How does a political idea become a shared plan for an entire industry? Discover the story behind the National Action Plan for Textiles.
On 2 October 2026, the National Action Plan for Textiles will be officially launched. It will mark the culmination of more than two years of work to bring together businesses, public authorities, researchers, organisations and civil society around a shared direction for the circular transition of the Danish textile sector.
But the action plan did not begin as a fully developed programme. It took shape step by step.
An important starting point came in August 2024, when the Danish Fashion & Textile industry association (DM&T) presented a policy proposal for a national action plan for textiles. The initiative came at a time of rapid change in the industry. New EU requirements were on the way, businesses were facing significant changes, and there was also a need to view textiles as part of an interconnected system – not only in terms of products and production, but also in relation to consumption, product lifespans, repair, reuse, collection and recycling.
The ambition was therefore to create a national framework that could bring together existing initiatives and turn the many ambitions into action. A few months later, the idea made its way onto the political agenda. As part of the November 2024 agreement on Denmark’s 2025 Finance Act, DKK 40 million was allocated to a national action plan for textiles through 2028. This provided the political mandate to take the next step.
In June 2025, the secretariat function for the action plan was put out to tender via the Danish Environmental Protection Agency’s website. DM&T, Lifestyle and Design Cluster and TRACE decided to join forces and bid for the task. The three organisations brought different strengths and complementary perspectives.
DM&T contributed industry insight and knowledge of the political and regulatory framework. TRACE brought research, systems thinking and methods for working with circular transition and impact. Lifestyle and Design Cluster contributed experience in innovation, business development, partnerships and the management of complex national programmes.
Together, the consortium developed an initial outline for the action plan. Lifestyle and Design Cluster would also be responsible for the secretariat function itself, ensuring coordination, progress and coherence across the initiative. In September 2025, the consortium was informed that it had won the tender, which was subsequently announced by the Ministry of Environment and Gender Equality in a press release. The work then began in earnest.
National Action Plan for Textiles
The initial outline was structured around three main tracks and nine initiatives. From the outset, the idea was that the transition could not be addressed at just one point in the value chain. Businesses needed to be better equipped to meet new requirements and adopt circular business models. The physical infrastructure for areas such as collection, repair, reuse and recycling also needed to be addressed. At the same time, knowledge, skills and behaviour relating to textiles among Danish consumers needed to be strengthened. However, these initial outlines were only the beginning.
Throughout autumn 2025 and the first half of 2026, the plan was developed in close dialogue with a broad range of stakeholders. A steering group was established with representatives from key parts of the value chain, along with a broad stakeholder group comprising businesses, organisations, public-sector bodies, knowledge institutions, reuse and waste management operators, and organisations representing civil society.
Meetings, workshops, expert discussions and ongoing dialogue with public authorities have continuously challenged and helped refine the content. Among other things, this has led to a clearer focus on reducing textile consumption, stronger links between the individual initiatives, and greater emphasis on data, impact measurement and forthcoming European regulation.
At the same time, it has been crucial to ensure that the action plan is not developed as yet another standalone project. It must build on what already works, connect existing initiatives and create better conditions for circular solutions to be scaled up.
National Action Plan for Textiles
The final action plan therefore brings together a wide range of initiatives. Some are aimed directly at businesses and their ability to meet new requirements, develop circular business models and work more systematically with data. Others focus on the structures that businesses depend on: repair, public procurement, extended producer responsibility, collection, sorting, reuse and recycling.
Others are aimed at children, young people, citizens and civil society, with a focus on strengthening knowledge about textiles and making longer product lifespans, repair and more conscious consumption a natural part of everyday life. What all the initiatives have in common is the ambition to create better conditions for a transition that no business, public authority or organisation can achieve alone.
When the National Action Plan for Textiles is launched on 2 October 2026 by the Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities, an important development phase will come to an end. But that is when the real work begins.
Over the coming years and through to the end of 2029, the action plan’s nine initiatives will be translated into analyses, tools, partnerships, skills development programmes and concrete solutions. Businesses and partners from across the textile ecosystem will be invited to take part in the work on an ongoing basis. Because if the action plan is to make a real difference, it will depend on the very collaboration that has shaped it from the outset.
The goal is not to create a plan that simply sits on a shelf. The goal is to create a shared framework that makes it easier to turn the ambition of a circular Danish textile sector into practice.
Join us for the launch of the National Action Plan for Textiles on 2 October 2026.
