A New Shared Direction for the Textile Sector

National Action Plan for Textiles launched: Three strategic areas comprising nine initiatives aim to accelerate the circular transition across the textile sector. The launch at the National Museum of Denmark highlighted both shared responsibility and concrete solutions.

How can we get more out of fewer textiles?

This question was at the heart of the launch of the National Action Plan for Textiles on 2 October at the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen.

Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities Samira Nawa set the political framework for the day. Reducing the climate and environmental impact of textiles requires both new solutions within the sector and changes in the way we use, repair, reuse and purchase textiles.

One key message resonated throughout the day: No one can tackle this challenge alone.

The entire value chain is interconnected, which means that solutions must also be developed collaboratively across the sector.

Marie Busck from Dansk Mode & Textil (DM&T), Chair of the steering group behind the action plan, illustrated the challenge with a simple example:

“A shirt is designed, produced, worn and repaired – and may eventually be given a new life as something else. At every stage, there are factors that can either extend the textile's lifespan or stand in the way.”

A plan is not a result in itself

The National Action Plan for Textiles includes nine initiatives across three strategic areas, which together aim to reduce textile production and consumption and minimise their climate and environmental impact.

The three areas focus on the industry's circular transition; circular infrastructure and systemic solutions involving both private and public stakeholders; and textile education, skills and behaviour.

The action plan was developed by three consortium partners, each contributing essential expertise: Dansk Mode & Textil focuses on industry conditions, Lifestyle and Design Cluster brings expertise in innovation and collaboration across the value chain, and TRACE represents the research community. A wide range of other stakeholders have also been involved, all reaching agreement on the plan's objectives and content.

However, the launch is not the end of the process.

“The plan is not an achievement in itself. What matters are the actions it sets in motion and the results we can document over time,” said Marie Busck.

These could include new partnerships, better conditions for repair and reuse, new business models, shared infrastructure and systemic solutions, and greater knowledge of how textiles can be used for longer while retaining their value.

The solutions already exist – but they need to be better connected

At the launch event, the action plan's three strategic areas were brought to life through examples from companies, organisations and stakeholders already working to address some of the challenges.

From an industry perspective, one key message was that the circular transition cannot be reduced to recycling alone. Design, material choices, product lifespan, repair and new business models must be considered together. Smaller companies, in particular, need shared solutions to challenges they cannot tackle on their own.

“Circularity does not begin when textiles become waste. It begins when a product is designed. We need to create textiles that last longer, can be repaired and reused, but the solutions must also be commercially viable. Of course, we also need to develop recycling solutions, but recycling must never become an excuse for excessive resource consumption,” said Lone Ditmer (CEO, Dansk Wilton).

The wider systems surrounding textiles were also in focus. Examples from hospital and workwear textiles demonstrated how used textiles can be given a new life, but also highlighted how dependent these solutions are on collaboration between suppliers, customers, laundries, public procurement organisations and stakeholders capable of sorting and recycling materials.

“We can develop textiles that last longer and can be recycled, but we will only succeed if the entire system surrounding them works together. All stakeholders must collaborate closely if we are to bring large volumes of textiles into a circular system,” said Ulrich Mosegaard (CEO, Borch Textile Group).

But circularity is not just about systems and technology.

Repair Café Danmark demonstrated how practical skills can extend the lifespan of textiles. When people learn to repair a zip, mend a hole or otherwise take better care of what they already own, it is not only about saving resources but also about building a different culture around textiles.

People's motivations are not necessarily the same. Some repair items for environmental reasons, others to save money, and some simply because they value the things they own.

“If we care about something, we also take care of it,” said Ristil Skovgaard (Vice Chair, Repair Café Danmark).

This also illustrates a fundamental principle of the action plan: The three strategic areas cannot succeed in isolation.

Products must be designed to remain in use for longer, be easy to repair and seamlessly enter a closed-loop system at the end of their lifespan. Systems must be in place to make reuse and recycling accessible and economically viable, and we need both the skills and the incentives to make use of these opportunities.

The difficult questions must also be addressed

The launch event also demonstrated that turning ambition into action is not without its challenges and dilemmas.

Questions from the audience highlighted the wide range of challenges involved in the transition, from the ability of smaller companies to participate to the economics of repair and the role of public procurement. The need for a fundamental cultural shift in how we view and use textiles was also raised.

These questions will be important as the work moves forward. The transition is not just about developing new solutions. It is also about economics, habits, skills, regulation and building the partnerships needed to make solutions work in practice and drive the necessary cultural changes.

Now it's time to turn the plan into action

The launch did not mark the end of the work on the National Action Plan for Textiles.

Quite the opposite.

The next phase now begins, bringing together companies, organisations, researchers, public authorities, civil society and other stakeholders to develop and refine the initiatives.

Workshops will already take place in Copenhagen, Odense and Aarhus in week 44 as part of the market dialogue on the upcoming initiatives.

Many of the solutions already exist. The task now is to connect knowledge, experience and stakeholders – and scale up more of the solutions that have already proven effective.

If textiles are to remain in use for longer and have a lower impact on the climate and environment, it will take more than one good idea.

It will take collective action.

Visit www.tekstilhandlingsplan.dk for more information about the National Action Plan for Textiles, including the market dialogue, and to watch the launch event on demand.