Upcycling: 100x1000: a Step Towards Circular Fashion

Working together on the future of upcycling as a standard in fashion

On the 28th of November, DCTV - Ketenregie, in collaboration with Rethink Rebels, organized an inspiring event on upcycling.
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Earlier this year, with support from Rijkswaterstaat - Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW), the advantages and disadvantages of upcycling were explored together with an enthusiastic group of frontrunners: Studio Anneloes BV, 10DAYS, Patta Exclusive Sneakers BV, and King Louie. This work revealed that upcycling – transforming unsold stock or returns into “new” items – can be efficient, beneficial for people, planet, and profit, and highly impactful when efforts are combined, and synergies are leveraged.

This event brought together pioneers from the fashion and textile industry to explore the possibilities, challenges, and innovations surrounding upcycling. It was a day full of knowledge sharing, collaboration, and action-oriented plans to give upcycling a structural place in the industry.

Inspiration and action

During the event, knowledge and inspiration was shared, new insights were gained, and plans were discussed to further professionalize and integrate upcycling into the textile industry.

This led to several solution directions:

Offer training opportunities: Training should be provided not only for designers but also for internal teams, as upcycling cannot be solved by designers alone.
Support the creation of a business case: Organizations need assistance in identifying the business case and added value that upcycling can bring to their specific operations. Only then can individuals or teams within a company take action and contribute to achieving the goal of scaling up upcycling.
Influence legislation and regulations: Advocate for financial incentives for upcycling, such as tax reductions on materials or eco-modulation in the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework.
Create a one-stop shop for expertise and support: A centralized hub for upcycling knowledge and support is needed—where can companies turn for guidance, and who can they contact to share experiences?Set up a matchmaking platform: Connect the supply of materials (e.g., unsold stock from brands) with processing and sales opportunities (such as designers and ateliers).
Set up a matchmaking platform: Connect the supply of materials (e.g., unsold stock from brands) with processing and sales opportunities (such as designers and ateliers).
Pool campaign funds: Collaborate on marketing efforts to make upcycling the ‘new normal’ through targeted storytelling that highlights its positive impact and business potential for different audiences.

Ambition of the Upcycling Group

The goal is to demonstrate the business case for upcycling and scale up its application.

Ambition for 2025:

At least 100 organizations join the initiative.
At least one of the outcomes from the November 28 meeting is developed and tested.
A clear framework for monitoring progress (effect/impact) is established.
Showcase events are organized, including in September 2025 and on October 8, 2025.

Goals for the next 3 years:

An inspiring ecosystem for upcycling and collaboration is established.
100 organizations each transform 1,000 garments into high-quality upcycled products.
Insights into the social and environmental impact of upcycling contribute to the development of UPV 2.0 (Extended Producer Responsibility).
Upcycling is (partially) incorporated as a mandatory requirement in the new EPR framework.

Join the Movements!

Do you want to contribute to circular textile industry? Join our movement and discover how your organization can embrace upcycling.

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Let's transform the textile industry together and make a circular future a reality!

Get in touch

Left any questions or you want to write a message to us?

Contact us

info@textielregie.nl