Non-fashion textiles represent an equally large share of the UK’s textile waste stream as fashion items but remain largely absent from circular economy strategies, according to new research by the UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT) and the University of Leeds.
The study found that total post-consumer and industrial textile waste in the UK amounts to approximately 3,264 kilotonnes (kt) annually, split almost evenly between fashion (1,599 kt) and non-fashion (1,665 kt) materials.
UKFT said the findings highlight a critical gap, with sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, automotive and public services often excluded from policy discussions and investment, despite generating waste volumes comparable to fashion.
Adam Mansell, chief executive of UKFT, said the report demonstrated that non-fashion textiles represented “a significant, and often underestimated, component of the UK’s textile waste stream”. He added that addressing these flows was “essential for achieving a truly circular textile economy”.
The report identified three main sources of non-fashion textile waste: household (such as carpets, bedding, curtains, towels and upholstery), commercial (including uniforms, medical dressings and PPE) and industrial (such as hygiene products, by-products from manufacturing, airbags and safety belts).
Barriers to circularity include limited data on waste composition, inadequate infrastructure for collection and recycling, and fragmentation across industries, which restricts opportunities for collaboration. Hygiene requirements, chemical treatments and complex fibre blends also make reuse and recycling more difficult.
Recommendations in the report include the creation of standardised reporting frameworks, greater investment in infrastructure, and the development of cross-sector platforms to encourage collaboration. It also calls for prioritisation of advanced recycling technologies for contaminated or complex textiles, and further research into recyclable and bio-based alternatives.
Mansell said the research provided “a critical evidence base for policymakers, industry and researchers to act”, stressing that progress required cross-sector cooperation, new infrastructure and innovative solutions. He added that broadening the focus beyond fashion textiles would be vital if the UK was to reduce the environmental impact of the industry and advance a sustainable, circular future.
