Sustainable clothing futures

What do the sustainable value chains for future clothing look like? This has been investigated by IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, the University of Borås, Profu and Lund University in an interdisciplinary research project funded by Formas.

In 2023, every Swede consumed an average of 11.4 kg of textiles, according to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, of which approximately 8 kg were clothing. Lower prices and fast fashion have increased clothing consumption and textile waste over the past two decades. According to a new study from the research project Usereuse, led by IVL, swedes throw away an average of 9 kg of textiles per person each year in the residual waste, 40 percent of which could have been reused.

This shows that there is room for improvement at home when sorting out clothes, as well as potential to reuse more clothes and recycle textiles that cannot be reused.

To counteract this development, we need to change the way we consume clothes.

The project Sustainable clothing futures, led by IVL, has covered several aspects of sustainability in the clothing industry. Among other things, the researchers have investigated how consumers via digital platforms can be encouraged to consume fashion in a more circular way by buying second hand, renting clothes and mending broken garments instead of buying new. New technologies for recycling have been investigated and policy measures for a more sustainable clothing industry and consumption have been evaluated.

The project includes researchers and employees from the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and the University of Borås, including the Swedish School of Textiles and Science Park Borås, as well as the environmental consulting company Profu. The project runs until the end of 2024 and is financed by Formas. It is linked to the research groups Textile Value Chain Management and Digital consumption at the University of Borås.

Results from the project

The results from the project show, among other things:

• A mapping of textile sorting and recycling capacity in Europe shows it is significant, but the challenges in recycling are multiple. One challenge is that many clothes today contain multiple types of fibres, which are difficult to separate in the recycling process.
• A life cycle analysis shows that increased recycling can reduce the climate impact – but to ensure this, the technology and systems need to be resource-efficient, use low-climate-impact energy, and the recycled material must lead to a phase-out of new textile production.
• A study on circular consumption and digital platforms shows that consuming circularly is time-consuming and can be costly in both time and money. The study indicates that circular services are useful for those seeking more sustainable clothing consumption, but that digital platforms face challenges that must be addressed to integrate them into everyday life on a larger scale.
• More results will be published during the autumn of 2024.