1.5 million Jeans Meet Circular Textile Guidelines
Between 2021 and 2023, 1.5 million pairs of jeans were redesigned or confirmed to circular textile norms by brands to meet the guidelines of circular textiles.
One-in-nine brands have redesigned at least 40 percent of their jeans portfolio and more than a third of participants, have applied the principles of circular design beyond jeans also to jackets, shirts, bags, and hats.
The Jeans Redesign project launched by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation in 2019, gave the industry a minimum bar to design and make garments in line with circular economy principles.
Guidelines covered criteria such as durability, traceability, recyclability, and safe materials and processes.
“Their learnings show how circular design can be embraced by companies to ensure garments are used more, are made to be made again, and are made from safe recycled or renewable inputs,” Ellen MacArthur Foundation said in a press release.
70 percent of participants overcame design and innovation challenges to meet the project’s guidelines and 100 participants from more than 25 countries have taken part in the project.
The foundation added that leading brands, manufacturers, and mills have shown it’s possible to redesign a company’s entire jeans portfolio so they are fit for a circular economy.
“And in doing so, have demonstrated how the industry can bring circular design to everything in wardrobes,” it stated.
Participants committed to reimagine this iconic fashion staple – jeans – and work with peers and partners across the value chain.
The Fashion Initiative was launched by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation as ‘Make Fashion Circular’ at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit 2017.
Fashion companies that are in the Foundation’s Network include, Gucci, H&M Group, Inditex, Lacoste, Primark, PVH Corp., Ralph Lauren, Tapestry, Zalando, etc.
