Quantifying Circularity

Written by Mariana Ortega Ramirez, Senior Sustainability Analyst and Tess Konnovitch, Scientific Marketing Manager

The Challenge: Proof at Scale

When Accelerating Circularity set out to scale circular textile systems, they faced a fundamental question: how do you prove that recycled textiles actually perform better environmentally than virgin materials? The answer required rigorous life cycle assessment (LCA) work embedded in real-world production trials—not theoretical models, but actual yarns, fabrics, and finished products made from mechanically and chemically recycled fibers. In our July 2025 Brown Bag Webinar, Sarah Coulter, US Program Director at Accelerating Circularity, walked through how her team partnered with EarthShift Global to quantify the environmental impact of their textile-to-textile recycling initiatives, and what those numbers reveal about the future of circular fashion.

The challenge Accelerating Circularity tackled was systemic. Circular textiles aren't just about collecting and recycling fibers—they require coordination across collectors, sorters, recyclers, yarn spinners, fabric mills, and brands. Over five years, Accelerating Circularity brought together more than 74 companies across the entire supply chain to develop what they call "system trials," with the goal of creating repeatable, scalable pathways for postconsumer textiles to become new materials. But scaling requires proof: evidence that the environmental investment in collection, sorting, and recycling doesn't outweigh the benefits of avoiding virgin production. That's where LCA became critical.

Screening LCA: Modeling Real Production

EarthShift Global developed a screening-level LCA model that allowed Accelerating Circularity to map each process stage—from collection through yarn spinning—and model different blend ratios and recycling technologies. The results were striking. In one trial with 100% postindustrial recycled cotton, impacts were 45-70% lower across all environmental categories compared to virgin cotton. In another model using a 60% recycled cotton and 40% recycled polyester blend, water consumption dropped by 90%. Even more granularly, when just 40% recycled cotton displaced virgin cotton in a yarn, water use and eutrophication decreased 40%, while global warming potential and abiotic depletion fell 20%. These weren't theoretical projections—they were grounded in primary data from actual trial partners and real production processes.

The Real Impact: Understanding Environmental Trade-Offs

What makes this work particularly valuable is what it reveals about the environmental trade-offs in circular systems. Transportation, a concern for many circular advocates, actually contributes only about 10% to eutrophication impacts and is negligible in other categories. Manual sorting and preprocessing—labor-intensive steps—have minimal environmental footprint. The real opportunities for impact reduction come from avoiding virgin material production in the first place. This insight changes how brands should think about circular strategies: the environmental benefit isn't about optimizing collection logistics, it's about displacement. When you use recycled fiber instead of growing new cotton or refining new polyester, you avoid the most impactful stage of those materials' lifecycles.

From Theory to Practice: Lessons from Production Trials

The trial itself revealed practical lessons about bringing circular textiles to market. Accelerating Circularity developed nine different yarns from their recycled cotton blend, tested them across jerseys, denims, and canvas, and worked with brands to create finished products that met industry performance standards. The fabrics passed all testing requirements and proved repeatable—a critical milestone for moving from proof-of-concept to commercial scale. Designers learned that certain color choices in denim washdowns negatively impact fabric strength, revealing new design considerations for "designing into circularity" rather than just designing for it. These product-level insights, paired with environmental data, give brands the full picture needed to make circular sourcing decisions.

The Missing Piece: The Business Case

Perhaps most importantly, Sarah emphasized that the industry's biggest challenge isn't data—it's deployment at scale. Brands want to know: can you deliver circular materials at the same cost as virgin alternatives? That question points to a broader reality: environmental impact data is necessary but insufficient. The future of circular textiles depends on infrastructure aggregating post-consumer feedstock, coordinated collection systems spanning states and regions, and partnerships between waste management entities, retailers, and recyclers. The environmental case is made. The business case is what the sector is actively still building.

Moving Forward: Transparency and Scalability

Accelerating Circularity is moving forward with full, publicly available LCAs for specific supply chains in their building markets program—covering mechanically recycled cotton, thermomechanically recycled polyester, and chemically recycled polyester. These studies will provide the transparency the market is demanding. For companies considering circular sourcing, the takeaway from this work is clear: LCA data grounded in real production systems provides the clarity needed to make impact-driven decisions. Quantifying circularity isn't an academic exercise—it's the foundation for scaling it.

Ready to Quantify Your Circular Strategy?

If you're considering circular sourcing for textiles or other materials, understanding the environmental impact of your supply chain decisions is critical. EarthShift Global specializes in screening-level LCAs, production-scale trials, and communication strategies that help you translate LCA findings into business decisions.

Book a free 30-minute consultation to explore how LCA can quantify the environmental benefits of your circular strategy.

Interested in learning more about Accelerating Circularity? Watch our Brown Bag Webinar featuring Sarah Coulter from Accelerating Circularity or connect with ACP directly.