circular fashion

Material Manufacturers, Apparel (Sports) Manufacturers, Trading Firms, Wholesalers, Retailers

In fashion industry, companies are striving to achieve sustainable society through various efforts such as increasing the ratio of products using environmentally friendly materials, improving the Make to Order (MTO) ratio, reducing the GHG emissions, utilizing renewable energy, etc.
These efforts are important, but it is also significant to create a mechanism to prevent from clothing disposals. To achieve sustainable society, circular use of resources is indispensable, which is to encourage consumers as well as apparel companies to reuse and recycle clothes, instead of disposing.
This report covers circular fashion promoted at apparel manufacturers, retailers, traders, etc., together with the background and status of clothing disposals, case studies on the efforts of circular fashion in Europe, status and challenges in the attempts of circular fashion at apparel companies in Japan.

I   Background and Status of Fashion Waste

1. Status of Clothing Waste
   1) Efforts and directions at Ministry of the Environment
   2) Backdrop of Sustainable Fashion being in Spotlight
   3) Status and Challenges of Clothing Reusing and Recycling
   4) Attempts at Department of Economic Affairs and Related Organizations
   5) Material Flow and Distribution Structure of Circular Fashion
   6) Exporting of Secondhand Clothing
2. Trends of Waste Clothing in EU and US
   1) EU (Volume of clothing waste, rate of reusing/recycling of unwanted clothing, trend of clothing waste, laws on disposal, reusing and recycling)
   2) US (Volume of clothing waste, Trend of clothing waste, laws on disposal, reusing and recycling)
3. Efforts to Diminish Fashion Waste in EU and US

• Tommy Hilfiger
• KERING
• Oscar de la Renta
• Balenciaga
• Patagonia Worn Wear
• Eddie Bauer
• LVMH／weturn

4. Collection, Classification, Selecting, Exporting of Fashion Waste in EU and US.

II    Efforts on Circular Fashion at Apparel Companies

1. Material Manufacturer
   - Characteristics and Contents of Circular Fashion Efforts
   - Target and Challenges for Circular Fashion
2. Apparel (Sports) Manufacturers
   - Reasons and Characteristics for Efforts on Circular Fashion 
   - Status of Efforts on Circular Fashion
   - Challenges in Achieving Circular Fashion]
3. Trading Firms, Wholesalers
   - Reasons and Characteristics for Efforts on Circular Fashion 
   - Status of Efforts on Circular Fashion
   - Challenges in Achieving Circular Fashion]
4. Retailers
   - Reasons and Characteristics for Efforts on Circular Fashion 
   - Status of Efforts on Circular Fashion
   - Challenges in Achieving Circular Fashion
5. Textile Waste Businesses, Reused Textile Retailers, etc.
   - Status of Efforts on Circular Fashion
   - Challenges in Achieving Circular Fashion
6. Company Profiles
   - Material Manufacturers: 3 enterprises
   - Apparel (Sports) Manufacturers: 7 enterprises
   - Trading Firms, Wholesalers: 3 enterprises
   - Retailers: 11 enterprises

III   Questionnaire on Status and Challenges at Apparel Companies in Japan

IV   Challenges and Perspectives of Circular Fashion

1. Recognition of Recycling-Related Challenges in Ministry of the Environment
2. Recognition of Challenges Viewing from Questionnaire Results
3. Challenges and Perspectives for Propelling Circular Fashion
   1) Collection
   2) Sorting and disassembling/unraveling
   3) Reusing
   4) Recycling
   5) Challenges in Entire Processes
4. Consideration from the Status of Clothing Waste and Recycling in Europe and the US
   1）EU
   2）US