Taking responsibility for clothing circularity: Learnings from a global scan1

This article examines how product stewardship (PS) and extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes are being deployed around the world to promote a circular economy transition for fashion and textiles. A desktop analysis of initiatives in twelve jurisdictions across four continents was undertaken, and the lens of regulatory theory was used to categorize initiatives. The majority of PS initiatives are voluntary in nature and have a general bias towards environmental and economic concerns. Arguing for a place-based approach to regulating that is closely attuned to the local context; this article applies regulatory theory to propose sanctions and supports that may be progressively employed to strengthen regulation over time. This article offers a global look at initiatives supporting the transition to a circular economy for clothing and contributes to scholarship on how theories of circularity, responsibility and stewardship are applied and practised around the world.