While fashion often dominates discussions of textile waste, new research reveals that non-fashion textiles represent an equally significant, and potentially larger, portion of the UK’s textile stream. The report Mapping non-fashion textile flows: Advancing a circular textile economy in the UK, conducted by UKFT and the University of Leeds (UoL) with support from UK Research and Innovation’s Back to Baselines project, underscores the urgent need to broaden the focus of circular economy initiatives to include these overlooked materials.

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Understanding the scale of non-fashion textile flows

The research mapped and quantified the primary non-fashion textile flows in the UK, drawing on extensive primary research with market experts and publicly available data from government sources. The findings are striking: the total post-consumer and industrial textile flow in the UK is approximately 3,264 kt, split roughly 50:50 between fashion (1,599 kt) and non-fashion (1,665 kt) items. This highlights a critical insight often overlooked in public discourse: non-fashion textiles (spanning healthcare, hospitality, automotive, public sector, and other commercial and industrial sectors) may exceed fashion in volume when accounting for items beyond household waste.

Key barriers to a circular non-fashion textile ecosystem

The research identifies several structural and systemic barriers preventing non-fashion textiles from entering circular pathways:

• Data gaps and lack of transparency
  Reliable, consistent data on non-fashion textiles, particularly from commercial and industrial sources, is scarce. Missing information on waste composition, end markets, and redistribution channels hampers evidence-based decision-making.
• Insufficient infrastructure
  While fashion textiles benefit from established collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructure, non-fashion flows lack equivalent systems. Many commercial or industrial textiles are disposed of via municipal waste, resulting in incineration or landfill, and associated greenhouse gas emissions.
• Limited cross-sector collaboration
  Non-fashion textile flows cut across diverse industries, yet there is little knowledge exchange or coordinated action between sectors, limiting opportunities for circular solutions.
• Reuse challenges
  Chemical treatments, hygiene requirements, contamination, or brand-specific constraints make reuse difficult for many non-fashion items, including uniforms or cleaning textiles.
• Recycling complexity
  Non-fashion textiles often have complex compositions or coatings that complicate recycling processes.

Key recommendations

To overcome these barriers, the report outlines a clear pathway for advancing a circular economy for non-fashion textiles:

• Improve data collection and transparency
  Establish standardised reporting frameworks across sectors and encourage public-private initiatives to track textile flows, composition and volumes.
• Invest in infrastructure
  Expand collection, sorting, and recycling systems to accommodate non-fashion textiles, including commercial and industrial streams, supported by innovation in reverse logistics.
• Foster cross-sector collaboration
  Create platforms for industries (including healthcare, automotive, hospitality, and local authorities) to co-develop circular strategies.
• Prioritise recycling solutions
  Recognise that reuse may be limited and invest in textile recycling technologies that can process contaminated materials, complex fibre blends, coatings, and finishes.
• Support R&D and circular design
  Develop recyclable or bio-based alternatives for technical textiles and embed circularity in design, finishing, and coating processes.

Adam Mansell, CEO of UKFT, said:

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