What is Fabric Loop?
Fabric Loop is a private-sector non-profit industry organization that develops a solution for the Switzerland-wide organization and financing of reuse, repair, and recycling in coordination with European initiatives. Fabric Loop was founded by the textile association Swiss Textiles together with Calida, Mammut, Odlo, PKZ, Radys, Switcher, and Workfashion. Other members include, for example, Muntagnard, Mammut, and TRANSA. The goal of Fabric Loop is to achieve a circular textile economy through greater transparency, instead of used textiles being lost. This requires collaboration along the value chain, as circular fashion must be considered from the very beginning: from design and production to the return of materials to the cycle.
Today, however, there is a lack of collection and recycling infrastructure for various textiles, meaning that recycled fibers are not available in sufficient quantity and quality. This is due on the one hand to a lack of transparency, making it unclear where collected textiles end up, and on the other hand to a lack of incentives through practicable standards, which only make circularity in the fashion industry possible. For this reason, we rely on an industry initiative that understands and can specifically address the problems of the Swiss textile industry. In this way, structures and incentives are created for comprehensive collection, sorting, reuse, repair, and high-quality recycling, financed via an advance circularity contribution and coordinated with European initiatives. Within the framework of a business case, targets will be set in 2026 and a system established so that implementation can begin in 2027.
Why Circular Economy is Crucial in the Fashion Industry
The circular economy in the fashion industry is crucial because clothing is made from valuable raw materials. In a functioning circular economy, these raw materials do not become waste at the end of their life, but rather the starting point for new products. With today's linear economy model, however, the fashion industry is one of the most resource-intensive industries worldwide. Raw materials, water, energy, and transportation are required for every garment. If clothing is disposed of after a short time, all these resources are lost.
This is exactly where the circular economy comes in. It not only questions how a product is made, but also what happens after use. The goal is to keep materials in circulation through durable design, repair, reuse, and recycling. This is particularly important in the textile industry because many materials are valuable and technically recyclable. If we think about clothing in a circular way from the outset, we reduce waste, conserve resources, and create a more sustainable future for the industry. This way, every garment becomes a resource for the next product.
Therefore, the circular economy is not a trend, but a necessary step. For us, this means taking responsibility – from design to the next life cycle of a product. The highest standard in circularity is the "Cradle to Cradle" concept, developed in the 90s by Michael Braungart and William McDonough. It describes a consistent circular economy in which all materials fully return to biological or technical cycles after use. The principle aims at conserving resources and reducing waste by enabling a closed loop.
The Role of NIKIN as part of Fabric Loop
Our wish is to make clothes without harming nature. That's why we have set ourselves the goal of being completely circular by 2030. To achieve this goal, we rely on innovation in the materials and concepts we use. For selected products, for example, we use the innovative materials naNea® and NOOSA®. In addition, last year we also launched our own "Circular Cashback" program. With this, we give your worn products a second life and bring valuable resources back into the cycle. For this purpose, we have developed circular products such as the Treeanie Circular, the TreeShirt Circular and the TreeHoodie Circular. You can find out more about our circular materials and our "Circular Cashback" in our Circular Series.
At the same time, we think beyond our own brand. In the overall Swiss context, we want to take responsibility and, as a pioneer of sustainability in the textile industry, contribute to expanding the range of circular products in Switzerland.
The future of circular fashion
Circular fashion is more than a trend – it is the logical evolution of an industry in transition. In the future, it will no longer just be about how a product looks or is produced, but whether it is part of a functioning cycle. This means: materials are developed to be recyclable. Products become more durable, repairable, and transparent. And systems emerge that make take-back, recycling, and reuse a matter of course.
Because if we look back at the past, we see that circular economy was the norm for most of our history. Although the term was only defined in the 20th century, both the basic idea and the techniques are as old as humanity itself. Historically, our current throwaway society is an anomaly. Raw materials were valuable, and the most complete (re)use of all resources possible was essential. With the industrial revolution and the "50s syndrome" – cheap oil and cheaper raw materials – the value of things plummeted, making them increasingly disposable products. This led to mountains of waste, and we are still struggling with the consequences of this development today.
However, a return to a true circular economy does not work alone. It requires collaboration along the entire value chain, from fiber to reintegration into the next life cycle. Brands, producers, recycling partners, and consumers all share responsibility. To bring about sustainable industry change and shape the textile future circularly, both regulations and industry-internal solutions are needed. Only then can a circular economy be established as the standard in the textile industry.
For us, it's clear: the future of fashion is circular. Step by step, we want to contribute to circular products not remaining the exception, but becoming the new standard.
Learn more about our Journey to Circularity.
