Further Resources

Further Resources

General Circular Design Resources

• Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (n.d.). Keeping fashion and textiles in use. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/fashion/overview
• Useful for introducing how circular-economy principles apply to fashion, particularly through circular design, reuse and circular business models.
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2019). Fashion and the circular economy: Deep dive. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/fashion-and-the-circular-economy-deep-dive
• Useful for explaining why the linear fashion system creates waste and pollution and how circular design can keep products and materials in use.
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2019). Design and the circular economy: Deep dive. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/design-and-the-circular-economy-deep-dive
• Useful for explaining the role of design in eliminating waste and pollution, circulating products and materials, and regenerating nature.
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2024). Circular economy principles. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy-principles
• Introduces the three core principles of the circular economy: eliminate waste and pollution, circulate products and materials, and regenerate nature.

Circular Textile Chain and “Urban Textile Mines”

• European Environment Agency. (2024). Management of used and waste textiles in Europe’s circular economy (Briefing No. 03/2024). https://doi.org/10.2800/969503
• Useful for explaining textile waste, collection systems, treatment capacity and separate textile collection in Europe.
• European Environment Agency. (2019). Textiles in Europe’s circular economy (Briefing No. 10/2019). https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/textiles-in-europes-circular-economy
• Provides background on textile flows, environmental pressures and circular-economy opportunities across the textile value chain.
• European Environment Agency. (n.d.). Textiles. https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/topics/in-depth/textiles
• Useful for updated facts and figures on textile consumption, separate collection, unused or destroyed textiles, and textile waste in Europe.
• Projeto Têxtil Circular. (n.d.). Projeto Têxtil Circular. https://www.textilcircular.pt/
• A Portuguese case study on post-consumer textile collection, sorting and circular pathways. It supports the “urban textile mine” concept by presenting discarded textiles as resource streams rather than waste.
• LIPOR. (2025, September 24). LIPOR apresenta a primeira Unidade Piloto de Triagem de Têxteis em Portugal. https://www.lipor.pt/pt/comunicados-de-imprensa/lipor-apresenta-a-primeira-unidade-piloto-de-triagem-de-texteis-em-portugal/
• Illustrates the infrastructure needed to make an urban textile mine accessible, including sorting textiles by composition and colour.

Design for Multiple Life Cycles

• WRAP. (2024). Extending product lifetimes: WRAP’s work on clothing durability. https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/case-study/extending-product-lifetimes-wraps-work-clothing-durability
• Shows why product longevity matters and how extending clothing use can reduce environmental impacts.
• WRAP. (n.d.). Citizen insights: Clothing longevity and circular business models receptivity in the UK. https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/report/citizen-insights-clothing-longevity-and-circular-business-models-receptivity-uk
• Useful for understanding consumer behaviour, clothing life expectancy and receptivity to rental, resale and alternative ownership models.
• Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2022). The technical cycle of the butterfly diagram. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/articles/the-technical-cycle-of-the-butterfly-diagram
• Explains why maintenance, reuse, repair, refurbishment and remanufacturing preserve more value than recycling alone.
• European Commission. (2022). EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles. https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/textiles-strategy_en
• Provides policy context for longer-lasting textiles, including durability, repairability, recyclability and reuse services.

Lifecycle Thinking as a Design Mindset

• Life Cycle Initiative. (n.d.). What is life cycle thinking? https://www.lifecycleinitiative.org/activities/what-is-life-cycle-thinking/
• Introduces life-cycle thinking as a way to understand environmental, social and economic impacts across the complete life of a product.
• United Nations Environment Programme. (2023). Sustainability and circularity in the textile value chain: A global roadmap. https://circulareconomy.europa.eu/platform/sites/default/files/2023-12/Full%20Report%20-%20UNEP%20Sustainability%20and%20Circularity%20in%20the%20Textile%20Value%20Chain%20A%20Global%20Roadmap_0.pdf
• Applies life-cycle thinking to the textile value chain and shows how sustainability and circularity must be addressed across sourcing, production, consumption, use and end-of-life.
• International Organization for Standardization. (2006). ISO 14040:2006 environmental management—Life cycle assessment—Principles and framework. https://www.iso.org/standard/37456.html
• Introduces Life Cycle Assessment as a structured method and establishes its underlying principles and framework.
• International Organization for Standardization. (2006). ISO 14044:2006 environmental management—Life cycle assessment—Requirements and guidelines. https://www.iso.org/standard/38498.html
• Provides a more technical reference on the requirements and procedures for conducting an LCA.
• European Commission. (2025, June 25). New EU rules for measuring environmental impact of clothes and shoes. https://environment.ec.europa.eu/news/new-eu-rules-measuring-environmental-impact-clothes-and-shoes-2025-06-25_en
• Connects lifecycle assessment with the new Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules for apparel and footwear.
• PEF Apparel & Footwear. (2025). Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules for apparel and footwear (Version 3.1). https://pefapparelandfootwear.eu/afw_pefcr_v3-1_final/
• Explains how sector-specific environmental footprint rules can support comparability and more consistent environmental assessment across apparel and footwear categories.

← PreviousNext: Chapter 2 — learning guide  →