Special Report Rethink how clothes are treated A pile of unwanted garments


data. Brands often have limited visibility beyond their immediate supply chains, and even less insight into what happens to products after sale.


For decorated garments, this opacity is even greater. Once a printed T shirt is sold or distributed, tracking its lifecycle becomes nearly impossible. Was it worn regularly? Donated? Thrown away after a single use?


Without this data, it is difficult to design effective circular systems or measure their impact. It also makes it harder for decorators to substantiate sustainability claims. Digital product passports and improved traceability systems are often cited as solutions, but these require significant investment and co-ordination across the value chain.


The missing middle


Even if design and data challenges were solved, the physical infrastructure needed to support circularity leaves much to be desired.


Collection systems are inconsistent. Sorting facilities are limited and often not equipped to handle complex or decorated textiles. Recycling technologies, particularly for blended fibres, are still emerging. This creates a bottleneck. Garments may be collected, but not effectively processed. Valuable materials are lost, and the economics of recycling remain weak. For the garment decoration sector, this raises difficult questions. If a printed garment cannot be easily recycled, what is the most responsible approach? Should decorators prioritise durability and reuse over recyclability? Or invest in new materials and techniques that support circular outcomes? There are no easy answers, but the status quo is clearly unsustainable.


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The consumer paradox


Consumers are often positioned as the key to unlocking circularity. Yet their behaviour is shaped by the very system the industry has created.


Low-cost, high-volume production has reduced the perceived value of clothing. Garments are worn fewer times, cared for less, and replaced more frequently. Convenience often outweighs sustainability.


A T shirt branded for a specific event or company has limited resale value. Its identity is fixed, making it harder to re-introduce into the market. This highlights a critical point: Circularity is not just a technical challenge, but a cultural one. It requires a shift in how garments are perceived and used.


From competition to co-creation One of the clearest messages from industry research is that circularity cannot be achieved in isolation. The textiles ecosystem is highly fragmented, with multiple stakeholders—brands, manufacturers, decorators, recyclers, policymakers. This limits the sharing of knowledge, resources, and risk.


Collaboration could take several forms: working with brands to develop circular-friendly designs, partnering with recyclers to understand material constraints, or participating in industry initiatives to establish common standards.


There is also an opportunity to rethink business models. Rental, repair, and remanufacturing services offer alternative pathways that align more closely with circular principles.


Regulation


While progress has been slow, regulatory pressure is building. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, eco-design requirements, and digital product passports are all on the horizon, particularly in the EU. These frameworks aim to shift responsibility for end-of-life impacts back onto producers, creating financial and operational incentives to design for circularity.


For UK-based businesses, this presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Navigating a patchwork of international regulations will be complex, but early engagement could provide a competitive advantage.


Garment decorators, often operating as suppliers to larger brands, will need to align with these requirements. This may involve changes to materials, processes, and documentation, potentially reshaping the sector in the years ahead.


From ambition to action Circularity in garment decoration is not impossible, but it is far from straightforward. The barriers are systemic: Design constraints, data gaps, infrastructure limitations, consumer behaviour, and regulatory complexity. Addressing them requires more than incremental change. It demands a co-ordinated, industry-wide effort. For decorators, the path forward may involve difficult trade-offs. Balancing creativity with recyclability, speed with sustainability, cost with long-term value. But there is also an opportunity to lead. By engaging with circular design principles, investing in new technologies, and collaborating across the value chain, the sector can play a pivotal role in shaping a more sustainable future for textiles.


May 2026 | 39 |


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