As more apparel players continue to emphasize circularity as part of their overall brand purpose, these companies must not only address the pileup of post-consumer garments, but turn it into usable inputs for future fashions.

A Sourcing Journal webinar held on June 29 dove into the results from a recent survey report sponsored by Cotton Incorporated, finding that more than half of the apparel industry (52 percent) currently has a circularity mandate in an effort to eliminate waste and protect natural resources. Yet even with these directives in place, most feel the industry is still more than five years away from achieving circularity.

Chief among the issues is recycling.

There are major challenges holding these companies back from scaling the usage of raw materials made from post-consumer apparel, whether they derive from sorting complexities and inaccurate labeling, price pressures throughout the pandemic and a lack of incentive for consumers to buy products from recycled fibers.

Listen to this webinar to learn:

• The challenges inherent in recycling apparel into like-virgin inputs
• The infrastructure needed for collection and sorting
• The investments needed to grow fledgling innovations
• The ways in which the industry can collaborate to accelerate momentum
• The ways to motivate consumers to play their part

Speakers:

• Liz Hershfield, senior vice president, sourcing, supply chain and sustainability, Madewell
• Hilde van Duijn, senior project manager, circle textiles, Circle Economy
• Steve Hoffman, partner, McKinsey & Company
• Melissa Bastos, director corporate strategy and insights, Cotton Incorporated
• Caletha Crawford, publisher, Sourcing Journal (moderator)