Circular Fashion is quite literally keeping materials and products in use for as long as possible, reusing and recycling with little to no waste or pollution. Then returning the products back to nature without any harm to the environment.
” clothes, shoes or accessories that are designed, sourced, produced and provided with the intention to be used and circulate responsibly and effectively in society for as long as possible in their most valuable form, and hereafter return safely to the biosphere when no longer of human use. ” Anna Brismar, Green Strategy, 2017
The current Fast Fashion model used by many brands is linear:
These brands take huge quantities of natural resources harvesting the raw materials from the earth.
Then produce cheap, low quality clothing produced by underpaid workers in poor conditions.
These clothes are only worn for a short time and then disposed of in a way that harms the environment.
Circular fashion starts with design..
The key components of circular fashion are: high longevity, resource efficiency, non-toxicity, biodegradability, recyclability and good ethics! The best way to ensure this is implemented is to start with the design…
The aim is to keep resources in circulation for as long as possible, so they can be recycled into raw materials to use again, and any waste can be returned to nature. Think clothing swaps, charity shops, upcycling and renting/leasing clothing. . Overall, the life cycle of products should not harm the environment but instead have a positive impact on humans, society and ecosystems.
Sustainable Production
Its very important that the items have been produced sustainably. Using natural resources, with little to no environmental impact. For example through using renewable energy, organic cotton, closed loop manufacturing, or fibres from the by-products of food production.
Longevity
Finally when it comes to longevity, we shouldn’t just be considering long lasting materials, but also lengthening the product life expectancy through resale, sharing and rental models & adding value through upcycling.
So… what can you do to help?
when buying new clothes its important to ask…
1.Is it designed with longevity in mind so I can wear it again & again?
2.Are the materials sourced from local, non-toxic, renewable, biodegradable and recyclable resources?
3.Can the product be recycled back into the earth, reused or given a new lease of life?
Here at Asella we only allow sustainable, ethical brands to sell on our platform. This means all the products are either handmade or produced in factories that pay their staff fairly. The materials of these products do not harm the environment and there is also a wide range of vintage products to give the clothes a second chance.
To explore these brands click here.