Resources

This status report summarises the proliferation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) systems for the textiles waste stream. 

As much as 80% of a textile product’s environmental impact is determined at the design stage. Therefore, the decisions made by design and product development teams have a huge impact on a product’s environmental footprint – from the raw materials used, to how the product is manufactured, the length of time it is kept in use and what happens to it when it is no longer desired or reaches the end of its usable life.

There is a lot to think about, which is why we have created our Circular Design Toolkit - a go-to resource for the fashion and textiles industry.

WRAP’s work on textiles is focussed on improving the sustainability of products, and particularly on reducing the environmental impact of the full life cycle of products, from cradle to grave.

Off the starting blocks

Through Textiles 2030, the whole system comes together. Our shared mission is to catalyse the fashion and textile industry’s transformation from linear to circular - drawing on the energy, experience, and innovation of all corners of the sector to drive this change forward.

Whistles wanted to approach durability across different aspects of the business, having identified that making garments last longer was important to its customers, the brand and the environment. WRAP and Whistles looked at opportunities to improve the durability of clothing by ensuring customers have a positive experience when visiting Whistles stores, using the website, and when taking their clothes home.

In the first six months of its existence, Textiles 2030 has recruited over 92 signatories and affiliates, spanning brands, retailers, re-use and recycling organisations from across the fashion and textiles sector.  Textiles 2030 signatories already represent 62% of all clothing put on the market in the UK.  

WRAP works with governments, businesses and citizens to create a world in which resources are used sustainably. Read our April 2020-21 annual review to learn more about our mission to accelerate the move to a sustainable, resource-efficient economy.

Everything you need to know about getting started in sustainable fashion and textiles - from regulation and measurement, to tried and tested strategies for cutting carbon. 

Increasing the utilisation of clothing is a daunting challenge in a world of ‘fast fashion’ and accelerating consumption. Many companies have responded to market demand and competition by reinforcing and enabling ‘fast fashion’ trends. 

But simply selling more new clothes to meet demand in high consuming and fast-growing economies is unsustainable. It puts more pressure on natural and human resources that are already over exploited. It will mean even greater negative impacts on the environment and society. 

This summary report explores the achievements of the four year ECAP (European Clothing Action Plan) project, part funded by EU LIFE.

Identification of and recommendations to overcome barriers to the development of post-consumer, closed loop clothing recycling in the UK.

Working with WRAP, John Lewis identified an opportunity to improve fit consistency, and reduce sampling and product development lead times, for four core men‟s shirts. Bringing quality to life and encouraging sustainable living are core principles for John Lewis. The project aimed to facilitate 'right first time' sampling by creating a set of core blocks for four John Lewis bestselling men's shirts.