Circular Fashion Education Toolkit
Online Learning Resources for Students and Teachers
- Advertise
To tell the public about a product or a service in order to encourage people to buy or to use it. Advertising can take many forms and be used across many platforms such as the Internet, social media, in-store, newspapers, magazines, catalogues and television. - Aniline
A toxic chemical in the form of a colourless, oily liquid. Aniline is used to make products such as synthetic dyes, agricultural chemicals, plastics and medicines. It may be released into the environment from its production or use, which can contaminate air and water. While exposure to very small amounts of aniline is still safe, exposure to large amounts can pose a threat to human health, causing the blood disorder methaemoglobinaemia. - Aniline-free
Being aniline-free means that the substance does not contain aniline – a toxic chemical used in a variety of products, and can pose a threat to human health if exposed to at large amounts. Aniline-free varieties of a substance, for example aniline-free synthetic dyes, are often seen as more sustainable alternatives to their synthetic counterparts as it reduces the harm to human health.
- Biodiversity
All the different kinds of life found in one area. Biodiversity is often disrupted by human activity throwing ecosystems off balance. - Biodegradable
The ability of an item to decompose (or be broken down) by bacteria or living organisms. - Business model
A plan for the successful running of a business, including its goals, sources of revenue (money), who the customers are, how they will be reached, etc.
- Carbon footprint
The amount of carbon dioxide that is produced by the activities of a person, company, industry or product. - Certified Organic
A label given to organic products which have approval from an authoritative independant body like Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), who check the cycle from growth to end product to ensure sustainable standards are met. Depending on the type of product, the requirements will vary. - Chemicals
Artificial substances that are used for all kinds of purposes. Some of the chemicals used in the fashion industry include pesticides (which for example are used to stop insects eating cotton plants), fertilisers (which are added to soil to make plants grow more successfully) and dyes (which are used to change the colour of fabrics). Chemicals can be hazardous which means that they are potentially dangerous to someone or something’s health, or toxic which means that they are poisonous. - Circular economy
An economic model whereby resources never end up as waste. It is based on three principles: design out waste and pollution, keep products and materials in use, and regenerate natural systems. - Climate action
The act of doing something to reduce or stop climate change and prevent serious and permanent damage to the environment. - Climate change
Changes in the earth’s weather, including changes in temperature, wind patterns and rainfall, especially the increase in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere that is caused by the increase of particular gases, especially carbon dioxide. - Clothing banks
Garment collection stations in the community, placed by a charitable or commercial organisation, where consumers can bring their used clothing for it to be sorted and redistributed for resale, re-use and/or recycling. - Clothing drives
Events where unwanted clothing is collected from individuals and most commonly donated to charity or sold to raise funds for charity. - Closed loop system
A system where the same materials are reused over and over again, conserving natural resources and diverting waste from landfill. - Consumer (of clothing)
A person who buys clothing or uses clothing services like renting clothing. - Consumption (of clothing)
The act of buying and using clothes. Today we have a problem of “overconsumption”, i.e. we are buying and using more clothes than we need, adding to the negative environmental and social impacts of the fashion industry. - Consumption (of resources)
The process of using natural resources or materials to satisfy human wants or needs for goods and services. - Conventionally grown
Conventionally grown crops are crops that are grown using artificial chemicals including fertilisers, pesticides and insecticides, as well as genetically modified seeds (sometimes also referred to as traditionally or commercially grown). - Cotton
A natural fibre used to make clothing, commonly used in T-shirts and jeans. Cotton fibre is produced from cotton plants, which are grown in warm countries like India, have soft white hairs around their seeds, and require a lot of land and water to grow. - Cotton bolls
The fluffy and round cotton clumps that are the mature fruit of the cotton plant, with soft white hairs surrounding their seeds.
- Deforestation
The act of cutting down or burning trees. - Degradation
The process of something being destroyed or deteriorated. For example, environmental degradation would mean the deterioration of the environment through damage and destruction caused by resource depletion, pollution, etc. Other types of degradation include soil degradation and land degradation. - Denim
A type of cotton fabric, most often blue in colour and used for jeans and other clothing. - Discount
To reduce the usual cost of something. - Dispose of (clothing)
To get rid of unwanted clothing, either by sending it to landfill or by incinerating it. - Dyeing/Dye
Dyeing is the process of adding colour to yarn or fabric using dye, often done by soaking the material in a liquid containing dye. Dyes are either “natural”, which means that they come from plants or minerals, or “man-made”, which means that the dye is made artificially.
