MUNICH – A British organisation has secured EU approval for a certification that shows clothing can be recycled using technologies already deployed by European textile recyclers.
The move follows approval by UK authorities and is expected to see the ‘Infinitee’ mark associated with the certification appear on garments throughout the EU as soon as 2027′
It also comes as the EU tightens rules on textile waste, ecodesign and product information, increasing pressure on brands to back circularity claims with harder evidence.
The Circular Textiles Foundation said its “Infinitee” certification mark has now been recognised by the European Union Intellectual Property Office, following recognition by the UK Intellectual Property Office in 2024.
The development gives the British organisation legal standing to certify recyclable clothing across the EU as well as the UK, at a time when recyclability is moving higher up the industry agenda.
Speaking to Apparel Insider on the fringes of a busy Performance Days in Munich, founder Tim Cross said the mark is intended to provide verified proof that a garment has been designed to fit existing fibre-to-fibre recycling systems.
The foundation said the certification is different because its criteria are based on the technical requirements of major recyclers rather than on broader sustainability scoring systems. Those parameters are drawn from Circulose, Recover, OnceMore and the UK’s Project Re:claim.
In practice, that means certification is tied to whether a garment can be recycled without disassembly through existing fibre-to-fibre recycling routes.
Garments designed in this way can reduce sorting and disassembly costs, improve feedstock quality and support stronger recycled fibre output.
The announcement comes as recyclability has become a major issue at Performance Days, where circular textile systems, textile-to-textile recycling and product design are among the main talking points.
The Circular Textiles Foundation said the certification is designed to support the wider regulatory direction of travel in Europe and the UK. That includes mandatory textile extended producer responsibility systems, future ecodesign requirements and digital product passport rules, all of which are expected to increase pressure on brands to provide clearer product-level data and evidence around circularity claims.
Cross said its certification process starts with workshops and training, followed by the completion of a detailed Circular Bill of Materials for each garment. This is intended to help brands gather the material composition and construction data likely to become increasingly important for regulatory reporting and compliance.
Cross said the certification should be seen as one part of a wider system rather than as a standalone solution. The organisation’s broader work also covers durability, design changes and training, helping brands understand what can already be recycled, what needs small adjustments and which products remain difficult under current recycling systems.
Certified garments carry the Infinitee mark and a style-specific QR code intended to verify certification and support end-of-life guidance.
The mark is already being used commercially. BAM Clothing first received certification in 2022 for two outerwear styles and has since expanded this to 172 certified styles covering 124,755 garments. DHL, David Luke and Regatta Professional are also certifying products, while Seasalt is in the pipeline.
