Eco group Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has released the latest results of the industry’s progress towards the ‘UK Textiles Pact’ which targets a 50% reduction in carbon and 30% reduction in water by 2030. And those results don’t make good reading.

While it shows carbon’s down 6% and water’s down 9% per tonne compared to 2019, “the progress made at a per tonne level has been eradicated by the continued growth in the production of new products – something WRAP has issued stark warnings about”, the report highlighted. 

So with 17% more textiles for sale in 2024 compared to 2019, the Pact’s total carbon footprint is up 10% while water use is 7% higher, highlighting the “radical transformation [that] will be needed to meet… crucial milestones”.

But following “urgent talks with signatories”, there’s now a new Roadmap to meet 2030 targets, “having identified the barriers preventing the scale and speed of progress needed to achieve the Pact’s goals and turn the tide on the impact of the textiles industry”, the report said. 

That means a new UK Textiles Pact Roadmap is “setting a new direction for the sector through collaboration”.

This will include focusing attention on the most impactful actions through the introduction of new indicators, “enabling signatories to reduce time deciding what to do and increase time acting; encouraging greater flexibility by providing a framework for signatories “allowing them to lean harder into some indicators relative to others in accordance with their individual business needs, which collectively will add up to the Pact’s shared targets”; and tackling upstream emissions through the introduction of a new workstream on ‘Supply Chain Decarbonisation’.

Catherine David, CEO at WRAP, said: “The Textiles sector is as fizzing with innovation and new thinking as ever. As a sector we face a huge challenge: how to decouple commercial growth from the use of carbon and water-intensive primary materials, and make the transition to Circular Living – with better products and services for consumers.

“Through the UK Textiles Pact, we’ve seen game-changing advances in the technologies and business models of the future with new collaborations challenging old assumptions and turning what was niche into mainstream consumer behaviour.

“Our new Roadmap provides updated tools and pathways for the next phase of circular growth in our textiles sector – together we’ll crack the systemic challenges that prevent the scale of change needed, and provide rocket fuel to the innovations which can accelerate the pace of change, in pursuit of our shared environmental goals, and a thriving and exciting textiles industry.”

Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh added: “We are committed to moving towards a circular economy where waste is cut and resources are valued; fashion should not cost the Earth. Through our Circular Economy Strategy, we will support growth in the sustainable textiles sector, and I welcome the updated UK Textiles Pact Roadmap as a key step in driving climate action and circular innovation – as well as encouraging reuse and repair.

“WRAP’s new Roadmap sets a plan for achieving true circularity in the industry and we welcome the opportunity to work with as many businesses as possible to join us on this journey.”