Prototyping a Circular Supply Chain for Pre-consumer Textile Waste

The linear model of production and consumption in the fashion industry generates vast amounts of textile waste, posing a major environmental challenge. While Circular Economy principles offer viable alternatives, their implementation remains hindered by supply chain fragmentation, cultural and technological barriers. This paper explores the SCAR.TO project, an initiative funded by the Regione Toscana, which aims to prototype a structured circular supply chain in collaboration with a leading industrial holding operating across Italy’s fashion sector. By integrating multiple stakeholders, including fashion brands, manufacturers, and recycling facilities, the project seeks to prototype scalable solutions for waste reduction and material reintegration. The study therefore discusses the operational challenges of circularity, the policy frameworks supporting circular transitions, and the preliminary findings emerging from SCAR.TO’s implementation. Ultimately, the project provides a multi-level approach to address the complexities of circular transitions in the Made in Italy fashion system.