Faced with increasing textile waste exports, specially from the Global North to the Global South, it has become crucial to set a common goal and implement targeted and practical solutions based on the principles of circularity, responsibility, and traceability, says a new paper.
- Following extensive research into the issue of textile waste, the paper brought out by T_Neutral — ‘Undressing The Planet. Exploring A Feasible Global Responsibility Model For Textile Circularity — Case Study on the development of local circular ecosystems through textile credits as a global North-to-South EPR mechanism for the mitigation of the textile waste crisis’ — suggests steps on how to tackle the issue effectively.
- Africa Collect Textiles and Ecocitex collaborated on this project.
Recommendations: The paper suggests:
- Adoption and implementation of a 'Zero Textile Waste to Landfill' commitment across the textile industry.
- Subsequently, a global textile credit mechanism emerges as a relevant and actionable model to (i) repair the damage already done and (ii) accelerate the creation of an appropriate circular textile ecosystem at the local level.
- This model can serve as a bridge between regions, promote transparency and equity, and accelerate the adoption of circular practices within the textile industry. It is also a powerful tool to alleviate the burden on local governments and communities in the Global South who are struggling with the environmental and social consequences of the textile waste crisis.
- The Textile Credits, versatile in their applications, serve various purposes—from responsible producers strengthening their commitments voluntarily to EPR systems expanding their fund allocations through a traceable and transparent mechanism.
Voluntary Textile Credits Mechanism: Aligned with Sustainable Development Goals, this mechanism propels goals and contributes to global prosperity through the exercise of voluntary accountability. The Voluntary Textile Credits Mechanism, essentially acts as a catalyst for change.
- It promotes responsible and accountable practices among producers to mitigate the environmental and social impacts of their textile footprint.
- By emphasising transparency and equitable participation, it transcends geographical boundaries and encourages collaboration between the Global North and South. This collaborative effort not only helps reduce textile waste but also accelerates the circular transformation of the textile industry.
- The creation of an intelligent textile ecosystem stands as a pivotal element for transformative change, requiring the connection of data at local and global levels to address textile flows and promote circularity.
- These efforts will not only contribute to an accurate understanding of the challenges and opportunities but will also provide concrete and actionable data to support circular transformation plans in both the private and public sectors.
- By developing this textile-specific data ecosystem, leveraging digital tools such as AI to collect and process accurate data or tokenization for traceability, and equipping industry stakeholders with the necessary tools to measure and effectively optimise the textile footprint, we are paving the way for the circular transformation of the textile industry.
- The current global context presents an unprecedented opportunity to build an entrepreneurial ecosystem around a circular economy. Taking advantage of this situation and betting on a circular approach in the textile industry would position any country as a benchmark in terms of innovation, sustainability, and social responsibility.
ABOUT: Established in 2021 with the purpose of developing practical solutions for textile circularity. T_Neutral introduced the concept of the Textile Footprint in 2022, a pioneering methodology designed for calculating and tracing textile flows within the operations of textile producers.
- This methodology serves as a foundation for action, enabling the industry to gauge, enhance, and actively contribute to the reduction of textile waste.
- Recognising the significance of European Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations and the concerns expressed by organizations at the forefront of the waste crisis in the Global South, it identified the necessity for an innovative and disruptive model tailored to the challenges associated with the export of textile waste from the Global North to the Global South.
