Sustainable Fashion news and archive

Ireland launches national circular economy strategy for textile industry

The Irish government has launched a new strategy to overhaul the national textile industry, with the mission of shifting from a linear “take-make-waste” model to a circular economy. With the unveiling of the Whole of Government Economy Strategy 2026-2028 and the first-ever National Policy Statement and Roadmap on Circular Textiles, Ireland is...

Fashion

Primark enhances sustainability goals with updated circular framework

Fashion and lifestyle retailer Primark has updated its Circular Product Standard 2.0 to “scale circular design across its business,” as it tightens its criteria on materials, durability and recyclability for select product lines. In a statement, Primark said its updated Circular Product Standard 2.0, which first launched in 2023, would introduce...

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The 'Deep Fashion' era: when CO2 becomes a key asset for luxury and retail

In 2017, the Kering group announced its intention to reduce its emissions by 50 percent by 2025 through optimisation and offsetting. Nine years later, in 2026, the industry no longer aims to reduce its footprint; it is transforming carbon into a resource. This marks a paradigm shift, with fashion moving from the realm of textiles to that of...

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Fashion for Good launches new initiative to drive brand-driven decarbonisation

Fashion for Good has launched the Mass Balance Demonstrator, a new collaborative industry initiative to implement and scale a chain-of-custody system that traces biomass-based PET through textile supply chains. The project is part of the global innovation platform's broader goal of accelerating decarbonisation across the apparel sector. Today,...

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Textile Exchange on its shift to an action-based membership model to drive accountability

As the gap between sustainability goals and industry reality grows, Textile Exchange is shifting from a focus on guidance to one of shared accountability. In an interview with FashionUnited, Sarah Needham, chief engagement and partnerships officer, and Beth Jensen, chief impact officer, discuss the organisation's new action-oriented membership...

Fashion

Environmental labelling: Clear Fashion launches 'scan' feature for 27,000 textile products

France's Clear Fashion app has reached a major operational milestone; more than 27,000 products can now be scanned in-store to instantly retrieve their official environmental impact score. The achievement comes five months after the country's government launched the French Environmental Cost scheme, a labeling initiative that entered its...

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Inside ThredUp’s pivot: CSO Alon Rotem on redefining resale as a dual-sided platform

Resale is no longer a niche or sustainability-led initiative. It is taking measurable market share from traditional retail, with the global market projected to reach 393 billion dollars by 2030. ThredUp remains one of the sector’s leading players in the US. Here, resale grew at nearly four times a faster rate than the overall apparel market,...

Fashion

University of Toronto launches art history course focused on sustainable fashion

A new art history course at the University of Toronto is encouraging students to rethink clothing consumption and explore fashion’s environmental impact. Titled Considering Sustainable Textiles and Fashions in the Age of Climate Crisis, the fourth-year course—led by curator and lecturer Alexandra Palmer—begins with an unusual challenge: students...

Fashion

H&M and Stella McCartney launch Insights Board to encourage sustainability dialogue

Swedish retailer H&M has partnered with long-time collaborator Stella McCartney to launch a specialised board tasked with continuing dialogue around sustainability in fashion. The ‘Insights Board’ assembled for its first in-person meeting in London this week, bringing together members selected for their contrasting voices and perspectives...

Fashion

R|Elan Circular Design Challenge winner CRCLE debuts at Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI 2026

The winner of the R|Elan Circular Design Challenge (CDC), Chennai-based label CRCLE, presented its collection ‘DIALOGUE’ at Lakmé Fashion Week x FDCI 2026, highlighting circular design approaches in contemporary menswear. Founded by Varshne, CRCLE focuses on integrating craft, material innovation and sustainability into its design process. The...

Fashion

Northern England schools join climate change initiative

Schools across northern England have joined a new climate-focused initiative aimed at embedding sustainability and environmental awareness into education. The programme encourages schools to take practical action on climate change while integrating sustainability into everyday learning, helping students understand environmental challenges and...

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Fashion

The fashion industry has a water blind spot

Water is widely recognised as fashion’s single largest environmental impact, yet it remains structurally overlooked in sourcing decisions, audit systems and sustainability reporting. At a time when 2.2 billion people globally lack access to safely managed drinking water, according to the United Nations, the fashion industry continues to consume...