Launched in 2022, the Global Circular Fashion Forum (GCFF) is a global initiative, established by the GFA and supported by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), which spurs global and local action in textile manufacturing countries to accelerate and scale recycling of post-industrial textile waste. As of November 2023, the GCFF and its National Circular Fashion Partnerships have recycled 10,685 tonnes of textile waste (equivalent to approximately 60 million t-shirts)1, by establishing a cooperative community of some 179 manufacturers, 15 waste handlers, and 22 recyclers.
Unlocking the next level
With support from the H&M Foundation alongside continued collaboration with the GIZ, existing project partners Circle Economy, Closed Loop Fashion, and Reverse Resources, as well as stakeholders in the targeted regions, GFA is well positioned to extend the reach and amplify the influence and impact of GCFF, establishing an effective ecosystem for scaling circularity within the fashion industry.
Together, these organisations will work to realise the GCFF’s overarching vision: to spearhead a long-term, scalable, and just transition towards a fully circular fashion industry. This will be achieved through a strategic mix of knowledge exchange, multistakeholder facilitation, and mobilising industry commitment.
“Working towards greater circularity and impactful change in the textile industry requires bringing together diverse stakeholders across the entire value chain. This is why we’re incredibly proud and excited to join forces with the Global Fashion Agenda. Together we’re putting the pieces in place to create a self-sufficient infrastructure that endures far beyond the scope of this partnership.”
Christiane Dolva, Strategy Lead at H&M Foundation
H&M Foundation will support GFA and its partners across three key objectives:
- Mobilising the industry to commit to producing and using recycled materials with lower carbon impact.
- Facilitating knowledge exchange across countries and regions, with the development of supportive publications and tools.
- Enabling the realisation of locally owned and led National Circular Fashion Partnerships in manufacturing countries, fostering multistakeholder efforts to establish and scale effective national infrastructures for post-industrial textile waste recycling.
“This landmark partnership with H&M Foundation will enable Global Fashion Agenda to significantly expand its impact work, which is centred around our vision of a creating net positive fashion industry,” expressed Federica Marchionni, CEO, GFA. “Together we can converge, collaborate, and chart a course towards a socially just circular fashion industry that turns textile waste into value, minimises the production of virgin materials, and aligns with the 1.5-degree pathway.”
Read more about this programme and our other work in promoting a planet positive textile industry.
Find out more about the Global Circular Fashion Forum and follow their journey.
Notes to editors
About the partners
GFA
Global Fashion Agenda is a non-profit organisation that fosters industry collaboration on sustainability in fashion to accelerate impact. With the vision of a net positive fashion industry, it drives action by mobilising, inspiring, influencing and educating all stakeholders.
globalfashionagenda.org
GIZ
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federal enterprise with worldwide operations. It supports the German Government in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. It is also engaged in education activities around the globe. GIZ assists people and societies in shaping their future and improving their living conditions.
giz.de
Circle Economy
Circle Economy is a global impact organisation founded in 2011, and to date have worked with over 80+ businesses, 31+ cities and 20+ nations around the world.
circle-economy.com
Closed Loop Fashion
Closed Loop Fashion is a consultancy for applied sustainability that supports fashion brands, retailers, textile manufacturers and related organisations, with custom-tailored projects and strategies to drive change through the implementation of sustainable and circular economy business practices.
Reverse Resources
Reverse Resources is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform to match textile waste with the best possible recycling solutions, enable predictive transparency and build data-driven supply chains. It’s like an Uber of textile waste that allows the industry to plan and oversee the textile flows end-to-end from the source of the waste to recycling and build the longest circular life cycles for the fibres.
reverseresources.net
