Toxic-Free

Circularity

Some organisations believe quite erroneously that it's fine to keep toxicants, degraded polymers and microfibres in the loop.

In fact they encourage the retention of fossil-fuel derivatives as ‘a reduction in footprint’.

We do not regard this as genuinely environmental, nor is it anywhere close to *absolute circularity. There are countless resources exiting the circle - and heading into the environment.

Ethical and colorful sneakers consciously made by Pan Africa

Soko Kenya provides the fashion industry with a manufacturing solution with social and environmental issues at the heart of its business.

*Absolute circularity is in stark contrast to relative circularity where the loop is more closed, but full of gaps.

Extractive circularity, as espoused by others, which facilitates continued extraction of fossil fuels and mining of rare earths goes against everything we stand for.

This outdated model sanctions carcinogens and toxicants to remain within the loop.

SS18 Lifestyle by MC x Noorism

The two schools of circularity are diametrically opposed.

We reject the approach which keeps petroleum derivatives and microplastics in the circle. The very recycling of polymers causes their degradation and breakdown.

Turning rPET into a fleece is literally a recipe for pollution - microfibre shedding during the life of the garment, followed by centuries of leaching into landfill.

Recycled denim bag by Yaccabe. Yaccabe focuses on repurposing materials that would otherwise go to waste, including deadstock fabric from a local textile manufacturer and charity shop finds.

Award winning hats made from upcycled materials by Chloe Haywood. Image courtesey of Michael Donald.

How on earth is that pro-planet? It’s incredibly detrimental to biodiversity.

We can have high performance textiles, transport, equipment and packaging - but we need to reconfigure everything ab initio.

Continued mining and extraction has to end.

We have the brains and technology to achieve that in 5-10 years. Airbus have promised a hydrogen-powered aircraft by 2026.

Surely we can devise pollutant-free packaging and t-shirts in that timeframe!

We can rely on silviculture (forestry), agriculture and plant-based aquaculture to provide everything that we need.

The amount of sugar beet waste in the UK alone would provide enough raw material for all our flexible packaging needs.

One extra cycle before landfill or environment is not the same as circling round and around - it’s not *absolute.

The Butterfly Club curates a one stop shop marketplace, both online and IRL, where you can find products you can feel good about buying.

The supply chain we desperately need does not exist.

So we must go back to the origin of every material and create precisely what the planet requires of us.

Sow the right crops, weave the right fibres, mould the right biomaterials. We cannot continue as we are, hoping that any old toxic circularity will save the day.

UPCYBOM is one of the first platforms to promote waste and dead inventories from factories.

We are a connected

Network of Experts

Supporters include postdocs in areas such as novel materials, polymer science, bio-based nano-materials and textiles.

Each challenge in the world of fashion requires a different set of minds: we would love you to join our expert network, whether you have an app, a service or a materials solutions which can deliver absolute circularity in Fashion.

More often than not the technology exists to achieve the goals, but the corporate mindset is lagging behind.

Compare Ethics verifies your favourite brand’s sustainability claims. They empower consumers to make better choices and support brands leading by example.

Ongoing Research

We are building a database of 100% plant-based certifiably compostable textiles, yarns, threads and coatings to be used in both footwear and fashion. We are also confident that the recyclability of textiles can increase exponentially.

Until that point we need to focus on Longevity and Second Life.

As one element of this we are talking to forestry professionals and farmers/growers about their future output.

Mission Statement

The Circular Fashion Initiative is a response to the 100 billion items of clothing reaching environment and landfill every year. Two-thirds is manufactured from polluting fossil-fuels, and even worse degraded recycled synthetics.

Read our Mission Statement here.

Circular Fashion

Brands

It’s 2021 and circular fashion is coming thick and fast. Our initiative celebrates the brands who are making circular fashion reality.

See who they are and how they are bringing circularity to the world of fashion.

Circular Fashion

Supporters

We welcome people and organisations from across the globe to support the initiative.

Get in touch to find out how you can join in.