The circular economy – the idea of “reduce, reuse and recycle” – has long been promoted as one solution to the environmental crisis. Instead of the old “take, make, use, throw away” model, it aims to keep materials in play for as long as possible.
In fashion, this means going well beyond traditional repair habits and shopping secondhand. It entails innovations such as clothing rental platforms, fibre-to-fibre recycling, and AI tools that cut waste in supply chains and sort textiles for recycling.
This sounds like a win-win: less waste, fewer raw materials used, and a lighter footprint on the planet. But in fact, these innovations could end up making things worse.
In our recent study, we found that innovations in the circular economy – especially in the textiles and clothing industry – can trigger what’s called a “backfire rebound effect”. This is where the production and consumption of clothing rises, potentially wiping out any environmental gains. It happens when efficiency improvements lower costs and make products seem more sustainable, tempting consumers to buy more.
@SteveKLord Jevon’s paradox at play. It’s interesting to see which innovations - like longer lifespan of textiles and repairability - that does work and which ones - like energy efficiencies - that tend to have the opposite effect of people buying more.
That’s definitely applicable. Very astute analysis. It seems more and more evident that “sustainability” is primarily a marketing term that ultimately strengthens consumerism and hinders real and necessary changes.
@SteveKLord It was a word invented by the economists after all. In the age of green washing, we need more specific concepts to sort the wheat from the chaff.