Programmes Of Change

The Circular Fashion Ecosystem project is a blueprint for the future of fashion. Presented here are three target outcomes for a future circular fashion ecosystem in the UK. Combined, they make up the target state for the circular fashion ecosystem and allow for its long-term viability, resilience, and prosperity.

The BFC has commissioned the Circle Economy to partner on a foundation phase to establish a blueprint for a scalable approach for implementing the CFE vision in cities across the UK, by integrating Doughnut Economics principles. By applying circular economy strategies to optimise the use of resources and design out waste, the vision is for these ecosystems to operate in a way that gives both people and the planet the ability to thrive. The ambition is to kick-start a phased innovation journey for the fashion sector for all major UK cities. This initial phase will create a replicable framework, based on the two major cities London and Leeds. This is a multi-year, revolutionary endeavour, which will consider the UK’s net zero ambitions.

It is estimated that every third fashion item purchased online in the UK is returned; with returns costs, including markdowns, transport and returns handling, presenting a challenge for businesses. The associated environmental impacts are clear. This project explores the financial, environmental and societal impact of fashion product returns, and to identify potential mitigations by assessing different measures and technologies to help avoid returns, as well as handle them more efficiently and sustainably. Additionally, it will explore how circular and sharing business models could be part of the solution to address overproduction.

There is a clear environmental and economic case for reversing the trend of declining clothing utilisation. The UK population purchases more clothing per person than many other European countries and throws away over a million tonnes of clothing every year. This project will focus on empowering citizens with information to care and repair their garments, by exploring different approaches to technology and production approaches. By improving clothing utilisation, the number of times clothing is worn, we can ensure that more value is captured from all garments produced.