Should you rethink the cycling kit you're buying? Why circularity could be the future of sustainable clothing

According to the European Environment Agency (EEA), each European citizen throws away an average of 16kg of textiles each year. The EEA estimates almost 75% of this is incinerated or ends up in landfill, and some is shipped to Asia and Africa.

The reality of this is shocking. I’ve seen it first-hand at markets in Tunisia where hundreds of tables of clothing are piled high and sold for a few pounds, and global fast fashion brands do the same thing but on a much, much bigger scale around the world.

Albeit smaller than the big fast fashion manufacturers, cycling clothing is also part of this conversation, especially given the constant flow of new collection launches, designs and colourways.

The UN Environment Programme says 2-8% of CO2 emissions come from the textile industry, while the Ellen MacArthur Foundation says that only 1% of clothing is circular.

Circularity refers to the concept of keeping clothing in use for as long as possible, through reuse, repair, and recycling, essentially a loop, and eliminating waste. By comparison, the traditional manufacturing model is linear: clothing is sold to be worn and then disposed of, often without regard for repair and reuse.

Circularity has yet to become mainstream in the clothing industry, let alone the cycling kit sector, but French brand Velor is trying to change that. We spoke to Velor and other voices in the cycling industry to learn more about the future of sustainable clothing, and how cyclists can join that movement.

A world-first 'circular' cycling jersey

Velor, a brand founded in France in 2021, has created the first circular cycling jersey made from textile waste, could represent a major step forward for both the sportswear and textile industries. It took five years from concept to bringing the jersey to market, because Velor had to build every step from scratch.

"We started from nothing, and we had to build it ourselves," says Florian Jardin, who co-founded Velor with his brother Mickael.

"The whole value chain is very complicated because you start with low volumes, you grow step by step, and it's not standard fabrics."

The brand’s supply chain starts in France and the Netherlands with clothing collection, and heads through France, Germany, Spain, and Portugal for the final product, before closing the loop by returning to the collection stage.

Velor scaled its circular jersey gradually, from lab-testing a single jersey, to recycling 300 jerseys two years ago, to now processing at the one-tonne scale.

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The brand also worked with Maastricht University and its suppliers to understand the impact of its jersey and to quantify the life cycle assessment data. Jardin says the result is an infinitely recyclable jersey, made from 85% textile waste and a footprint of 0.9kg CO2 equivalent.

"If you look at a jersey made in China, the emissions are 3-4kg for an equivalent jersey with the same fabric, weight and construction," he adds.

Making less to last

Another non-traditional business model is using a pre-order system, which requires customers to wait for their kit to be made, but allows brands to produce only as much as they need.

Bristol-based brand Kostüme produces kits solely via pre-order. Founder Ed Bartlett says a pre-order model removes the waste which is baked into the traditional retail model.

"A lot of brands are trying to solve the wrong part of the problem by focusing on recycled fabrics and repair capabilities, but the problem is we're making too much stuff," says Bartlett.

"The research that I've done suggests 30% of products get sold at full price, 30% get sold at a discount, 40% don't ever get sold, and then a lot of brands have a 40% return rate, so even the stuff that they're selling gets returned, and these are big numbers.

"If you can cut that by even 10% or 20%, that has a much bigger impact than anything else."

Bartlett says his 55% returning customer rate and 100% year-on-year growth are proof that the pre-order model works.

Kostüme also doesn’t carry the cost of unsold stock which gives Bartlett flexibility. For example, Kostüme’s bib shorts use a separately applied gripper that adds two weeks to production time and costs more but virtually eliminates fabric waste.

The few items that aren't sold or are returned go to their Ready to Ship store, offering customers a chance to buy an item with a faster turn around time.

Swiss brand Assos recently tested the pre-order model through a jersey collaboration with One Garment at a Time (OGAT).

"The OGAT project was a way to test a new business model that brings us closer to the customer, letting us plan and produce with the goal of zero waste and zero excess stock," says Davide Colletto, quality, safety and environment manager at Assos.

"It is a more sustainable approach, and we are evaluating how this model could be extended to other parts of our range where it makes sense."

Why aren’t more brands trying to close the loop and reduce waste?

In the early days of Velor, Jardin reached out to many of the major brands in the hope of partnering with them, but he didn’t get much engagement.

"I spoke to all of them, but they said they weren’t interested, didn’t have time or it wasn’t in their strategy," he says.

He says cost was also a reason. Producing circular fabric costs about 11 times more than sourcing fabric from China, while manufacturing in Portugal costs five to six times more than in China, according to Jardin.

Jardin built these costs into the business from the start, but for bigger brands there would be a large cost for them to pivot their business model.

