Textile circularity

The proposal takes a broad look at the phenomenon of fast fashion (FF) and, more specifically, at the destruction of unsold inventory by retailers. It considers the upstream decisions that are responsible for the harmful practices and the lack of circular end-of-life options for unsold goods. The theoretical model that is developed will explore how public policy influences the environmental impact of FF.

The project is in follow-up to the confirmation of the linearity of the apparel sector and additional burden created by FF and reinforces the need to develop a model of mechanisms and incentives that can have a positive impact on decision-making by retailers with respect to their unsold inventories.

Global clothing manufacturing more than doubled between 2000 and 2015, and the industry is pursuing its rapid expansion, mainly owing to the fast fashion phenomenon.  The textile industry’s model must therefore be transformed to evolve into a more circular one.

In an effort to counter textile waste in Québec, textile research and innovation centre Vestechpro is seeking to develop knowledge related to the life cycle analysis (LCA) of garments to raise awareness of the importance of adopting better textile consumption habits (source reduction). With that in mind, Vestechpro created a research platform equipped with a defibrator to recycle fabrics, since defibration enables the development of niche applications, including the transformation of textile waste into sculptures.

The project’s objectives are two-fold:

1. Develop knowledge and analysis tools related to the garment life cycle. The results of the LCA and specifically the carbon footprint of a garment and the amount of water consumed will be used to raise awareness among Québec consumers.
2. Transform textile waste for artistic purposes to minimize waste to landfill by creating sculptures from recycled fibres whose characteristics are in line with the concepts of new artistic applications.