Emphasising the need for circularity in fashion, a new report reveals that only 0.3 per cent of the textile of the billions of tonnes of materials used annually comes from recycled sources.
The report titled The Circularity Gap Report Textiles, sponsored by the H&M Foundation and authored by Circle Economy, has detailed the state of circular practices within the apparel and textile sectors. The lack of circularity shows the dire need to call for more usage of recycled and reused materials for decarbonisation.
It was further revealed that 70 per cent of the textile materials being used are synthetic fibres sourced from fossil fuels and only 0.3 per cent of the materials are recycled fabrics, which is concerningly low.
To address this pressing issue, the report has suggested the industry as a whole choose renewable and recycled fibres, increasing product longevity and encouraging localised supply chains.
In addition to this, the report has also outlined four key strategies that include: revolutionising the industry by reducing output, prioritising environmental objectives beyond carbon mitigation, promoting an equitable circular transition and pursuing coordinated efforts spanning science, technology, policy, and finance.
The report brings to light the issues of overproduction leading to a linear economy and environmental degradation.
Bharat Tex Special Report 2026 
