Closing the loop on take, make, waste: Investigating circular economy practices in the Swedish fashion industry

TLDR

The fashion industry is highly wasteful, with fast fashion turning clothing into daily purchases, and the circular economy framework is emerging as a key strategy for a more sustainable, closed‑loop industry. The study examines how Swedish fashion brands apply circular economy principles. The authors interview 19 Swedish fashion brand leaders and map their circular economy strategies across take, make, and waste stages, while analyzing gaps between principles and practice. The study finds that brands must integrate circularity across the entire supply chain, not just waste, and highlights challenges and calls for further research.

Abstract

The fashion industry is one of the most wasteful consumer industries in the world. Through the advent of fast fashion – trendy, low-cost clothing produced by global fashion brands – clothing has evolved from a durable good to a daily purchase. In recent years, the concept of the circular economy, a framework for a more efficient, closed-loop economy, has emerged as a key way forward in the transition to a more sustainable and less wasteful fashion industry. This paper investigates how the Swedish fashion industry has implemented circular economy principles. Drawing on interviews with the founders, CEOs, and/or brand sustainability managers of 19 Swedish fashion brands, this article maps circular economy strategies across key stages: take, make, and waste. Crucially, for the fashion industry to move towards circularity, this paper argues that brands must integrate these strategies across supply chains, rather than limiting them to the waste stage. The analysis explores the gaps between circular economy principles and practice, identifying challenges inherent in fashion brand approaches. It concludes with recommendations for further study of the circular economy and the fashion industry.