Waste 'prevention' is defined by the Waste Framework Directive as 'Measures taken before a substance, material or product has become (textile) waste that reduce: a) the quantity of (textile) waste, including through the re-use of products or the extension of the life span of products; b) the adverse impacts of the generated waste on the environment and human health; or c) the content of harmful substances in materials and products'.
This hierarchy reframes “waste” as a resource, emphasising the value these textile materials carry to both stakeholders and consumers.
Prevention includes Reduction, Designing for Longevity and Designing for Recovery.
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Reduce
Refers to a set of processes and practices aimed at decreasing volumes of virgin resources that are produced, consumed and disposed of to minimise waste, optimise resource efficiency and lower environmental impacts.
Here, ‘reduce’ encompasses both the business action to generate fewer new textile products/ materials and encouraging citizens to reject buying new items. -
Design for Longevity
Designing for longevity focuses on how we can design products that will last longer and be used more.
It includes Design for Durability and Versatility. Longevity is measured by how long a product provides a useful service. -
Design for Recovery
Designing for recovery focuses on designing with consideration to what will happen to a product at the end of its useful life.
It includes Design for Recyclability and Disassembly.
Both 'design for longevity' and 'design for recovery' support reducing volumes of virgin resources being produced.
- To address this huge challenge, we all need to value our textile products more and reduce virgin textile production and consumption. The most sustainable clothing and textiles are the ones that already exist.
- Business-as-usual revenue targets cannot work hand in hand with necessary environmental targets. A radical shift in business mindsets is needed to prioritise and fully realise a circular fashion and textiles industry.
Reduce: ready to take action? Check out the next steps for your business…
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Address issues associated with overproduction.
Consider investing in ways to improve forecasting accuracy and, where possible, “made-to-order” business models. Be part of the shift in business mindset to decouple revenue from increasing production.
To better understand the scale of overproduction we first need to establish why, and where, waste is arising by measuring pre-consumer textiles. By doing so, we can identify key areas of focus and develop evidence-based reduction strategies.
See WRAP's Textiles Waste Hotspots Report and Overproduction Research. -
Encourage citizens to keep items in use for longer.
By citizens keeping items in use for as long as possible, this has the potential to displace the sale of new items.
Offering lifetime care or servicing for products can encourage this, as well as encouraging peer-to-peer swapping and sharing.
See WRAP’s Citizen Insights: Clothing Longevity report, Citizen Insights: Estimating the Longevity of Home Textiles in the UK report and Guidance on consumer behaviour WRAP's Circular Living Segmentation for more information on citizen engagement.
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Test, trial and implement circular business models.
Consider including rental options for occasion wear alongside selling new.
For everyday wear, consider how lease models could help you increase quality and durability while maintaining affordability for your customers.
The alternative to selling more is to sell the same items multiple times at an attractive price for citizens.
See WRAP’s Citizen Insights: Clothing Longevity and Circular Business Models Receptivity in the UK report.
- Designing for longevity is the single largest opportunity to reduce the carbon, water and waste footprints of clothing in the UK. If clothes last longer and are replaced less frequently this reduces the volume discarded. [x]
- Design teams need to consider versatility and how a product can be used for different occasions and functions or by multiple users, and updated as trends evolve, adapted as body shapes change. [x]
- More durable textile products support circular business models by entering the pre-loved markets with longer remaining active lifetimes.[x] They also reduce volumes of new products required and the environmental impacts associated with these.
Design for longevity: ready to take action? Check out the next steps for your business…
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Design products with durability in mind
This includes consideration of:
* physical durability performance during wear and washing;
* visual appearance after washing and wear;
* ease of care;
* ease of repair (e.g. using replaceable components);
* and emotional durability.
See WRAP’s Circular Design Toolkit and the Clothing Longevity Protocol for a guidance on designing for durability. Look out for WRAP’s Durability Research Project, Performance Guidelines and Circular Living Standard. -
Use 'Design for Versatility' strategies such as modularity, multi-functionality, adjustability and gender fluidity.
Design teams need to consider how a product can be used for different occasions and functions or by multiple users, updated as trends evolve, adapted as body shapes change. Create products with parts that can be independently replaced, upgraded or updated as the customer’s needs change, or adapted to be worn for different occasions.
Citizens do not have standard sizes or preferences in terms of fit. Embrace these differences with built-in adjustments or alterations.
Use WRAP’s Circular Design Toolkit for guidance on implementing design for versatility strategies. -
Encourage citizens to maintain or repair items, and to care for items correctly.
Support measures taken at the design stage by engaging citizens and equipping them with the knowledge and tools to keep items in use for longer.
Provide repair services / tips that are accessible and visible to encourage citizens to use them. See WRAP's CBM guide page 11 for further information.
Provide clear care guidance for citizens to enable them to keep their textile products in good condition.
- Designing for recovery is key to successful transition to a circular textile ecosystem. It safeguards our ability to recycle products that are designed today back into textiles at the end of their usable lives, keeping vital resources within the textiles value chain, reducing volumes to landfill and incineration and displacing the need for virgin materials.
- The recyclability of a product through fibre-to-fibre recycling technologies depends on fibre composition, trims and components, dyeing and finishing processes used, and the construction of the product.
- Product development teams will need to have an understanding of current and emerging recycling technologies, as different types of recycling processes have varying feedstock requirements.
Design for recovery: ready to take action? Check out the next steps for your business…
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Design for Recyclability: current textile-to-textile technologies.
Designing for the most common or lowest common denominator maximises the chance of a product being recycled. Currently, this means sticking to mono-materials.
You should consider which products in your range can easily be converted to mono-materials and limit the number of disruptors.
If the lifecycle of your product is expected to be short (under four years), you will need to make extra effort to ensure you design these based on current recycling technology parameters. -
Design for Recyclability Strategies.
Some elements are disruptors to the recycling process, meaning the product will be unrecyclable, or a high proportion of it will become waste. Apply the strategies to either:
* Eliminate from the design
* Substitute to a material that is suitable for recycling
* Reduce to fit within a percentage allowance.
* Disassemble for easy removal
See WRAP’s Design for Recyclability Toolkit for more information. -
Design for disassembly to enable sections of a product to be easily taken apart and recycled separately or diverted to remanufacture.
Understand potential disruptors to recycling technologies (e.g. fastenings, buttons, zips, fabric patches etc). By minimising disruptors, and designing them to be easily removable, you can reduce cost, time and waste at the manufacture, pre-processing and recycling stages (see WRAP’s Circular Design Toolkit ).
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Ensure transparency and traceability of all materials/ components.
Ensure all product information is provided and easily accessible to the reuse and recycling sector, including a detailed Bill of Materials and accurate care labelling.
Consider a Digital Product Passport (DPP) to help to create the transparency and efficiency that the reuse and recycling sector need to scale up fibre-to-fibre recycling.
Further reading about Reduce
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Efforts to cut the environmental cost of clothing cancelled out by spiralling production.
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Changing our clothes: Why the clothing sector should adopt new business models
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The price of our addiction to cheap fast fashion as pressure builds on UK second hand clothing market
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Citizen Insights: Clothing Longevity and Circular Business Models Receptivity in the UK
Further reading about design for longevity
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Citizen Insights: Estimating the Longevity of Home Textiles in the UK
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Citizen Insights: Clothing Longevity and Circular Business Models Receptivity in the UK
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Design for extending clothing life
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Sustainable clothing guide
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Extending Product Lifetimes: WRAP's Work on Clothing Durability
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Circular Design Toolkit for Fashion and Textiles
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Welcome to Circular Living Standards