Driving systemic change in Canada’s textile industry

Consumers are purchasing and disposing of new clothes more than ever before, creating a massive textile waste problem and releasing synthetic microfibres into our environment. To help the fashion industry shift toward a more sustainable way of working, we need to shift from the harmful take-make-waste model.

We spoke with Kelly Drennan, Founding Executive Director of Fashion Takes Action, about how Fashion Takes Action (FTA) and the Canadian Circular Textiles Consortium (CCTC) are advancing circularity and driving sustainable impact in the Canadian textile industry.

What inspired you to start Fashion Takes Action (FTA) and the Canadian Circular Textiles Consortium (CCTC)?

I started Fashion Takes Action (FTA) in 2007 out of a desire to see a more sustainable future for my two daughters. It began with Green Gala events showcasing 20 sustainable Canadian designers, and has since grown to work with over 2,000 businesses globally. FTA advances sustainability, ethics, and circularity in fashion through awareness-building, education, collaborations, and research, furthering change across the entire fashion system, empowering both citizens and businesses to take action.

The Canadian Circular Textiles Consortium (CCTC) was founded in 2023 to address fragmented circular economy efforts and drive systemic change in Canada. Built on eight years of work in textile circularity and growing demand for post-consumer waste solutions, FTA recognized the need for collective action to support climate and biodiversity goals. With funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada and strategic support from Deloitte, the CCTC unites stakeholders to foster collaboration, reduce duplication, and accelerate Canada's transition to a circular textile system.

What unique challenges does the textiles industry face in adopting circular economy practices?

The fashion industry struggles to adopt circular economy practices due to overproduction and a culture of disposability. With over 100 billion garments made annually and ultra-fast fashion brands releasing up to 10,000 styles daily, consumption is driven to unsustainable levels. Consumers now buy 60% more clothing than 20 years ago but keep them half as long, wearing each item only seven times on average. This shift has turned fashion into a cheap, disposable commodity.

Key challenges include transitioning to circular models like resale, repair, and rental, complicated by the widespread use of synthetic fibres, which shed harmful microfibres and when blended with other fibres, are hard to recycle. The fast production cycles and poor garment quality further hinder durability and repairability.

To address these issues, the industry must adopt circular design principles — creating durable, repairable, and recyclable garments with safer materials and green chemistry, while considering end-of-life components like buttons and zippers. This shift will help the fashion industry move toward sustainability and long-term value.

What are some of the most promising innovations in the circular textiles space that you think will influence the future of the industry?

The circular textiles space is experiencing transformative innovations that are set to redefine the fashion industry. There are four key developments of note. The first is fibre-to-fibre recycling, which includes chemical recycling: advanced technologies that break down textile waste, including blended fibres, into high-quality raw materials like cellulose and polyester for reuse; and mechanical recycling: improved processes that enhance the efficiency and quality of recycled fibres, particularly for cotton and wool.

The second development is bio-based and regenerative fibres. This includes lab-grown alternatives: materials like mycelium leather and spider silk that offer sustainable substitutes to traditional textiles; agricultural byproducts: fibres sourced from food waste or industrial byproducts that provide innovative, eco-friendly inputs; and regenerative agriculture: improved farming methods for natural fibres such as cotton and hemp enhance soil health and sequester carbon.

The third development is AI and data-driven solutions. This includes digital product passports: technologies like RFID and blockchain that improve transparency by detailing materials, care instructions, and recyclability; waste sorting: AI-powered systems that enhance the sorting of textile waste for effective recycling; and demand prediction: data tools that optimize production, reducing overproduction and associated waste.

The fourth development is policy and collaboration. This includes initiatives like extended producer responsibility (EPR) that encourage accountability for a garment’s entire lifecycle.

These innovations signify a shift in how textiles are designed, produced, and managed, enabling a transition to a more sustainable and circular future.

In what ways has the CCTC brought together diverse stakeholders across the textiles value chain to tackle waste and promote circularity?

We are taking a collective action approach to tackle the deeply flawed textile waste system, uniting over 120 stakeholders from across the entire value chain to drive meaningful change. United by a common goal, we aim to divert textiles from landfills — both locally and in the Global South — and extend their use for as long as possible.

Systemic change requires collaboration among the public and private sectors, as well as civil society. Each of our projects involves diverse stakeholders, ensuring that decisions are informed by their potential impact across the value chain. This cross-sector collaboration enables us to design solutions that create shared value and drive meaningful, sustainable change.

How important is the role of policy and regulation to advancing circularity within the textiles and apparel industry?

Learn more:

fashiontakesaction.com

Did you enjoy this blog? Keep an eye out for the full version being released soon in Circular Economy Magazine Vol. 1 by Sparx Publishing Group.