The British Fashion Council (BFC)’s Institute of Positive Fashion (IPF) has announced its first flagship research project, the Waste Ecosystem Project. The research will lead to a focused action-driven plan, detailing solutions for how the fashion industry can responsibly manage inventory, reduce, and move to circular business operations. The research will look at actions and infrastructures needed in key areas and outline a proposal for change across the whole value chain, and other key areas of the industry such as Education and Training, Collections and Recycling infrastructure, Textile Recycling Innovations, Upcycling and Consumer Mindset.

The Waste Ecosystem Project research will provide guidance and outline tangible actions required to emerge from the crisis more resilient and responsible by building more cohesive value chains and reimagining them to be regenerative and restorative in nature. Focusing on collaboration and the creation of a circular fashion industry in the UK, the Waste Ecosystem Project will work with industry, academia, and Government across three areas:

1. Global Research: Market assessment to find best practice and innovation, culminating in a research paper to set out the proposed parameters and requirements for enabling the UK fashion industry to become circular.
2. Proposal for Change: from the research findings, set out the guidelines and a roadmap as a proposal for change.
3. Implementation: working with businesses and Government, the final phase will look at a programme for implementing best practice in the UK