Retailers including New Look, M&S, Sainsbury’s and the charity Oxfam have linked up with environmental organisation Circle-8 to launch a new partnership aimed at tackling textile waste.

Called The Circuit, the partnership brings together retailers, recyclers, digital experts and manufacturers. Its first phase will see it focus on testing and developing ways to reduce textile waste.

Circle-8 points out that 1.4m tonnes of already worn textiles were generated across the UK in 2024, highlighting the need for greater investment to recover and recycle clothing. It warns that half of this total is made up of non-reusable textiles.

“Demand for recycled textile materials is growing, but the systems needed to create them from post-consumer textiles are still emerging,” said Circle-8.

“The Circuit has been established to close that gap.”

Sainsbury’s Tu clothing range managing director Ben Smith said: “Creating a more circular future for textiles will take collaboration and innovation across the whole industry.

“The Circuit is an exciting opportunity to work alongside partners from across the value chain to explore how post-consumer textiles generated here in the UK can be given a new life as valuable raw materials.”

M&S head of sustainability and materials in fashion, home and beauty Katharine Beacham added: “When textiles reach the end of their usable life, we need better solutions to recover and recycle the materials they contain.

“The Circuit is an important step forward, bringing together organisations from across the retail industry to help create viable routes for non-reusable textiles and support a more circular future for fashion.”

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