Despite meaningful progress in alternative business models and recycled materials, total emissions and fibre production continue to rise. According to Textile Exchange, recycled polyester output increased from 8.9 to 9.3 million tonnes in 2024—yet its overall market share fell as virgin polyester grew even faster, undermining decarbonisation efforts. Fashion Revolution underscores the issue: only 9% of major brands disclose their production volumes, yet that small group alone accounts for 4.3 billion items annually. Decarbonisation gains in efficiency and recycling are being drowned out by the sheer scale of production.
In this session, our panellists will debate whether circularity will ever fix overproduction. We’ll assess:
- Can brands really decouple growth from production when competitors won’t make the same commitment? What systemic changes could enable this?
- Do our alternative business models risk becoming additional consumption cycles that don’t displace virgin production?
- What does a truly circular textiles industry look like in practice—and are we actually following the waste hierarchy, or just skipping straight to recycling?
- Given overproduction’s carbon impact, should we prioritise proven decarbonisation solutions like clean energy and material upcycling over circularity models that don’t reduce total volumes?
Halfway through the session, we’ll flip the stage and invite the audience to join the debate.
What to expect from this type of session...
Hear from expert speakers on these mainstage panel discussions as we address the critical sustainability challenges and opportunities within the industry.
