Fabric Loop presents roadmap for textile circular economy

(CONNECT) Fabric Loop has published a roadmap to establish a circular economy for textiles across Switzerland. The Roadmap 2035 lays down the initiative’s targets and highlights how these are to be achieved. According to a statement, it envisages the establishment of an industry organization that coordinates and implements activities in the areas of reuse, repair and recycling.

By 2035, all textiles collected in Switzerland are to be sorted, with 60 percent then to be reused or recycled in some form. In addition, measures are to be taken to avoid sending textiles to landfill sites, while material and financial flows are to be reported on an annual basis.

Implementation will be handled in three phases. A transition phase until 2028 will establish the legal, organizational and financial basis. Upon going live, the existing collection system will be gradually transferred to new industry-wide solution. In the subsequent scaling phase, innovations and new capacities for sorting, reuse and recycling will help to achieve the targets defined for 2035. “Our aim is to offer transparency right from the get-go in terms of our approach, as well as the opportunities and obstacles involved”, comments Managing Director Simone Alabor.

To operate the industry solution, the roadmap envisages an upfront circular economy levy on textiles sold. According to the information, the prerequisite for this is that all market participants, including online platforms, will co-finance the system.

“The challenge – and therefore the solution – is systemic in nature”, comments Nina Bachmann, President of Fabric Loop and a member of the executive board of Swiss Textiles. Swiss Textiles co-founded Fabric Loop in 2024. ce/as