Cycles of Resource, Cycles of Rubbish

The Circular Economy proposes a vision in which textile material flows are shaped to eliminate waste and keep resources in use. However, realizing this vision requires a shared valuation of textiles among actors across the value chain, which is often unrealistic in practice. This study asks how unwanted textiles are valued in a multi-actor context of a city? In response, it explores city actors’ evaluation of unwanted textiles, and reflections on the textile properties that shape their movements across the value chain—sometimes supporting circularity through reuse and recycling, and in other cases falling out of circular pathways. Drawing on Rubbish Theory, the research investigates the materiality of textiles through a case study set in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. It analyses data from semi-structured interviews with actors involved in Australian and Melbournian fashion and textile systems. The study contributes to underexplored discussions of circularity by illuminating the socio-material attributions of unwanted textiles. It shows how differing evaluations among city actors influence whether textiles are treated as waste or as a resource.