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Global Fashion Agenda Takes a Stand Against Textile Waste in Türkiye

In a significant move towards sustainability, the Global Fashion Agenda (GFA) has announced the launch of the Circular Fashion Partnership: Türkiye. This initiative is designed to foster the development of a circular textile system in Türkiye, focusing on capturing and recycling post-industrial textile waste. The announcement came during the Sustainability Talks Istanbul event, marking a pivotal moment in the fight against textile waste.

What the Circular Fashion Partnership Aims to Achieve

Scheduled to commence in early 2026, the Circular Fashion Partnership Türkiye is all about revolutionizing textile waste management within the country. The key objectives of the initiative include:

• - Establishing textile waste management systems in factories
• - Enhancing traceability through digital tools
• - Connecting manufacturers with recyclers to ensure effective recovery of textile waste. Additionally, the program aims to provide suppliers with support to keep pace with evolving policy frameworks while encouraging collaboration on a national scale.

As a prominent hub for apparel manufacturing, Türkiye is uniquely qualified to leverage its integrated industry, proximity to the EU, and increasing regulatory mandates aimed at reducing waste and emissions. This initiative will build on Türkiye's strengths by developing scalable models for improved waste segregation and fiber-to-fiber recycling while creating domestic recovery paths that minimize reliance on new materials and landfills.

A Model for Global Change

This initiative is part of the broader Global Circular Fashion Forum (GCFF), which aims to promote post-industrial textile recycling through local partnerships in key manufacturing regions. Following successful implementations in countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, and Indonesia, Türkiye becomes the fourth nation to adopt this operational model, which has already digitally traced over 21,000 tonnes of textile waste and established connections between more than 100 factories and 20 global brands with recycling partners.

The partnership in Türkiye will cater to local conditions while adapting best practices from other nations. In 2026, it will actively engage stakeholders throughout the value chain with targeted activities such as:

• - On-site waste management assessments
• - Training and capacity-building programs via a Train-the-Trainer model
• - Recycling pitch sessions and matchmaking events
• - Conducive dialogues such as roundtables and policy discussions with critical national players.

By implementing these initiatives, the partnership aims to future-proof Türkiye's textile ecosystem, unlock economic opportunities from waste, and contribute to a circular economy in one of the world's leading sourcing territories.

A Vision for Circularity at Scale

Federica Marchionni, CEO of Global Fashion Agenda, expressed her optimism regarding this initiative, stating, "Türkiye represents a critical opportunity to accelerate circularity at scale. Our goal is to foster local collaboration and unlock innovations that can serve as a global model for textile-to-textile recycling. Such partnerships are essential for addressing textile waste while promoting climate goals, regulatory compliance, and long-term industry competitiveness. This is a crucial step toward a just and circular transition."

Brands operating in Türkiye that are interested in effectively managing their post-industrial textile waste can register their interest in participating in the Circular Fashion Partnership Türkiye by visiting the GFA’s website. This initiative stands to not only support brands in compliance with regulatory standards but also contribute to a larger goal of sustainable fashion practices worldwide.

For more detailed information about the Global Circular Fashion Forum and the Circular Fashion Partnership Türkiye, visit Global Fashion Agenda.