Circular Clothing Pilot
CARE’s Circular Clothing Pilot empowers households to embrace circular habits, reduce textile waste and extend the life of their clothes. Let’s transform Europe’s wardrobes – one thoughtful choice at a time.
Why Circular Clothing Practices Matter
Each year, over 5.8 million tons of clothing are discarded in the EU, contributing to global pollution and waste (Source: European Comission). Clothing production and consumption leave a significant environmental footprint, from water pollution to greenhouse gas emissions (Source: Hot or Cool Institute). CARE’s Circular Clothing Pilot empowers households to adopt sustainable habits that reduce waste, lower energy use, increase product lifespans and encourage mindful consumption.
Across five CCRI regions – Finland, Sweden, Norway, Germany, and Estonia – we collaborate with households to develop practical solutions tailored to local cultures, norms, and systems. Together, we’re aiming to set a new standard for circular clothing practices in Europe.
Circular Clothing Pilot: Objectives
The Circular Clothing Pilot supports CARE’s mission to create sustainable households by addressing key challenges in clothing consumption. With a focus on reducing waste and energy use and fostering circular habits, the pilot empowers households and communities to embrace solutions that lead to measurable and lasting change. Let’s explore how the Circular Clothing Pilot is shaping a more sustainable future:
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Extending Clothing Lifespan
CARE’s Circular Clothing Pilot aims to increase material efficiency by encouraging households to reduce purchases of newly made clothing by 50 % through extending the life of their existing garments and acquiring second-hand instead of buying new.
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Empowering Households
CARE equips households with the tools and knowledge they need to take charge of their clothing consumption. Through engaging interventions, tailored advisory services, and hands-on support, participants learn to identify wasteful habits, reduce washing frequency, and plan wardrobes effectively.
By fostering thoughtful consumption and reducing clothing purchases, households experience tangible benefits such as lower clothing expenses, more efficient wardrobes, and enhanced personal well-being. These changes empower households to create lasting positive impacts – one outfit at a time.
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Creating Local Communities
The Circular Clothing Pilot brings households together through a vibrant online platform, encouraging peer-to-peer learning and collective action. This setting inspires participants to adopt circular habits and share successes. By fostering a sense of community, the pilot amplifies individual efforts, sparking broader societal change and creating a collective movement for sustainable living.
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Adapting to Local Needs
Recognising the diversity of clothing consumption habits across Europe, CARE will adapt its interventions to fit the local context. This includes cultural norms, local infrastructure, and regional practices. These “socio-technical systems” – the interplay of behaviours, cultural values, and technological infrastructures – shape how clothing is consumed and cared for. By embracing local nuances, the Circular Clothing Pilot ensures solutions are both practical and culturally relevant, proving that sustainability thrives in diversity.
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Contributing to Policy
CARE’s Circular Clothing Pilot bridges the gap between households and policymakers. By conducting wardrobe studies, surveys, and ethnographic research, the pilot generates valuable data to inform effective policies. These insights help to shape impactful regulations that align with local and EU sustainability goals.
Interventions
CARE’s Circular Clothing Pilot empowers households to make impactful changes by focusing on three key areas: sustainable care and maintenance, thoughtful wardrobe planning, and creative repair or redesign. Together, these interventions equip participants with the knowledge and skills needed to extend the lifespan of their clothing and cut energy and water use while embracing more circular consumption habits.
Clothing Care and Washing
Proper care is the foundation of a sustainable wardrobe. CARE’s interventions introduce households to efficient and eco-friendly laundry practices that reduce wear and tear on garments while minimising environmental impact. Participants explore the benefits of washing less frequently, using gentle cycles, and choosing energy-efficient washing techniques. By focusing on fabric care and mindful cleaning, households learn how small changes in daily habits can preserve their clothes for longer and reduce their overall carbon footprint.
Wardrobe Detox
Rethinking how we interact with our wardrobes is a powerful step toward reducing waste. CARE’s wardrobe detox intervention helps households rediscover the value of the clothes they already own. Participants engage in exercises to review and organise their wardrobes, identify versatile pieces, and find a new home for items they no longer need. By planning a more functional and intentional wardrobe, and having a better knowledge of what is in your wardrobe households are empowered to resist overconsumption while embracing a mindset of sustainability and simplicity.
Repair and Redesign
Mending or redesigning garments offers households the opportunity to extend the lifespan of their clothing effectively and creatively. CARE’s engaging intervention and resources teach participants basic repair skills, such as sewing buttons, patching holes, and fixing zippers, as well as more advanced redesign techniques for refreshing outdated items. This intervention inspires a mindset of resourcefulness, showing households how small efforts can keep clothing in use for longer while fostering a personal connection to their garments.
By addressing clothing consumption habits holistically and empowering households to take charge of these different areas, CARE’s Circular Clothing Pilot demonstrates how small, actionable steps can lead to meaningful environmental and increased wellbeing.
Meet the Experts
CARE’s Circular Clothing Pilot is driven by a passionate team led by OsloMet, working alongside with regional partners including IVL in Sweden, EcoFellows in Finland, Asker Municipality in Norway, Lääne-Härju Municipality and Zero Waste Estonia in Estonia, and Verbraucher Initiative in Germany. Together, their expertise ensures interventions are innovative, impactful, and regionally adaptable.
Meet Our Project Partners
Let’s team up!
CARE’s Circular Clothing Pilot invites researchers, community leaders, policy makers and industry experts to collaborate on sustainable solutions. Join us in taking CARE: Small actions, big impact in Europe’s wardrobe.
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