- E-commerce
Buying or selling goods or services over the Internet. - Eco-Labels
Environmental claims made on a product or through advertising using certifications, standards, logos, symbols or certain types of sustainability vocabulary e.g. organic, natural. - Economy
A system that includes the production and consumption of goods and services. In this Toolkit we discuss two different economic models: a linear economy, and a circular economy. - Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a community of living organisms, such as animals and plant life interacting as a system. Ecosystems are often disturbed or destroyed by human activity throwing off the natural balance and causing negative implications. - Elastane
A synthetic fibre made of polyurethane, a material derived from petroleum. It can be incorporated into fabrics to increase their stretchiness, making them more flexible. - Energy
Energy is used to produce electricity, which is needed in the fashion industry to run machines and provide lighting in factories, offices and retail stores, as well as to provide fuel for things like cargo ships which transport clothes around the globe. Non-renewable energy is made by burning fossil fuels. It includes coal and oil, which are scarce resources and emit large amounts of greenhouse gases when they are burned. Renewable energy comes from renewable sources e.g. solar energy (from the sun), wind energy (from wind turbines) and hydro energy (from water). - Environment
The natural world in which people, animals and plants live, alongside with air, water, land and sunlight. - Environmentalist
A person who is interested in the natural environment and wants to improve it and protect it. - Ethical fashion certifications
Given to products to help verify their environmental and social credentials. Some examples include Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), Cradle to Cradle, Fair Wear Foundation and Oeko-tex standards.
- Fabric
Material used for making clothes. Fabric is made by weaving or knitting fibres like wool or cotton. - Factory (textile)
A building where clothing is made. The people who work inside factories are called factory workers. Factories where people work for very low wages in poor conditions are sometimes called sweatshops. - Fast Fashion
A production model whereby fashion brands seek to manufacture clothes cheaper, faster, and in larger volumes. It is often associated with low-cost retailers, but also applies to many mid-priced and high-end fashion brands. - Fertilisers
Fertilisers are added to soil to help plants grow more successfully by providing nutrients. They are either “natural”, which means that they are derived from plants or animals, or “man-made”, which means that the fertiliser is made artificially using chemicals. In the fashion industry, conventionally grown cotton can use chemical fertilisers, which can have damaging effects to human and wildlife. - Fibres
Thin strands of thread used to make fabric. Fibres are either “natural”, which means that they come from plants or animal hair, or “man-made”, which means that the fibre is made artificially rather than occurring naturally. Examples of natural fibres are cotton and wool. Examples of man-made fibres are polyester, nylon and viscose. - Finishing
A process to improve the look and feel of a textile or clothing. - Fossil fuels
Fuels such as coal or oil which are finite resources and emit large amounts of greenhouse gases when burned.
- Genetically modified organisms (GMO)
Organisms whose genetic material has been changed through genetic engineering in ways that do not occur naturally. In the fashion industry, this is most often used in natural fibre production to ensure greater success for the crop, for example increased pesticide resistance or improved crop yields. - Globalisation
The process by which different cultures and economic systems around the world are becoming interconnected and more similar to each other. - Greenhouse gases (GHGs)
Gases including carbon dioxide that trap the heat of the sun, causing a slow steady rise in the temperature of the earth’s atmosphere. - Greenwashing
A term given to misleading, exaggerated or untrue claims about a product’s environmental benefits in a company’s communications.
- Incineration
The act of burning waste, including unwanted clothes, at high temperatures until it is completely destroyed. - Indigo dye
A dark blue dye that is commonly used in cotton and denim products such as jeans. Indigo dye is either “natural”, which means that it comes from plants, or “man-made”, which means that the dye is made artificially using chemicals. - (The) Industrial Revolution
The period in the 18th and 19th centuries in Europe and the US when machines began to replace tasks previously done by hand, and industry grew rapidly. - Industry
The people and activities involved in producing a particular thing, or in providing a particular service. For example, the fashion industry refers to the people and activities involved in producing and selling clothes. - Influencer
A person with the power to influence the purchasing decisions of other people simply by wearing or being seen with an item. Influencer is a common term for a relatively new phenomenon on social media where a person typically has a large number of followers who they engage with on social media and regularly enters into commercial partnerships with brands to promote their products. - Innovation
An innovation is a new idea or way of doing something that has been introduced or discovered, for example, a new fibre. “Innovative” describes a person or business that introduces new ideas or ways of doing things. - Insecticides
Chemical or biological substances used to stop insects from eating crops by killing them. In the fashion industry, conventionally grown cotton uses various insecticides, which can have damaging effects to human and wildlife. - Irrigation
The practice of supplying land with water so that crops and plants will grow.
