Tiếng Việt
October 25 – 26, 2026 | Tuy Hoa, Dak Lak
The transition toward circular fashion is currently facing significant hurdles, from technical barriers in closed-loop (textile-to-textile) recycling infrastructure to public awareness. Understanding these practical challenges through daily operations at Green Gem Shop, social enterprise Keep Vietnam Clean brought forward its initiative to build a sustainable fashion ecosystem at the Vietnam Zero Waste Forum 2026 (held on October 25–26 in Tuy Hoa, Dak Lak). This initiative represents a strategic effort to mobilize collaborative resources and curb post-consumer textile waste.
Table of Contents
- Context and Challenges: Post-Consumer Textile Waste
- The Establishment of the Circular Fashion Network (CFN)
- Solutions for Infrastructure and Closed-Loop Recycling
Context and Challenges of Circular Fashion: Recycling Post-Consumer Textile Waste
The Mission of Green Gem Shop
Founded in 2019 as a fundraising initiative for the social enterprise Keep Vietnam Clean, Green Gem Shop was established with a clear mission: to promote circular fashion and reduce post-consumer textile waste. Over seven years of dedicated operation, Green Gem Shop has made measurable contributions to diverting discarded apparel from landfills:
- 71 tons of pre-loved items collected and processed since 2019.
- Approximately 80% of collected goods successfully reused through secondhand retail channels or community donation programs.
The Bottleneck of Low-Value Textile Waste
Textile recycling, particularly for post-consumer garments, faces numerous technical constraints within Vietnam’s current waste management infrastructure. According to assessments by UNDP and GIZ, an estimated 10% to 25% of fabric used in garment manufacturing in Vietnam ends up as post-industrial waste, the vast majority of which is downcycled into lower-value products or diverted to incinerators and landfills.
However, one of the most critical challenges identified by Keep Vietnam Clean after seven years of managing Green Gem Shop lies in post-consumer apparel: 20% to 30% of collected garments cannot be reused due to severe tearing, degradation, or unwearable quality.
This problem is further compounded by the fiber composition of discarded textiles. Practical field surveys show that synthetic fibers account for an overwhelming 50% to 60% of textile waste requiring treatment, while polycotton blends make up 20% to 30%. The predominance of non-biodegradable synthetic fibers and complex fiber blends creates a major technical bottleneck for manual sorting and limits downstream recycling interventions.
At the forum, KVC underscored that managing textile waste—particularly blended fabrics, synthetics, and low-utility clothing—is a complex systemic problem exacerbated by material composition and inadequate processing technologies. Resolving this bottleneck demands practical interventions, closer integration across the entire textile value chain, and shared commitment from businesses, recycling processors, and local communities.
The Establishment of the Circular Fashion Network (CFN)
During the forum, KVC introduced the foundation of the Circular Fashion Network (CFN), emphasizing that no single store or organization can resolve the textile waste crisis in isolation.
CFN was officially established to retain apparel in the economy at its highest utility and value through an interconnected loop: Reuse – Repair & Upcycle – Recycle.
Since its inception, CFN has achieved notable milestones in network building and community engagement:
- Uniting 11 green micro and small enterprises (MSMEs) to share technical resources and collaborate on textile offcut and used-garment solutions. Significantly, 80% of participating businesses are women-owned.
- Spreading Community Awareness: The Circular Fair & Forum series engaged over 300 in-person attendees and generated more than 20,000 online impressions, encouraging sustainable fashion habits among the public.
- Broadening Multi-Stakeholder Dialogues: Initiating high-level discussions on post-consumer textile circularity alongside international partners such as GIZ Vietnam, Investing in Women, Pacific Environment, and TAGOM.
Solutions for Infrastructure and Closed-Loop Recycling
Despite vast potential, Vietnam’s circular fashion landscape continues to encounter systemic obstacles. The market currently lacks comprehensive data on secondhand traders, garment turnover volumes, and surplus inventory handling. More critically, closed-loop (textile-to-textile) recycling infrastructure for synthetic and blended fibers remains underdeveloped, while industrial recycling plants impose strict requirements regarding minimum collection volumes and raw material purity. Furthermore, consumer demand for upcycled and recycled fashion has yet to reach the critical scale needed for commercial self-sufficiency.
To address these hurdles, Keep Vietnam Clean and Green Gem Shop are actively implementing targeted pilot initiatives:
- In-Depth Waste Stream Research: Conducting detailed analyses of urban textile waste volumes and material compositions to standardize sorting protocols in line with industrial recycler requirements.
- Industrial Recycling Partnerships: Establishing collaborative agreements with technical partners and processing facilities to pilot closed-loop fabric-to-fiber recycling processes.
- Expanding Strategic Drop-Off Points: Increasing community-based collection stations integrated with standardized sorting protocols right at the source.
Partner with Keep Vietnam Clean and Green Gem Shop to Drive Sustainable Impact
Join the Circular Fashion Network
The rapid rise of textile waste calls for urgent, collective action across society. Keep Vietnam Clean welcomes partnerships with organizations, enterprises, and individuals who share our vision for advancing circular fashion in Vietnam. Join our network to scale up recycling initiatives, encourage responsible consumption, prolong garment lifecycles, and create lasting positive impact for both the environment and society.
Collaborate and join the network: Click here
Give Pre-Loved Clothing a Second Life by donate for Green Gem Shop
Every mindful everyday choice strengthens the circular fashion ecosystem. If you have gently used clothes or accessories that are still in good condition, consider to donate them to Green Gem Shop. Your support not only diverts wearable garments from landfills, but also directly funds meaningful environmental programs led by Keep Vietnam Clean.
Donate used clothing to Green Gem Shop: Click Here
Support Keep Vietnam Clean’s environmental initiatives: Donate Here
