Scaling circularity - why good intentions aren’t enough

Intentions are high - but execution is lagging

While many fashion leaders express bold intentions to embrace circular business models, few are turning those promises into scalable strategies.

The British Fashion Council’s 2025 Circularity Report lays bare this growing credibility gap: despite widespread commitment, circularity remains siloed in pilot schemes and capsule collections, far from business-as-usual.

Regulations are raising the stakes

In the EU, regulation is no longer just talk - it’s becoming law. From 2025, all Member States must implement separate collection systems for textile waste, but the regulation is changing all the time.  

At the same time, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) will make brands accountable for every stage of a garment’s lifecycle - including end-of-life waste and recycling.

This regulatory wave marks a fundamental shift. Fashion businesses must now build circularity into their core operations or risk falling behind.

The big questions every brand faces

Transitioning to circularity raises complex questions.

How do you redesign your financial model to maintain margins while investing in circular systems? How do you build credibility without falling into the trap of greenwashing? And crucially, how do you embed circularity into design, logistics, marketing, and storytelling?

There are no easy answers. But there are signals and case studies showing what progress looks like

Reframing waste as resource

From small independents to global giants, a new mindset is emerging: waste is not a liability - it’s a raw material that can be repurposed for future use.

Take Eileen Fisher’s “Renew” programme, where worn garments are transformed into beautiful, reimagined designs using visible mending and patchwork.

Or Levi’s and RE/DONE, which repurposes vintage denim, crafting entirely new pieces from discarded jeans.

RAEBURN continues to lead with its iconic reworking of military surplus gear and parachutes into cutting-edge streetwear.

Beyond fashion, Kvadrat’s “Really” initiative converts textile offcuts into solid materials used in furniture and architecture - extending the value chain far beyond the wardrobe.

Collaboration is driving breakthroughs

It’s increasingly clear that no brand can go circular alone. Stella McCartney’s collaboration with Bolt Threads is pushing the boundaries of material science, using mycelium to create leather-like alternatives.

Meanwhile, Adidas and Parley for the Oceans are tackling marine plastic pollution, repurposing ocean waste into footwear and apparel.

Nike Grind demonstrates how industrial recycling can be scaled - transforming worn-out shoes and manufacturing scraps into new materials for sneakers, sports courts, and even yoga studios. And H&M’s partnership with Renewcell brings Circulose®, a recycled textile fiber, into mainstream collections.

Emerging models for circular design

New design principles are reshaping the way clothes are made - and unmade. Think mono-material garments designed for easier recycling, products built for disassembly and repair, or digital product passports that track every component from sourcing to end-of-life.

Fashion-forward retailers like Zara and COS are developing in-house labs to test these ideas.

Zara’s “Join Life” and “Pre-Owned” initiatives focus on take-back schemes, resale, and recycled fabrics.

COS is piloting zero-waste pattern cutting and resale platforms while exploring circularity through the lens of design minimalism.

Tech is making circularity possible at scale

Innovators like Renewcell, Resortecs, and Worn Again Technologies are solving some of the fashion industry’s toughest recycling challenges - from creating fibers from old cotton clothes to developing dissolvable stitching and breaking down blended fabrics like poly-cotton.

These technologies remove long-standing bottlenecks, enabling circular systems to function beyond prototypes.

Looking ahead: what the future demands

Circular fashion is no longer a concept to aspire to - it's an internal capability to build into your business model. But scaling it requires something more than good intentions or one-off projects. It demands investment, collaboration, and a redesign of the entire value chain.

The brands that thrive in this new landscape will be those that embed circularity into their DNA - not as a marketing tool, but as a business model. From legislation to consumer demand, the message is clear:

Circularity is no longer optional. The future of fashion depends on it.