Fashioning a Circular Economy
There’s no reason why we can’t recycle our textiles and still be fashionable in Philly.
Philadelphia not only now has a fashion district, but it is home to internationally known brands that continue to set trends. But even with this flourishing fashion sector, 85% of all textiles continue to be thrown away.
At Circular Philadelphia, we work with recyclers, tech companies, makers, retailers, second hand stores and donation organizations to ensure that people have the option to find a second or even third life for their clothes as they keep up with the latest fashion trends. We work with designers and manufacturers to optimize supply chains for circularity and minimize production waste.
Textiles Initiatives
Jeans Implosion
Using Old Navy jeans as a lens into the fast fashion system, Circular Philadelphia and partner Trash Academy undertook an implosion to investigate fast fashion’s local, national and global impact. The result is a comprehensive map of the system suitable for teaching and outreach about the fast fashion crisis.
Textiles Working Group
The Textiles Working Group is a committee of Circular Philadelphia and is chaired by Samantha Wittchen. The working group focuses on circularity in the fashion and textiles industry, including the design and manufacturing processes, pre-consumer and post-consumer collection for reuse and recycling, sorting, recycling and downcycling, and tracking systems and other technology to support circularity. This committee works with designers, manufacturers, reuse organizations, collection and logistics companies, recycling companies and city government to advance textile circularity goals.
Current Projects and Areas of Focus:
- Quantifying the scope, scale and composition of textile waste in the region
- Identifying and building local markets for recycled fibers
- Analyzing the economics and identifying financial resources to support textile recycling in the region
- Developing an advocacy and outreach plan for textile recycling
- Supporting Textile Recycling Task Force initiatives
If you are interested in joining the Textiles Working Group, please contact us for more information.