On 11 December 2024, Global Fashion Agenda hosted the digital Global Circular Fashion Forum: Annual Exchange on Upstream Circularity, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and experts from around the world. The event explored key challenges and opportunities for advancing upstream circularity in garment manufacturing countries.

The event opened with a keynote address from Christiane Dolva Törnberg, Head of Innovation, Research and Demonstration at the H&M Foundation, who reflected on the zeitgeist of the textile industry. She highlighted the paradoxes that define the industry today—such as sustainability versus ultra-fast fashion and ambition versus reality—emphasising how these contradictions can catalyse innovation and progress.

Attendees gained a comprehensive overview of forthcoming circularity legislation and its implications for key regions, including Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. In her address, Marta Inchausti Moya, GFA’s Public Affairs Manager, outlined how these policies are reshaping the industry and provided actionable guidance for compliance and collaboration across supply chains.

Edwin Keh, Steering Committee member and Advisor at the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel, highlighted the GCFF’s mission to foster collaboration and scale recycling infrastructure. He emphasised the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships in creating effective national systems that benefit both global brands and local manufacturing countries.

The event’s second segment featured in-depth breakout sessions tailored to each of the four focus countries. These sessions provided participants with an opportunity to engage with local stakeholders, explore country-specific challenges, and identify pathways for scaling circularity through knowledge exchange and targeted initiatives.

Access the recording and presentation deck here.

The breakout session on Indonesia brought together key stakeholders to discuss the country’s circular economy strategy and its potential to lead sustainable transformation in the textile sector. The session featured insights from Amalia Adininggar from the Ministry of National Development Planning (Bappenas), Basri Kamboa from Rantai Textile Lestari, and Marina Chahboune from Closed Loop Fashion, and was moderated by Sonia Hylling from Global Fashion Agenda. Together, they explored opportunities, challenges, and actionable strategies for advancing circularity while leveraging Indonesia’s strengths as one of the world’s largest textile producers and exporters.

Key insights from the session included:

• The textile sector is prioritised in Indonesia’s long-term development plans, with strategies focusing on infrastructure development, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) policies, and improving resource efficiency to reduce waste and foster circular practices.
• While Indonesia has an established waste management and recycling ecosystem, challenges remain in scaling technologies to produce higher-value recycled fibres, improving feedstock quality, and addressing logistical barriers across its vast geography.
• Stakeholders emphasised the importance of pilot projects to demonstrate business cases, industrial-scale initiatives, and stronger collaboration between government, industry actors, and investors to drive the transition to a circular economy.

For further information on the Circular Fashion Partnership you can reach out to Sonia Hylling (sonia@globalfashionagenda.org). 

The breakout session on Cambodia explored the milestones achieved during the pilot project and the opportunities for scaling circularity in the textile sector. The session featured insights from Sokchea Lay from GIZ Cambodia, Owen Su from HUMBLE APPAREL MANUFACTURING, Kristin Sommer from GIZ Cambodia, and Phoebe Nguyễn from Primark, and was moderated by Camilla Morandi from Global Fashion Agenda.

Key insights from the session included:

• With 21 factories and 11 brands participating, the pilot achieved substantial outcomes, including the recycling of over 3,000 tonnes of textile waste, improving factory compliance by 64%, and developing a comprehensive Sustainability Recommendation Paper.
• Factories have seen improved waste management systems, resource efficiency, and stronger relationships with brands. Brands, in turn, benefit from compliance with sustainability regulations, reduced environmental impact, and enhanced reputations for responsible sourcing.
• Stakeholders highlighted challenges such as low awareness of textile waste management, lack of transparency in supply chains, and the need for long-term commitments from brands. Regular training, strong governance systems, and collaboration between brands, manufacturers, and recyclers were identified as critical to success.

For further information on the Circular Fashion Partnership, you can reach out to Camilla Morandi (camilla@globalfashionagenda.org).

The breakout session on Bangladesh brought together key stakeholders to discuss the country’s leadership potential in circular textile systems and explore pathways to address existing challenges. Moderated by Sonia Hylling from Global Fashion Agenda, the session featured insights from Mark Draeck from UNIDO, Vidya Amrit Khan from BGMEA, Alexander Granberg from BESTSELLER, and Nin Castle from Reverse Resources.

Key insights from the session included:

• As of November 2024, the CFP Bangladesh and Switch to Upstream Circularity pilot included 37 active manufacturers and over 11000 Tonnes of waste has been segregated and registered on the Reverse Resources Platform since 2022, with over 5000 Tonnes of waste digitally traced to textile-to-textile recyclers.
• The session highlighted the need to address informal sector practices, including integrating waste handlers into formal supply chains to improve transparency and efficiency. Policy and regulatory gaps, inadequate recycling capacity, and restrictions on waste movement in Export Processing Zones (EPZs) were identified as key barriers to scaling circularity.
• Stakeholders underscored the importance of developing comprehensive legislation for waste management, implementing tax exemptions for recycled materials, fostering public-private partnerships, and investing in local recycling infrastructure and renewable energy sources. Capacity-building programmes, including training on waste segregation and education on workers’ rights, were also highlighted as critical to formalising the sector and driving progress.

For further information on the Circular Fashion Partnership, you can reach out to Sonia Hylling (sonia@globalfashionagenda.org).

The breakout session on Vietnam delved into the country’s progress and opportunities in advancing circularity within the textile and garment industries. Moderated by Camilla Morandi from Global Fashion Agenda, the session featured insights from Dr. Quan Nguyễn Hồng from Vietnam National University, Institute for Circular Economy Development, Cornelius Wolf from PUMA, Stina Billinger from Syre, and Mira Nagy from GIZ Vietnam, who discussed Vietnam’s unique position as a major textile producer and its aspirations for transitioning toward a circular economy.

Key insights from the session included:

• While the sector is still in the early stages of circularity, Vietnam’s long-term strategy aims to integrate circular economy principles across production and consumption. Current efforts remain focused on waste processing, but a stronger policy framework is needed to address the entire value chain, from raw materials to post-consumer waste.
• Fragmented recycling ecosystems and limited transparency were identified as key barriers to achieving effective industrial textile waste recycling. Additionally, existing regulations restrict the movement and trade of waste, which limits the ability to scale textile-to-textile recycling efforts.
• Stakeholders emphasised the importance of supporting local actors to meet new regulatory frameworks, developing advanced recycling technologies, and implementing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes for post-consumer textile waste.
• The discussion also emphasised Vietnam’s role as a potential hub for polyester recycling at scale, with efforts like the Waste No More programme showcasing the technical and economic feasibility of textile-to-textile recycling. As the country transitions into the Circular Fashion Partnership framework, fostering collaboration between brands, manufacturers, and policymakers will be essential for achieving its vision for 2035.

For further information on the Circular Fashion Partnership, you can reach out to Camilla Morandi (camilla@globalfashionagenda.org).