From Sustainable to Circular
As parents become more concerned with making sustainable choices for their children's wardrobes, there has been a rise in sustainable children's clothing options. Initially, this was evident in fabric choices, with certain materials considered more sustainable or less harmful to the environment than others. For example, organic cotton is often seen as a sustainable option because it uses less water than conventional cotton and can be certified by GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) as a responsibly grown resource. Other fabrics, such as bamboo, hemp, and linen, are also considered sustainable choices.
Circularity is the next stage in creating a more sustainable fashion industry, and children's clothing is particularly suited for incorporating circular practices. Because children outgrow clothes quickly, rental and resale platforms are becoming increasingly popular. But what comes next?
Longevity, Durability, and Recyclability in Children's Clothing
For rental and resale models to succeed, they must be supplied by brands whose children's clothing can withstand multiple little wearers. This is equally important for families looking to pass down clothing between siblings, cousins, or friends—garments need to maintain their quality through multiple uses.
The circular design principles of longevity, durability, and recyclability take this a step further. Garments should not only be durable enough to last through several wearers but also be designed from the outset to be recyclable. This ensures they can be transformed into new textiles at the end of their lifecycle, diverting them from landfills and contributing to new product creation.
What's Next For Recyclable Kid's Fashion?
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation estimates that if current growth trends continue, global clothing sales could triple to 160 million tonnes by 2050. Currently, the easiest way to recycle children's clothing is to use a single fibre per garment—such as 100% wool or 100% cotton—rather than blends like cotton/polyester. Recycling machines struggle to separate different fibres, which is why at Talou, we designed our debut collection using 100% wool for easier recycling.
According to the World Economic Forum, new textile recycling technologies are being developed and tested worldwide, but they are not yet ready for global adoption.
Scaling up recycling efforts is critical for the future of recyclable children's clothing. Currently, only 1% of global textile waste is recycled, with much of the rest sent to landfills—particularly in the Global South. Incorporating recycled materials can help change this trend. At the end of its life, recyclable children's clothing could become a valuable resource, processed in recycling plants in high-income countries. This would divert waste from the Global South and landfills, feeding it back into new products.
The World Economic Forum argues that expanding recycling infrastructure is the only way for the fashion industry to significantly reduce its environmental impact. It could also free up 2% of global cropland—currently used to grow raw materials for textiles—to be repurposed for food production, supporting local communities.
By embracing recyclable children's clothing, we can create a more sustainable future—one where garments are designed to last, be reused, and eventually be reborn into new products rather than contributing to the growing problem of textile waste.
