FashionTech
Can Brands Create A Circular System For The Massive Clothing Waste Problem (Forbes)
Summary: California’s SB 707 and Italy’s new EPR decree are forcing fashion brands to confront textile waste, but the infrastructure to handle the influx is not ready. Debrand’s transparency report shows that only 1.06% of processed apparel reaches true textile-to-textile recycling, while 70.54% is downcycled into insulation or padding. The real constraint is economic: recycling costs more than landfill, and overproduction remains the root problem. Brands like Vuori and Faherty are piloting takeback and resale programs, but scaling depends on regulation, investment, and a shift in merchandising habits.
Why it matters: For fashion operations and sustainability teams, EPR compliance will change cost structures, sortation capacity requirements, and merchandising decisions—forcing a re-evaluation of order volumes and circular revenue goals.
Context: France’s 12-year-old EPR framework offers a preview of what works, but the U.S. is only now building its first program under SB 707, with Landbell USA approved as the producer responsibility organization in February.
"Of that, 70.54% went to recycling channels, the majority through fiber reclamation, shredded into insulation, furniture stuffing or industrial padding rather than new clothing. Just 1.06% reached true textile-to-textile advanced recycling." — FORBES
Commentary: The 1.06% figure is the number to remember: it exposes the gap between ‘recyclable’ claims and actual closed-loop outcomes. EPR laws will flood the system with more used clothing, but without advanced sortation and T2T capacity, most of it will still be downcycled or burned. Brands that treat circularity as a compliance checkbox rather than a redesign of merchandising and revenue models will bear the cost. The real lever is making overproduction expensive—EPR fees on excess units could finally change that calculus.
Date: July 30, 2026 08:46 PM ET
URL: https://forbes.com/sites/eshachhabra/2026/07/30/can-brands-create-a-circular-system-for-the-massive-clothing-waste-problem
AI Sentiment Score: Negative (85%)
AI Credibility Score: 10.0/10 — High
Scores and text generated by AI analysis of the source article indicated.Indonesia’s PT Globalindo adopts GSDCost to boost planning (Fibre2Fashion)
Summary: PT Globalindo Intimates, a Central Java manufacturer of export underwear for Fruit of the Loom and Hanesbrands, is adopting Coats Digital’s GSDCost standard-time and costing system to replace ad-hoc planning. The company previously leaned on 10–15% overtime to hit deadlines, carried ~10% defect rates, and declined orders because capacity planning overstated utilization. Management expects up to 40% efficiency gains and at least 5% profitability improvement, plus the ability to forecast production needs six months out. The move also gives the firm a costing language its brand customers already recognize, shifting negotiations from dispute to alignment.
Why it matters: For apparel manufacturers, GSDCost adoption signals a shift from reactive overtime-driven production to standardized time measurement, which directly affects line balancing, cost-to-make credibility with buyers, and the ability to accept smaller, varied orders without margin erosion.
Context: GSD (General Sewing Data) is an established predetermined motion time system in garment manufacturing; Coats Digital has been pushing it as a digital standard for costing and capacity planning. PT Globalindo’s case illustrates how mid-size exporters use it to counter buyer pressure and internal inefficiency.
"Established in 2007 and based in Central Java, PT Globalindo Intimates employs over 3,800 people across a 32,000m² facility, producing export-quality women’s underwear for major international brands including Fruit of the Loom,." — FIBRE2FASHION
Commentary: The 10–15% overtime and 10% defect rates are the real story: those are not just cost leaks but signals of a planning system running on guesswork. Standardized SMVs give the plant a defensible basis for cost negotiations, which matters more than the efficiency claim itself. The six-month forecasting horizon is ambitious but plausible if GSD data is integrated with actual production feedback. Watch whether the 40% efficiency figure holds after the first full season—that would indicate the gap between theoretical and realized capacity was as wide as implied.
Date: August 01, 2026 08:43 AM ET
URL: https://www.fibre2fashion.com/news/textiles-technology-news/indonesia-s-pt-globalindo-adopts-gsdcost-to-boost-planning-310434-newsdetails.htm
AI Sentiment Score: Negative (72%)
AI Credibility Score: 10.0/10 — High
Scores and text generated by AI analysis of the source article indicated.Post ID: daab6af3