UK fashion industry gains a commercially viable pathway to circular garments

Bridging European recycling with Asian manufacturing

The model connects European textile recovery with established garment manufacturing in Bangladesh. Post-consumer textiles collected in the Netherlands are processed into circular fibers and transformed into finished garments within existing production facilities.

Because turning post-consumer textiles into reliable garments is technically complex, Fibre to Fibre operates exclusively as a full-garment solution. Controlling the process from fiber to finished product ensures consistent quality, traceability and commercial reliability at scale.

Addressing the scale challenge

“Circular production has existed for years in theory and in small-scale pilots, but scaling it within mainstream supply chains has remained a challenge,” says Tom Atkins, spokesperson for Fibre to Fibre. “Our initiative stands out by operating at scale within established manufacturing spheres, accessible at cost points amenable to mainstream fashion brands. This approach marks a notable development in the creation of circular garments without forcing brands to sacrifice on cost, quality, or operational efficiency.”

With pricing comparable to that of organic cotton and recycled polyester, the financial hurdles to embracing circular materials have been mitigated. This strategic move allows brands with constrained budgets to incorporate circular production principles without significant cost implications.

From collection to finished garment

The process initiates with the collection and categorization of post-consumer textiles in the Netherlands, where garments are sorted and reduced to their fibrous state. These recovered fibers are blended with pre-consumer waste and spun into circular yarns, which are then converted into finished garments. This journey—from discarded clothing to retail-ready apparel—demonstrates how a circular production model can be applied in a commercially viable way.