Fashion industry stakeholders convened for the Circular Textiles Roundtable hosted at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City by the Fashion Impact Fund and Lenzing Fibres.
Representatives from the co-founding organisations of World Circular Textiles Day (WCTD), including Circle Economy (Netherlands), Centre for Circular Design (London), and Worn Again Technologies (UK), together with Lenzing Fibres (US) and in collaboration with the United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network hosted the Circular Textiles Roundtable.
Lenzing Fibres describes the United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network as a UN-hosted online platform for industry stakeholders, media, governments, and UN system entities to showcase collaborations that accelerate the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Participants were brought together to create a textiles circularity roadmap to 2050, identifying key milestones for transitioning from the current linear model of “make, use and waste” to a circular one.
The roadmap template will be released in the coming months and will be used as a foundation for integrating existing industry circularity and decarbonisation commitments, Lenzing Fibres says.
The scale of change required to transition to a fully circular textiles industry is immense but can be broken down into achievable phases.
The Roadmap aims to focus industry activities on aligned activities that will “accelerate circularity momentum” while supporting the industry in reaching its climate targets and delivering against multiple UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Overall, Lenzing Fibres says the group expressed a desire to see more partnerships established at a greater pace. They also noted a lack of information and action around the social innovation potential for the circular textiles industry and requested more information on realistic and fair proposals for transformation.
Founder of Worn Again Technologies and Co-Founder of WCTD, Cyndi Rhoades, said: “The scale of change required to transition to a fully circular textiles industry is immense but can be broken down into bite-sized and achievable phases and delivery plans.
“Designing and aligning on circular strategies for implementation and action across the industry today is crucial for achieving future goals and delivering beneficial outcomes for society, economics and the environment in equal measures.
“Convening these committed industry leaders to evolve collective knowledge and strengthen relationships is a crucial step in fast-tracking necessary change.”