Why Circularity is the need of the hour ?

Welcome everyone to our weekly article, where we address one significant problem faced by people and the planet, explore the challenges, propose probable solutions, and highlight what we are doing about it ? This week, we delve into the critical topic: Why circularity is the need of the hour in the fashion industry?

Why Circularity is the Need of the Hour in the Fashion Industry?

In an era marked by the dire consequences of climate change and resource depletion, and the struggle to meet 1.5-degree targets, the concept of circularity has emerged as a beacon of hope. Circularity, the antithesis of the traditional linear economy, champions the principles of reducing, reusing, and recycling materials to create a closed-loop system. This approach minimizes waste and maximizes the lifecycle of resources, ensuring that products and materials retain their value for as long as possible. We are exploiting the Earth’s resources at an unprecedented speed, and Earth is not able to reproduce them fast enough to match our consumption.

What is Circularity?

Circularity is a systemic shift that designs out waste and pollution, keeps products and materials in use, and regenerates natural systems. Unlike the take-make-waste model of a linear economy, circularity promotes a restorative and regenerative approach, inspired by nature's own cycles where nothing goes to waste. In natural ecosystems, everything is reused and repurposed, creating a sustainable balance. This principle can be observed in the water cycle, nutrient cycles in forests, and the life cycle of plants and animals, all of which function seamlessly without generating waste. In a nutshell, every resource comes from the earth, and after its product journey, how it can go back to earth and what the footprint of this journey is defines circularity.

Circularity in Fashion

Raw materials are the most prominent inputs in the fashion industry, with cotton and polyester being the two primary fibers. The growth of cotton production is 2-3% annually, but this comes at the cost of a 6-7% increase in crop area, often requiring deforestation. Polyester, a byproduct of the petroleum industry, is limited in resources, with projections indicating only 30-40 years of availability. Rpet (recycled PET), currently popular in the industry, presents a problem as it can be recycled only once, and its footprint is greater than that of cotton. Therefore, the fashion industry is facing a severe raw materials crunch if immediate steps are not taken.

Circular fashion involves designing and producing clothes in a way that allows them to be reused, recycled, or upcycled, thereby extending their lifecycle and reducing the need for new raw materials. This approach includes using sustainable materials, implementing recycling programs, and innovating with technologies that enable clothes to be easily disassembled and repurposed.

Challenges Faced by the Fashion Industry

Despite the promising potential of circularity, the fashion industry faces several significant challenges:

• Fast Fashion Culture: The prevailing fast fashion model encourages overproduction and overconsumption, leading to massive textile waste. The problem of blended fabrics, which are very difficult to recycle, exacerbates this issue.
• Lack of Infrastructure: Insufficient infrastructure for collecting, sorting, and recycling garments hampers the transition to a circular system. Currently, only 1% of garment waste is being recycled into new garments.
• Consumer Awareness: There is a lack of awareness regarding sustainability and the environmental footprint among consumers, preventing them from choosing sustainable brands and collections.
• Technological Barriers: The recycling of textiles, especially blended fabrics, presents technological challenges that require innovative solutions. Chemical recycling has not yet achieved commercial success.
• Economic Viability: There is a misconception that circularity in terms of materials is costly, when it is not.

What is Needed?

To overcome these challenges, a multifaceted approach is required:

• Recycled Fibers: The fashion industry and brands need to give preference to recycled cotton, as it is the most sustainable fiber.
• Policy Support: Governments need to implement policies that incentivize circular practices and penalize wasteful behaviors. Production Linked Incentive schemes should be based on ESG metrics of a factory, not on blind production volumes.
• Innovation and Investment: Investment in research and development of new recycling technologies and sustainable materials is crucial.
• Collaboration: Collaboration across the supply chain, from designers to manufacturers to retailers, is essential to create a cohesive circular ecosystem. Recyclers are crucial for textiles circularity.
• Consumer Education: Educating consumers about the importance of circularity and encouraging responsible consumption is vital. Consumers need to understand how choosing sustainable brands is better for them and the planet.
• Scalable Solutions: Developing scalable solutions that can be implemented globally to achieve significant impact.

What We Are Doing?

Our Efforts at Aadi Sustainability Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

At ASSPL, we are driving circularity in the fashion industry. Our commitment to sustainability is reflected in our innovative practices:

• Zero Material Waste: We manufacture denim with full circularity, ensuring zero material waste throughout the production process. We have also achieved post-consumer textiles waste integration into the supply chain.
• Leading ESG Compliances: Our operations adhere to the highest Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards, setting a benchmark for the industry.
• Integrating Textile Waste: We are actively diverting textile waste from landfills and integrating it back into the fashion industry. By utilizing recycled fibers, we reduce the demand for virgin materials and minimize our environmental footprint.
• Preferred Materials: According to the Textile Exchange's Preferred Materials Report, mainstream use of recycled fibers is crucial for sustainability. We are dedicated to incorporating these preferred materials into our products, contributing to a circular economy. Our planned factory will have the capacity to divert 2,000 tons of textile waste and produce over 1.5 million denims with recycled fabrics.

Conclusion

Circularity is not just an option; it is an imperative for a sustainable future. By adopting circular practices, the fashion industry can significantly reduce its environmental impact and create a more sustainable and equitable world. Fashion brands need to look to collaborate with recyclers who have mastered the art of recycling. Mechanical recycling is a tricky business, and Panipat is the largest and most evolved hub for textiles recycling. The Global Alliance For Textile Sustainability Council is at the forefront of this change, creating a bridge between the textiles recycling industry and fashion brands.

At ASSPL, we are proud to lead the way in this transformative journey, demonstrating that a circular fashion industry is not only possible but also profitable and impactful.