemiek Smits
Corporate Engagement Manager, Fashion
Solidaridad
We push brands by changing the rules of the game. We are moving the goalposts from a narrow focus on certified materials to a holistic vision of sustainability where a prosperous farmer is the key performance indicator. It’s a slow and deliberate process, but by publicly measuring what truly matters, we make it impossible for brands to ignore the 70% of people who form the foundation of their entire industry.
 
 
FOCUS: LEATHER

India’s Leather Industry Repositions as Global Buyers Converge on Kolkata

Kolkata’s hosting of AILPA 2025 represented more than an industry event—it symbolised India’s recalibration within shifting global trade currents. Amid market disruptions and evolving tariff landscapes, the city emerged as a key platform connecting manufacturers and international buyers, highlighting the sector’s growing capability, design sophistication, and readiness for the premium export market.