- Landfill
An area of land where large amounts of waste, including unwanted clothes, are buried under the earth. - Lifecycle
The journey a product makes from the extraction of its raw materials, through production and usage, all the way through to its disposal or recycling. - Linear economy
An economic model whereby resources are taken from the environment, then made into products that are used and finally disposed as waste. It is also called a “take, make, dispose” model.
- Manufacturing
The business or industry of producing goods in large quantities, usually in factories. - Marketing
The activity of presenting, advertising and selling a company’s products or services in the best possible way. - Microplastics
Extremely small pieces of plastic found in the environment (e.g. the ocean) occurring from human activity. Clothes made from plastic-based fibres like polyester, nylon and acrylic shed microplastics when they are washed. Microplastics pose dangers to marine life who ingest the plastics, and could in turn pose dangers to people who consume seafood.
- Natural resources
Materials that come from the environment, e.g. land, water, wood, oil and coal. Many of these resources are scarce, which means that there is only a limited amount of them, and non-renewable (or finite), which means that once they are all used-up they will be gone and cannot be manmade. This is why it is important to protect natural resources and to use them sustainably. - Non-genetically modified organisms (non-GMO)
Organisms that are not genetically engineered, meaning their genetic material occurs naturally and has not been altered artificially. - Non-renewable (natural resources)
If something is non-renewable it means that once it is used-up it cannot be replaced; we can’t make more of it. Some natural resources are renewable, like wind energy and solar energy.
- Organic
Produced without using artificial chemicals such as chemical fertilisers, chemical pesticides, or chemical dyes.
- Pesticides
Chemical or biological substances used to stop pests from eating crops by killing them. In the fashion industry, conventionally grown cotton uses various pesticides, which can have damaging effects to human and wildlife. - Petroleum
A thick oil found deep beneath the earth’s surface. Petroleum is a type of fossil fuel, meaning that it is a non-renewable resource as it takes millions of years to form from the remains of ancient marine organisms such as plants, algae and bacteria. It can be made into gasoline, polyester, elastane and other products. - Pollution
The process of making air, water, soil, etc. dirty. The fashion industry is the second-biggest polluter of clean water out of all industries. (The first-biggest is agriculture.) - Polyester
A man-made fibre made from oil that is found in most of our clothes. Polyester is also a type of plastic and exists for a very long time, including in landfills. (When thrown in landfill, polyester can last up to 200 years - almost the same as trashing single-use plastic bottles). - Polyurethane
A plastic material made from petroleum that can exist in many forms. It can be either rigid or flexible, and made into flexible materials such as elastane. - Post-consumer clothing waste
Clothing that has been purchased/used by consumers and has become unwanted. - Pre-consumer clothing waste
Manufacturing waste (for example, excess unsold garments, or sample garments) that has not reached the consumer. - Production (of clothing)
The process of making clothes (e.g. growing the cotton, turning the cotton into fibres, weaving fibres into fabric, and sewing fabric into clothes). More than 100 billion new items of clothing are produced every year. This issue of over-production is causing harm to people and our environment. - Protect
To make sure that somebody (e.g. the people who make our clothes) or something (e.g. our environment including the land, water and air) is not harmed, injured or damaged. What can we do to protect people and our environment?
- Raw material/Virgin material
Material that is still in its natural form and has not been processed. Products made using raw material after a manufacturing process. It is also called virgin material. - Recycle (textiles)
Recycling textiles means breaking down used clothing or fabric and reprocessing it into another product. Clothing can be recycled into lots of different products including insulation for cars, stuffing for furniture or new clothing. At present there are three different ways to perform textile fibre recycling: mechanical recycling, chemical recycling and biological recycling. - Regenerate
To regenerate something is to make something develop and grow strong again. - Regulations
Official rules made by Governments or other authorities. Regulations can be used to protect people and the environment. - Rental
A business model where consumers pay a fee to borrow an item such as clothing, for a specific event or short period of time, before returning it to the business for it to be rented-out to another customer. - Repair
To fix something that is broken, damaged or torn. A repair business model is where brands provide a service whereby they collect broken, damaged or torn clothing from their customers, fix it, and return it to the customer. - Resale
A business model where companies collect used clothing that has become unwanted by one person and sell it to another person. - Retail
The selling of goods to the public, usually through shops, whether online or offline. - Re-use
Re-using clothing means taking clothing that is no longer wanted by one person and giving, selling or swapping it with another person for that new person to wear. - Rubbish
Things that you throw away because you no longer want or need them.
