The Social Implications of Circular Clothing Economies in the Global North

Abstract

The clothing industry is a hotbed for exploitative working conditions and environmental damage, of which affluent global North countries remain a substantial driver. The circular economy is a potential solution to these issues, but its social implications remain unclear. Using the UK as a case study, this article analyses the global social impacts of a transition to circular clothing economies in the global North, finding these to be (almost) entirely dependent upon the intentions and design of the associated policies and governance, as well as broader socio-economic changes. Some aspects of a transition will be unambiguously good for some people; others will only be beneficial with careful governance. Moreover, entrenched global economic inequalities leave trade-offs borne largely by the global South, highlighting the need for circular economy research—its drive for localization notwithstanding—to look globally to consider how a fair transition can be achieved.