United Kingdom

As the fashion industry increasingly recognises the urgent need for sustainable practices, the shift towards circular manufacturing for textiles and apparel has gained momentum. However, despite notable innovations and advancements, significant opportunities and enablers remain to promote widespread adoption. A UKFT report identifies key enablers necessary for further advancement and action forward for the manufacturing sector to accelerate circularity.

A plan to develop the UK’s first wetsuit recycling facility is among eight new projects funded by Future Fibres Network Plus. The neoprene recycling project is one of the eight mini projects newly funded by the network.

Scientists have developed a new fibre fragmentation scale which, if adopted by industry, could be displayed on clothing labels, similar to the way many food manufacturers display calorie information on packaging.

As demand for sustainable solutions grows across all sectors, a collaborative UK Alliance for Sustainable Chemicals and Materials (UK-ASCM), has been launched as it unites industry leaders, academia, and innovation hubs to advance the UK’s sustainable chemicals and materials sector.

Two sets of experiments have shown that biobased fibres like viscose and lyocell present a greater hazard than conventional polymers used in equivalent applications.

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has come up with a tangible guide to support the fashion industry to push business growth, drive revenue, and provide strategic recommendations for stakeholders in a much changed and increasingly complex environment.

LiteHide is an innovative process that effectively eliminates the scourge of tanneries: the use of salt, which is a huge global land and waterway pollutant. Alexandra Pelka, Head of Europe and Business Development of Leatherteq Limited—the innovator of the technology—talks at length about leather, processes and technology.

The industry-led Circular Fashion Innovation Network (CFIN) has published an interim report which highlights key insights and next steps in the UK's journey towards a circular fashion ecosystem by 2032. It focuses on three critical areas: Circular Business Models, Sustainable Manufacturing, and Recycling Infrastructure.

Ginetex has revealed the main findings of its recent study on the impact of drying cycles on our power consumption. It shows that the energy consumption of a tumble dryer depends significantly on the spin speed of the washing machine.

Oxford Economics, leaders in global economic forecasting and quantitative analysis, has just published an exhaustive report on the state of the second-hand clothing trade between the EU27+ and three African nations. Johanna Neuhoff, Director of Economic Consulting, Continental Europe, delves deep into the nuances of the sector and the bearing it has on people on both sides in this free-wheeling conversation.