UKFT has been working closely with InnovateUK (IUK) and the British Fashion Council (BFC) to understand the major challenges facing our industry and lead a call to action for the enablement of a ‘Circular Fashion Ecosystem’ in the UK.

Innovation, research and development are essential to finding new solutions and creating meaningful changes in the sector. Working closely with InnovateUK, the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), the industry has been actively supporting innovation and R&D through the UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Circular Fashion Programme.

This £15 million scheme has been developed over several years in consultation with the industry and UKFT. Its first instalment was announced in November 2022, in the shape of a £4 million funding to support a landmark demonstration project. Now closed, the initial competition invited businesses to apply for funding to develop innovative solutions to sort and recycle fashion and textile goods at scale in the UK.

InnovateUK, UKFT and BFC Workshop. 25th January. 

The overall aim of the Circular Fashion Programme is to support the transition to sustainable business operations, to allow the UK to become the global leader in circular fashion and textiles.

InnovateUK has undertaken extensive industry consultations and missions into key markets over the past few years, alongside BFC and UKFT. This will be further developed by bringing together stakeholders from across the fashion industry. It will allow the sector to solve complex challenges across priority areas and to co-ordinate research exchange, collaboration and the commercial application of innovative, sustainable fashion and textile practices in the UK.

On the 25^th of January, InnovateUK, UKFT and BFC hosted a day-long workshop to ratify 6 key themes:

1. Circular business models: addressing waste & reduce impact on landfill (reduce over production, excess unsold inventory and managing returns sustainably)
2. Novel technologies: Scaling solutions, adoption and investment of technology ready innovations: to scale up and intgrate novel technologies that support circular fashion
3. Sustainable manufacturing: Lower environmental impact, reduce adverse environmental impact and waste from production of clothing by 2025 and achieve Net Zero by 2050 globally
4. Sustainable fashion ecosystem: Infrastructure and partnerships: optimse closed loop recycling processes, develop partnerships and extended producer responsibility (EPR)
5. Diverse and future-proof workforce: Upskill workforce and build diverse and future-proof talent pipelines to close the skills gap
6. Green growth: New economically viable Circular Fashion products, services and IP, which create new exporting revenue channels, generate new high value jobs and opportunity to shorted supply chains and onshore manufacturing. 

Further details of the Circular Fashion Programme will be announced in the spring of 2023.  

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