"The circular economy needs to deliver cheap products, and that means scaling up and getting the economies of scale", says Dr Sam Hampton, a lecturer and researcher in Environmental Governance and Behaviour Energy programme at the University of Oxford.

But, as Velor shows, that doesn’t exist yet.

Dr Hampton suggests a carbon tax on virgin raw materials which could be a lever to make recycled alternatives comparatively cheaper.

"You need to change the whole system in multiple ways, make the virgin competitors more expensive and the recycled competitive products cheaper, but that's a system-wide global challenge."

The domination of the traditional model means pivoting is difficult.

"The linear model still dominates the industry, but it's becoming harder to justify environmentally, commercially and in regulation," says Sam Wrest, senior ESG manager at Rapha.

"Circularity is the direction we're moving in, but in cycling apparel it comes with real technical challenges."

The materials problem

The technical challenges revolve around the difficulties of recycling mixed materials.

"Cycling kit relies on elastane blends, bonded seams, silicone grippers and chamois pads, which are very hard to recycle back into new fibre," explains Wrest. "Textile-to-textile recycling for these materials isn't commercially viable at scale yet."

Wrest says Rapha is exploring this area nonetheless, and expects to share more soon, but its current focus remains on durability, repairs and its trade-in service to extend the lives of existing garments. Danish brand Pas Normal Studios echoes these challenges.

"Right now, the most effective lever within our control is keeping products in use for longer, through quality, repairs and spare parts," says Fabian Pirrwitz, Impact and responsibility analyst at Pas Normal Studios.

Moving to mono-material – garments made exclusively of one fabric – is also not a straightforward solution, particularly not when it comes to technical or high-performance cycling clothing.

"Mono-material fabrics can make recycling easier, but the recycling and recovery infrastructure is still limited and not yet fully developed," adds Colletto of Assos.

"Different garments have different technical requirements, and a single material is not always the best way to achieve the performance, comfort and durability we need."

The challenges don't stop there, either. There is also the issue of synthetic fibres shedding microplastics during washing, and the long-term impact of things like PFAs, which were previously used extensively in cycling clothing and waterproofs. Whilst many brands are trying, the task of making cycling clothing sustainable and environmentally friendly is far from simple.

Proof and transparency

While Velor and Kostüme openly talk about their supply chains, some brands shy away from transparency over where your clothes come from and how they are made.

Several mainstream cycling brands operate with supply chains in China and Vietnam. Maap, Decathlon (Van Rysel) and Rapha manufacture some products in Asia.

Decathlon brand Van Rysel has removed carbon emissions information from its website for many of its jerseys, and some of its latest products don’t have any environmental initiatives linked to them, giving the impression that the brand is scaling back on its transparency and sustainability.

One Decathlon jersey still listed with emissions comes in at 4.9kg CO2 equivalent. We approached Van Rysel for comment, but did not receive a response in time for publication.

An upcoming EU regulation called the Digital Product Passport (DPP) scheme could change this lack of transparency in the world of cycling clothing. The DPP will require all textiles sold in the EU to include data across supply chains such as material, chemicals, origin, and recyclability. It is expected to apply by the end of 2029.

"I think what we need is more transparency… A name and a company for every step of the process," says Jardin.

Fabric certifications such as Bluesign and OEKO-TEX are often used to imply sustainability credentials, but they're not the be-all and end-all, and certainly don't cover all factors of production.

"A certified fabric doesn't tell you a brand's overall carbon footprint, the full picture of how workers are treated, or what happens to products when they reach the end of their life," says Wrest.

"Certifications are useful for managing specific risks in the supply chain, but they're a starting point, not proof of sustainability."

A more circular and less wasteful future?

With the recent record-breaking heatwaves and ongoing climate crisis, it would be logical for consumer habits to change – not just as shoppers all wake up to the impact that unsustainable consumption and business practices can have on the world around, but in response to climate change itself.

Dr Hampton predicts a drive for new lighter summer kit which performs in the heat, rather than less buying overall, for example.

For traditional business models, upcoming regulation will force them to pivot to more transparent practices, but the costs of going circular and lack of recycling infrastructure remain significant hurdles for many brands.

However, Velor’s innovation with an infinitely recyclable jersey shows us what is possible and showcases how a circular clothing economy could work.

Similarly, Kostüme’s business success highlights a consumer desire for a different way of thinking, but both Kostüme and Velor are small parts of a much wider and impactful cycling clothing ecosystem.

"We’re a drop in the ocean ultimately, but hopefully we can scale this to a point where it’s inarguable, and people can’t shy away from it," says Bartlett.

But with major player Assos testing the waters with pre-order, and Rapha focusing on garment longevity, perhaps the future of cycling clothing is a little bit rounder after all.