Further Resources

Further Resources

Six Interrelated Challenges to Circular Fashion

• 1. Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2017). *A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future*. https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy
• Useful for understanding the systemic nature of circular fashion and why collaboration, business-model change and design innovation are needed.

• 2. European Commission. (2022). *EU strategy for sustainable and circular textiles*. https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/textiles-strategy_en https://environment.ec.europa.eu/strategy/textiles-strategy_en
• Useful for understanding the policy context surrounding durability, repairability, recyclability, textile waste and circular-economy expectations.

• 3. WRAP. (2023). *Circular design toolkit*. https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/guide/circular-design-toolkit https://www.wrap.ngo/resources/guide/circular-design-toolkit
• A practical toolkit for embedding circularity into fashion and textile product development.

Why Circular Fashion Is Difficult to Implement

• 4. Duhoux, T., Maes, E., Hirschnitz-Garbers, M., Peeters, K., Asscherickx, L., Christis, M., Stubbe, B., Colignon, P., Hinzmann, M., & Sachdeva, A. (2021). *Study on the technical, regulatory, economic and environmental effectiveness of textile fibres recycling*. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2873/828412 https://doi.org/10.2873/828412
• Useful for understanding fibre resources, recycling technologies and the challenges of textile-to-textile recycling.

• 5. 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 https://www.eea.europa.eu/en/analysis/publications/textiles-in-europes-circular-economy
• Useful for background on textile flows, environmental pressures and circular-economy opportunities.

Material and Product Complexity

• 6. 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 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

• Useful for connecting environmental, social and systemic challenges across the textile value chain.

• 7. 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 https://doi.org/10.2800/969503

• Useful for understanding waste management, collection and sorting capacity, and the distinction between used textiles and textile waste.

• 8. International Labour Organization. (n.d.). *Textiles, clothing, leather and footwear sector*. https://www.ilo.org/industries-and-sectors/textiles-clothing-leather-and-footwear https://www.ilo.org/industries-and-sectors/textiles-clothing-leather-and-footwear

• Useful for introducing social responsibility and decent-work challenges in textile and fashion value chains.

• ### Trends and Innovation Opportunities

• 9. World Intellectual Property Organization. (2025). *Sustainable fashion technologies: Stitching sustainability into style*. https://doi.org/10.34667/tind.58680 https://doi.org/10.34667/tind.58680

• Useful for examples of innovation in sustainable fibres, materials, processes, textile recycling, waterless dyeing and circular production systems.

• 10. PEF Apparel & Footwear. (2025). *Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules for apparel and footwear* (Version 3.1). https://pefapparelandfootwear.eu/afw_pefcr_v3-1_final/ https://pefapparelandfootwear.eu/afw_pefcr_v3-1_final/

• Useful for reminding learners that innovations should be assessed across the entire lifecycle rather than through a single environmental attribute.

• 11. Tang, L. W. H. (2023). *Circular fashion business toolkit*. S4Fashion and European Creative Hubs Network. https://creativehubs.net/images/upload/CIRCULAR-FASHION-BUSINESS-TOOLKIT_A4_4final-with-links_lowres_EM_corrected.pdf https://creativehubs.net/images/upload/CIRCULAR-FASHION-BUSINESS-TOOLKIT_A4_4final-with-links_lowres_EM_corrected.pdf

• Useful for connecting innovation with circular fashion business models, case studies, practical templates and designer-friendly exercises.

• 12. *Sustainable materials and processes* [Course module]. (n.d.).

• Learners seeking deeper technical knowledge of fibres, dyeing, finishing, processing technologies and material performance should continue with this dedicated module.

• ### Prioritising Responses for SMEs

• 13. B Lab Europe. (n.d.). *B Impact Assessment*. https://bcorporation.eu/become-a-b-corp/b-impact-assessment/ https://bcorporation.eu/become-a-b-corp/b-impact-assessment/

• Useful as a free impact-management tool organised around governance, workers, community, environment and customers.

• 14. B Lab Global. (n.d.). *About B Corp certification*. https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification/ https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/certification/

• Useful as an example of a comprehensive company-level framework for social and environmental performance, transparency and accountability.

• 15. EFRAG. (2024). *EFRAG IG 1: Materiality assessment implementation guidance*. https://www.efrag.org/sites/default/files/sites/webpublishing/SiteAssets/IG%201%20Materiality%20Assessment_final.pdf https://www.efrag.org/sites/default/files/sites/webpublishing/SiteAssets/IG%201%20Materiality%20Assessment_final.pdf

• Useful for understanding how materiality assessment is structured in the context of European sustainability reporting.

• 16. Adams, C. A., Alhamood, A., He, X., Tian, J., Wang, L., & Wang, Y. (2021). *The double-materiality concept: Application and issues*. Global Reporting Initiative. https://www.globalreporting.org/media/jrbntbyv/griwhitepaper-publications.pdf https://www.globalreporting.org/media/jrbntbyv/griwhitepaper-publications.pdf

• Useful for conceptual background on materiality and double materiality.

• 17. We Impact. (n.d.). *We Impact Toolbox: Free practical tools for SMEs*. https://we-impact.de/en/toolbox/ https://we-impact.de/en/toolbox/

• Useful for SME-friendly sustainability tools, including checklists, templates, materiality analysis and ESG data-collection resources.ix Interrelated Challenges to Circular Fashion

← PreviousNext: Chapter 4 — learning guide  →