- Scarce (i.e. scarce resources)
If resources are scarce it means there is a finite amount of them relative to current demand, or that they are rare and only available in small quantities. - Secondhand
A product that is acquired after it has already been used by someone else. - Slivers
Thick, fluffy ropes of fibre are known as slivers, which can be spun and twisted together many times at spinning facilities to produce yarn. - Sludge
A thick and mud-like substance that is produced from a range of industrial processes – from wastewater treatment to manufacturing processes like stonewashing. - Social media
Websites and apps used for social networking, such as Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, WhatsApp, WeChat and TikTok. - Soil degradation
The decline in soil quality due to loss of organic matter, decreased soil fertility, erosion, pollutants or excessive flooding and irrigation. - Spinning
The process of transforming fibres into yarn. This process is usually done at spinning facilities. - Subscription rental
A business model where consumers pay a set fee per month to rent a number of pieces of, for example, clothing, wear the clothes for a short period of time, and return them afterwards - a bit like a library. - Supply chain
The steps and resources involved in the production of a product from raw materials extraction, all the way through to transporting it to the consumer. - Sustainable
Using natural resources and energy in a way that meets the current population’s needs while preserving for the future. - Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are global goals and targets for sustainable development, developed by the United Nations in 2015. There are 17 goals and 169 targets to reach them. - Sustainable Fashion
Clothing that is produced with consideration to the environment and social impacts throughout its lifespan. - Swap/swish (clothing)
The free exchange of garments between people. - Synthetic dye
Man-made dyes created using a chemical process. They are different from natural dyes, which are derived from plants and minerals. - Synthetic (fibres)
Synthetic fibres are made by people using a chemical process. They are different to natural fibres, that are derived from living things.
- Takeback
A term used by companies collecting unwanted or used items from their customers. - Takeback programme
A system where brands collect unwanted clothes from their customers in store or by post, in order to keep them in use and save them from landfill. - Technology
Scientific knowledge used in practical ways in industry, for example in designing new fibres or new machines. - Textile waste
Waste fabric and clothing that occur at many points across the production and consumption of clothing such as through fabric sampling, when excess fabric is left after pattern cutting or during the cut-and-sew process, as well as clothing discarded by brands and consumers. - Textiles
Any kind of cloth made by weaving or knitting. Clothing, curtains, towels and blankets are all made from textiles. - Transparent business
Being completely open and honest about your business practices. - Transportation
A system for carrying people or goods from one place to another using vehicles, roads, etc. - Trend
Something that becomes fashionable and that a lot of other people copy.
- Upcycle
Upcycling clothing means prolonging the life of waste textiles through creativity by transforming materials into products of equal or higher quality.
- Viscose
A man-made fibre regenarted most often from wood pulp or in some cases other plants such as bamboo.
- Wastewater
Water that contains pollutants and contaminants, often having been used by humans. Wastewater can be produced by industrial processes such as garment manufacturing. - Wastewater treatment
The process of removing contaminants from wastewater such that it can either be recycled and reused in garment manufacturing factories – in the washing and laundering process – or safely released into the environment. - Weaving
A way of producing textiles by interlacing yarns or threads to form a fabric. - Wool
A natural fibre made from animal’s wool.
- Yarn
A thread made up of strands of twisted fibres – slivers – that can be used for knitting or weaving. - Yield
The amount produced. For example in cotton production, the yield means the amount of cotton produced from a farm.
- Zero-Waste
Zero-waste is a design technique that eliminates waste at the design stage. There are various approaches to making a zero-waste garment, for example draping, knitting or using a zero-waste pattern. The number one rule is that there should be no wastage.
Explore Our Other Resources
Explore Our Learning Modules
1
More, more, more
Overproduction, overconsumption & fast fashion business models
2
Fashion’s dirty secret
Clothing pollution & textile waste
3
The future of fashion
Innovative technology & circular business models
ABOUT REDRESS
Redress is a pioneering Hong Kong based environmental charity with a mission to educate and empower the fashion industry and consumers to reduce clothing’s negative environmental impact by shifting to circular solutions. Our education programme focuses on educating consumers in Hong Kong of all ages about their fashion footprint and empowering them to drive change through circular solutions like buying more responsibly, donating clothes for reuse, or shopping secondhand.
ABOUT THE ECF CIRCULAR FASHION EDUCATION TOOLKIT
This bilingual education toolkit including a handful of student and teacher resources is funded by the Environment and Conservation Fund and the Environmental Campaign Committee. It was designed in consultation with teachers and curriculum advisors from the English Schools Foundation, the Education Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and our wider network of Hong Kong schools, who provided invaluable guidance, support and feedback.