The guidelines provide a route to integrate renewable energy, cleaner water, recycled and to address chemical safety into the fibre content of apparel, footwear and textile. Circular fibres and yarns are essential for producing fashion that is cleaner and safer for the environment, according to Fashion Positive. Companies need to implement long-term sustainability strategies that meet ambitions for a circular economy. Fashion Positive’s Circular Materials Guidelines are critical to helping the industry and leaders align on expectations and systems required to start moving towards circularity and creating systems change.Through the guidelines, they will help create coherence and a roadmap to drive a path toward action, innovation, and systems change.

The fashion industry equates to an estimated 10 percent of global emissions, consuming 79 million litres of water and creating 92 million metric tonnes of waste annually.

Peter Majeranowski, president and co-founder of Tyton BioSciences LLC, said: “These Guidelines are critical for the industry to actualise circularity beyond commitments. As innovators, it is crucial that we have a circularity blueprint that has been developed collaboratively with key stakeholder brands. It presents us with clear targets and guidelines while providing confidence to the investor community that there is a tangible path forward.”