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Uniform Reuse's Database: The circular potential of each fabric

Last updated: Aug 19, 2021

Summary

How can textile producers and manufacturers choose fabrics that are more circular ? The Uniform Reuse database ranks various types of fabrics according to their ability to be reintroduced back into the market through a circular strategy. This database is primarily aimed for uniform producers, but can easily be interpreted for all types of textiles.

Problem

When transitioning towards a circular economy, companies tend to focus on the end of life of their products, and the textile industry is no exception. However, not all fabrics have the same potential for circularity, and implementing a reusing strategy for example, could be more efficient if the manufacturer had designed the product accordingly. Also, the more fabrics that is used to produce a garment, the harder it is to efficiently put these resources back into the market.

Solution

In order to ease the implementation of circular strategies, textile companies, and especially designers, have the opportunity to select fabrics through this database and create patterns that have proven more efficient in circularity. By integrating these aspects in the design process, the end-of-life of the product is directly considered and is therefore more likely to happen in the future.

Outcome

This Fabrics Database gives an overview of fibres and fabric types (including blends) which are found in corporate wear. It looks at properties including durability and after-care, along with how suitable these different end-of-life options are for different fabrics.

The different characteristics evaulated for each fabric are:

- Stability

- Availability

- Durability

- EoL Oppportunities

- Care Conditions

- Coloouration

- Cost

- Stability

The end of life strategies considered are:

- Composting

- Landfill