From “Waste” to Worth:
How Garson & Shaw Is Advancing Circular Textiles

Every year, World Circular Textiles Day (celebrated globally in mid-October) reminds us that the linear “take-make-dispose” model of fashion is not sustainable. The textile industry is one of the most resource-intensive globally. But there’s another path — one rooted in reuse, repair, repurpose, and recycling.

We’re proudly joining the conversation for #WorldCircularTextilesDay!

At Garson & Shaw, we’re committed to helping drive that shift, not just in rhetoric, but in concrete action.

In honor of this year’s observance, we’re proud to spotlight

1. Our Guatemala secondhand clothing trade study

2. Our Upcycling Project in Costa Rica

 

Unpacking Our Guatemala Report: Trade, Impact & Circular Insights

In July 2025, Garson & Shaw published a comprehensive study: Secondhand Clothing Imports from the United States to Guatemala: A Study of Trade, Distribution, and Local Impact.

Some of the key findings and lessons:

• In 2023, Guatemala imported 131.25 million kilograms of secondhand clothing (HS 6309 category), of which 98.6% originated from the United States.

• Waste levels in the imported bales ranged from 9.2% to 11.8%, for unsorted goods; when goods are pre-sorted (clasificados), waste drops to as low as 5%.

• In the operations of Megapaca (a leading retailer in Guatemala and one of our downstream partners), 91.6% of their SHC (secondhand clothing) imports were reused, and only 3.27% became non-recyclable waste.

• NovaFiber, is turning unsellable textiles into usable items — for example, mattress stuffing and pet beds — ensuring by-products don’t simply go to landfill.

• From a socioeconomic lens: Among 382 traders surveyed in Guatemalan informal markets, 60.7% were women — showing how accessible the SHC sector is for female entrepreneurship.

• Traders report a positive impact on household finances (94.2%) from participating in the SHC trade.

Why this matters for circular textiles:

• It underscores how reuse is viable at scale — not just a niche.

• It highlights how local sorting and distribution add value, preserve employment, and reduce waste.

• It demonstrates that waste isn’t inevitable — with proper sorting, upcycling, and recycling, even the lowest-value materials can still contribute to circular loops.

• It surfaces policy risks: for example, mandating pre-sorting before export could undermine local value chains and displace livelihoods.

Through this study, Garson & Shaw reinforces that circular textiles are not just about materials — they’re about balancing environmental goals and socioeconomic equity.

Spotlight: The Costa Rica Upcycling Project

In 2025, Garson & Shaw launched a new upcycling initiative in Costa Rica.
The goal: to convert post-consumer textiles (or worn goods that cannot be directly resold) into new, useful products — extending life cycles and improving material recovery across the supply chain.

Here’s what the project is doing:

• Through design, sorting, and processing, we transform these textiles into new goods (e.g. accessories, home goods, or raw input for soft goods).

• The initiative helps mobilize local capacity: training, employment opportunities, and skills transfer in circular practice.

• It also fosters community awareness: demonstrating first-hand that textile “waste” is a resource waiting for transformation.

We see this as a pilot with potential to scale — a model for how secondhand trade, local craftsmanship, and innovation can converge.

Toward a More Circular Textile Future: Our Commitments & Call to Action

On World Circular Textiles Day, it’s worth reflecting: the tools of circularity are not just technical. They are social, economic, and political. Through our research and projects, Garson & Shaw is committed to:

• Supporting transparent, data-driven reporting (as in the Guatemala study)

• Investing in local sorting, upcycling, and circular enterprises

• Designing responsibly — prioritizing reuse over downcycling

• Advocating for policy frameworks that protect local economic inclusion

• Partnering across sectors — from NGOs to artisans to governments

What can you do?

• Donate quality clothing (clean, wearable) instead of discarding it

• Support brands and initiatives that practice textile circularity

• Raise awareness: share facts, speak with your community

• Demand regulation that fosters reuse, not bans it or locks it behind expensive compliance

As we observe World Circular Textiles Day, let’s envision a world where every garment has multiple lives, where textile waste is rare, and where people and planet both benefit.

At Garson & Shaw, we believe in making that possibility real — one bale, one upcycle, one study at a time.

This World Circular Textiles Day, our message is clear: Reuse is an impactful practice that needs to be prioritized.

#WCTD2025 #GarsonShaw #ReuseBeforeRecycle #CircularEconomy #SecondHandClothing #Sustainability