Netherlands-based sustainable innovation platform Fashion for Good is taking a significant step towards addressing textile waste through its newly launched Rewear project. The initiative, unveiled as part of Fashion for Good's five-year strategic plan, aims to extend the afterlife of garments, responding to the increasing problem of textile waste.

The Rewear project involves a multi-stakeholder collaboration, with leading brands such as Adidas, Bestseller, Bonprix, C&A, Inditex, Levi Strauss & Co., Otto Group, PVH Corp., and Zalando providing catalytic funding. The initiative also includes major industrial textile sorters in Europe, including Erdotex, ModaRe, Humana People to People Baltic, and Wtòrpol.

The project will commence in select geographies, starting with Lithuania (Nordic/Baltic), the Netherlands (Western), Poland (Central-Eastern), and Spain (Southern Europe). The chosen locations serve as key import/export hubs with varied end-market profiles, making them hotspots for driving change in textile reuse and recycling.

Georgia Parker, Innovation Director at Fashion for Good, emphasized the collaborative approach in exploring sustainable solutions for textile waste. The Rewear project responds to regulatory changes in the European Union and addresses challenges posed by the industry's reliance on disposable fashion.

Marianne Connolly, Innovation Analyst at Fashion for Good, highlighted the uniqueness of the project, with brands actively approaching the organization with a shared challenge. The collaborative effort includes sorters and resale initiatives from the early stages, aiming to create a comprehensive understanding of rewearable textiles, identify investment needs, and unlock circular business models in the value chain. The project reflects a proactive and data-driven approach to tackling the textile waste issue in the fashion industry.