UKFT and the Circular Textiles Foundation (CTF) are delighted to launch the Circular Design Playbook: A focus on fibre-to-fibre recycling, at Textiles Recycling Expo (held 24-25 June 2026 in Brussels). The playbook is a practical guide for brands and retailers navigating the transition to circular product design.
Drawing on CTF's technical expertise in circular design and UKFT's understanding of the UK industry and legislative landscape, the guide is written for the full range of teams that shape a product: design, buying, sustainability, technical, compliance and marketing.
The Playbook provides a timely resource for brands that want to get ahead of regulation rather than respond to it under pressure.
The Playbook includes:
- Team-by-team guidance: Practical actions for design, buying, sustainability, compliance and marketing teams, recognising that circular design must run across functions, not sit in one.
- Recycling parameters by fibre type: Clear guidance on which fibre compositions, components, trims and finishes are compatible with current fibre-to-fibre recycling technologies.
- The CTF's 'Theory of Thirds' framework: A practical approach to mapping a product range, identifying what is already recyclable, what could be with modest changes, and what remains challenging.
- Primark Case study: How one of the UK's largest retailers embedded circular design across buying, design and quality teams through a training programme developed with CTF, resulting in 5% of all clothing units sold in 2024/25 being circular by design.
The Playbook is designed to be a starting point, not a complete solution. The brands making the most progress are those that begin somewhere, build knowledge and continue. CTF and UKFT are available to support brands at every stage of that journey.
