The Concept of Circularity

Employing an eco-friendly method of manufacturing products has been the goal of many companies worldwide. For fashion industries and manufacturers across Australia, it’s through a concept of sustainable fashion that gained precedence in recent years. Circularity, the new stage of sustainability, is an idea that was first made public in the 1960s. Back then, the undertakings of this concept were far less popular; now, with increased awareness of the destruction that industries bought upon the environment, the concept that uses the principle of a cyclic economy is in full force.

To understand the circular economy, people first need to learn how Australia’s fashion industry functioned in the early days. All clothes were made in the country using a linear pattern of production. Companies manufactured products using the procured raw materials and delivered them to various stores and retailers across the country. Customers bought these clothes and, after a period of use, they disposed of them in the trash. The problems with this linear cycle of production are mentioned below:

The reckless disposal of fashion products adversely affects the environment, giving rise to new problems in the local flora and fauna.
Many customers and fashion enthusiasts succumb to the latest fashion trends without considering how the products are made or where they end up.
The lack of durability due to the usage of cheap materials makes it harder for clothes to last longer, making them end up in waste disposal frequently.
In Australia, supply exceeds the daily demand, creating a large surplus of fashion products that will undoubtedly go to waste.

The concept addresses these issues, overcoming the various problems of the linear production cycle. And recently, the Australian government took charge of formulating new ways to make the economic transition into a circular one as soon as possible. It’s high time the fashion industry changed how it manufactured fashion products for consumers.

The Circular Approach And A Step Towards Sustainability

There are several issues that fashion industries in Australia need to address if they want to make sure that the circular approach is implemented to its full effectiveness in the economy:

The first issue is the lack of initiative when designing clothes with sustainability in mind. Companies should get rid of the linear production cycle and use virgin raw materials to manufacture clothes. Moreover, they should get rid of all the blended fibres and use only single fibres to allow the easy removal of trims and other hardware and facilitate easy disposal in such a way that the product can be recovered without much hassle. There should be no chemicals or toxic compounds, and the manufacturing should be eco-friendly too.
The second issue is the lack of naturally occurring products in the manufacturing processes. Clothing companies should use more natural materials and replenish them in such a way that there’s no drastic toll on the resources available.
Most clothes aren’t durable enough to last longer. Companies can address this issue by making clothes from durable fibres, like wool. The materials should also be recyclable so that they can be later used for other purposes—the greater the recyclability. The better the return on investment.
And finally, the issue of improper disposal. When products are disposed of carelessly, they degrade and distort the surrounding environment. Circular economy emphasizes using recyclable and bio-degradable materials that have little to no effect on the environment.

Fashion industries and manufacturers must embrace the idea of Circularity and ensure that the production methods create a better way for final products to meet all future demands effectively. Indeed, this is a necessity now.