Circularity is often introduced through the problem of textile waste: discarded clothing, production offcuts, unsold inventory, and the environmental consequences of disposal. Waste management is important, but a broader industrial perspective asks a different question: how can textile materials retain value for longer, and how can the recovery and reuse of those materials create new economic activity?

For Africa’s CTA sector, this question has several dimensions. Factories can reduce waste at the production stage through better cutting layouts, improved process control, inventory management, and the recovery of usable offcuts. Manufacturers may be able to reuse certain production residues internally or sell them to businesses that can process them into other products. Repair, reuse, resale and remanufacturing can create additional services and employment, while fibre recovery may eventually support new material supply chains.

These activities do not all require the same technology or investment. Some waste-reduction measures can be implemented through operational improvements. Others, particularly textile-to-textile recycling, may require specialized machinery, reliable feedstock collection, sorting systems, fibre identification, material separation and significant capital.

However, while mechanical recycling can be useful for suitable materials, it may shorten fibres or affect quality. Also, blended fabrics can be difficult to separate, while chemical recycling approaches have their own technical, economic and environmental requirements. Collection and sorting are also essential: recycling facilities cannot operate competitively without a consistent supply of material that meets their processing specifications.

The current scale of textile-to-textile recycling illustrates the challenge. Textile Exchange reported that less than 1% of global fibre production in 2024 came from recycled pre- and post-consumer textiles, while much recycled polyester was produced from plastic bottles rather than discarded textiles. This indicates that a large gap remains between the circularity ambitions of the industry and the scale of textile materials being recovered into new textile fibres.

Africa could participate in closing this gap, but the strategy must begin with local material flows and realistic market opportunities. Countries with established apparel manufacturing may be able to prioritize factory offcuts, which are often easier to identify and sort than mixed post-consumer garments. Cities with significant second-hand clothing markets may present opportunities for repair, resale and reuse, alongside the need for better management of garments that cannot be reused. Agricultural residues or other locally available materials may offer additional possibilities where suitable processing technologies and markets exist.

These opportunities should be evaluated carefully. Imported second-hand clothing, for example, can support affordable access to garments and livelihoods, but the volumes and condition of incoming material can create waste-management pressures. A circular strategy should not assume that all used clothing is reusable or that recycling can absorb all residual material. It must include prevention, reuse, repair, sorting, recycling and responsible management of waste that cannot be recovered economically.

The United Nations Environment Programme’s Innovative Business Practices and Economic Models in the Textile Value Chain programme works with governments and small and medium-sized enterprises to support circular business models, improve resource use and reduce environmental impacts. Its approach illustrates why circularity must be embedded in business processes and policy rather than treated solely as an end-of-pipe waste intervention.

For Africa, a practical starting point is to map the quantity, quality and location of textile waste and identify the uses that are technically feasible and commercially viable. That assessment should precede large investments in recycling capacity. It should also identify the standards, infrastructure, finance and buyer relationships needed to turn recovered material into reliable industrial inputs.

Resource: UNEP — Innovative Business Practices and Economic Models in the Textile Value Chain (InTex)