This series of posts is in conjunction with Fleurieu Made being chosen to represent Australian Fashion Council at the Fashion INstyle Expo, Hong Kong 26-29 April 2025.
As the global fashion industry faces the challenge of producing over 92 million tonnes of textile waste annually (Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017) and contributing approximately 10% of global carbon emissions (UNEP, 2019), Asia, home to over 60% of global textile and apparel production (McKinsey & Company, 2020) is emerging as a pivotal player in the shift towards circular fashion. This transformation is reshaping manufacturing and consumption patterns and influencing sustainability efforts globally.
Governments across Asia are implementing forward-looking strategies to embed circularity into their textile sectors.
Bangladesh is addressing its estimated 577,000 metric tonnes of textile waste annually by expanding recycling infrastructure and supporting new technologies to meet global sustainability benchmarks (Reuters, 2025).
The ASEAN region, through the EU-supported SWITCH-Asia Programme, is aligning national policies with circular economy principles, focusing on sustainable production and consumption in textiles and leather (SWITCH-Asia, 2024).
China is advancing sustainable fashion through government-endorsed innovation hubs and regulation, including biodegradable materials and product lifecycle traceability (Yau, 2022).
Recent research provides a clearer picture of how circular fashion is evolving in Asia. Wang and Cheng (2024) found that Chinese consumers are increasingly engaging in online fashion resale but require stronger education to permanently shift habits. Earlier, Karimkhan (2023) conducted a literature review on circular fashion and highlighted the need for integrated policy, education and business models to support implementation. At the same time, Singh et al. (2023) showed that bio-based materials present a promising pathway for reducing fashion’s environmental footprint and improving circularity across supply chains. (these are a particular focus for me while at the Expo).
Industry Innovations and Collaborations
Asia is also becoming a hub for circular textile innovation, both in research and development. This is both a polciy shift and the infrastrucutre at the heart of the fashion industry as many of the materials and suppliers are based in Asia. The number of certifications across the sector continues to rise and the relationship between these certifications will be interesting to follow.
The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) developed the “Green Machine,” a technology that separates cotton and polyester blends through hydrothermal recycling, using no chemicals or water (HKRITA, 2025). While this trip is too short for me to visit, I hope to return and view soon. In the meantime, I highly recommend their podcast HKRITA on Spotify and Apple podcasts)
Redress, a Hong Kong-based Asia-focused environmental NGO has a stated mission to accelerate the transition to a circular fashion industry by educating and empowering designers and consumers. In a report released in 2023 they called for urgent upskilling in circular design across Asian markets to curb the industry’s environmental impact (Redress, 2023). (A tact that I too believe is at the heart of effective circular practices). BTW - I received some socks from Bao Lan (Vietnam) and will talk about them in the next post. They are made from coffee bean waste!!
Forum for the Future’s Circular Leap Asia initiative supports systemic transformation by tackling upstream issues such as microfibre pollution and post-consumer textile waste (Forum for the Future, 2025).
Asia’s embrace of circular fashion is more than a regional shift, it is a global signal. Through combined efforts in policy, research and innovation, the region is carving out a leadership role in sustainable fashion. As these strategies mature, they offer replicable models for countries and industries worldwide, reinforcing that circular fashion is both possible and inevitable.
If you would like to stay updated on the future of circular fashion innovation, subscribe to our newsletter or contact me directly.
My participation at the Fashion InSTYLE Expo was made possible by the kind support of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC)
and through the Australian Fashion Council
Professor Angelina Russo, PHD, MBAHEM
I am the Designer and Founder of Fleurieu Made. I was an academic for many years and a designer for more. I continue to write to make sense of the world in between knitting and building the business. Contact me at angelina@fleurieumade.com
References
Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2017). A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future. https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/a-new-textiles-economy
Forum for the Future. (2025). Circular Leap Asia. https://www.forumforthefuture.org/circular-leap-asia
HKRITA. (2025). The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hong_Kong_Research_Institute_of_Textiles_and_Apparel
Karimkhan, F. (2023). Circular economy in fashion industry: A systematic literature review [Master’s thesis, University of Padua]. https://thesis.unipd.it/bitstream/20.500.12608/62879/1/Karimkhan-Fatemeh.pdf
McKinsey & Company. (2020). Fashion on climate: How the fashion industry can urgently act to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/sustainability/our-insights/fashion-on-climate
Redress. (2023). Redress report reveals urgent need to upskill Asia’s fashion industry. https://www.luxuriousmagazine.com/redress-report-asias-fashion-industry/
Reuters. (2025, April 23). Textile giant Bangladesh pushed to recycle more waste. https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/textile-giant-bangladesh-pushed-recycle-more-waste-2025-04-23
Singh, R., Lee, J., & Park, H. (2023). A review of circular fashion and bio-based materials in the fashion industry. Circular Economy and Sustainability, 3(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43615-023-00303-z
SWITCH-Asia. (2024). Circular fashion: Sustainable consumption and production across textiles and leather. https://www.switch-asia.eu/site/assets/files/4219/acesp_webinar_proceedings_final.pdf
United Nations Environment Programme. (2019). Putting the brakes on fast fashion. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/putting-brakes-fast-fashion
Wang, Z., & Cheng, L. (2024). Consumer engagement in fashion circularity in China: Exploring online fashion resale practices. Sustainability, 16(11), 4733. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/11/4733
Yau, E. (2022, March 11). In China, sustainability is bubbling up. Vogue Business. https://www.voguebusiness.com/consumers/in-china-sustainability-is-bubbling-up
