Presented during the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen on 6 May 2026, the plan marks a coordinated attempt to address long-standing fragmentation and increase the current recycling rate, which sits below 1% for discarded garments.

The 2030 Circularity Blueprint details a structured implementation pathway consisting of eight interconnected intervention areas that are designed to address “systemic barriers” within the textile ecosystem through coordinated measures.

The Blueprint’s systemic conditions include establishing a shared framework for circular and sustainable materials, developing a Textile Waste Intelligence Platform, and launching a Demand Signal Initiative for long-term offtake commitments.

Under value chain interventions, the plan sets out to incorporate circularity at the product design stage (“Designing for the Loop”). It will implement effective collection systems to close the collection gap and create demand certainty for sorters to address the sorting investment gap.

Furthermore, the plan aims to prepare feedstock through regional hub infrastructure and deliver a coordinated capital expenditure roadmap for scaling recycling infrastructure.

ReHubs interim chief operating officer and board adviser Evan Wiener said: “Unlocking textile circularity at scale requires the full value chain to move together. This collaborative initiative directly supports our strategy to industrialise textile-to-textile recycling and break the supply–demand deadlock at scale.”

GFA has set an ambition to create infrastructure supporting up to 2.7 million tonnes of textile recycling capacity by 2035, requiring a capital expenditure estimated between €8bn ($9.4bn) and €11bn.

Two key programmes will follow the launch. ReHubs will lead the development of the Textile Waste Intelligence Platform, while a parallel initiative will focus on closing gaps in textile collection and sorting systems.

GFA and ReHubs have called for industry-wide participation, with brands, sorters, recyclers, infrastructure operators, and policymakers urged to coordinate efforts rather than operating in isolation.

Both organisations are seeking funding and new partnerships to implement the blueprint. They emphasise that shared ownership and collaboration across the value chain will be necessary to overcome market inefficiencies and scale recycling technologies.

To encourage uptake and investment, GFA is also pushing for the introduction of a targeted policy incentive framework.

The proposal suggests that cost differentials between recycled feedstock and virgin materials remain a barrier, with recycled inputs sometimes costing twice as much.

GFA’s recommendations include enhancing demand through public procurement, introducing harmonised extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes, specifying minimum requirements for recycled material content, and expanding recycling infrastructure investment.

Federica Marchionni, GFA CEO, said: “The vision for a textile circular economy is clear, and innovation is gaining ground. Yet progress is stalled by supply–demand deadlocks, compounded by a fragmented landscape where initiatives and stakeholders operate in silos, often unaware of their interdependence. Furthermore, without precise incentives to align efforts and investment, progress cannot move at the pace required.”