UK retailers partner with charity and development firm on new project named The Circuit, joining wave of industry sustainability efforts.
New Look, Marks & Spencer (M&S), and Sainsbury's Tu Clothing have formed a partnership with Oxfam and Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems to introduce a new circular textile initiative called The Circuit.
The announcement comes amid a flurry of sustainability activity across the fashion sector. Levi Strauss & Co. and M&S, working with SE Advisory Services—the global consulting arm of Schneider Electric—have launched the Fashion Renewable Collaborative. Unveiled during New York Climate Week on September 22, 2026, this initiative targets global fashion industry environmental challenges.
Research published September 21, 2026, from the University of Oxford's Smith School of Enterprise and Environment and DIRT Charity reveals the fashion industry's extensive land use. When leather and wool production are counted alongside textile crops, the sector influences nearly one-third of the world's agricultural land.
Industry professionals will gather September 23, 2026, at the UK Fashion and Textile Association's Sustainability Conference in London. Under the theme "Progress in Practice," the event will explore how emerging technologies can advance from development into commercial application.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation announced August 13, 2026, that it will collaborate with the United Arab Emirates on a national textiles circularity policy framework. This work supports the UAE's Naseej initiative, a Presidential-level program advancing the country's circular economy transition.
Scientific research is also tapping unconventional materials. A study funded by Inditex and conducted by MIT and the University of La Coruña is investigating brewery waste as a resource, the researchers announced August 4, 2026.
In June, textile-to-textile recycling company Reju became Recycling Europe's newest partner. Patrik Frisk, Reju's chief executive officer, stated: "This partnership underlines our commitment to advancing textile circularity and supporting recycled materials markets."