Circularity in fashion is the kind of idea that gets a lot of attention—endless conference panels, glossy brand campaigns, hopeful talk about closing the loop. But if you want to move beyond slogans and really understand whether the fashion industry is changing, you need to know where to look and how to measure. This is where ISIC codes, which may sound arcane to the uninitiated, quietly become central to the story.
Start with the basics: ISIC 1410 covers the preparation and spinning of textile fibers. ISIC 1511 covers the manufacture of leather garments. For anyone tracking the shift toward circular fashion—recycling, upcycling, reuse—these are logical places to begin. By identifying firms registered under these codes, analysts can at least see the structure of the industry: who’s operating where, and how concentrated certain activities are in different regions.
But counting firms is just the beginning. The real challenge lies in mapping which companies are actually engaging in circular practices. This is where the work gets a little messy, a little creative. Analysts can review company reports, certifications, or voluntary disclosures to flag those mentioning recycling or upcycling operations. Sometimes, it means poring through sustainability reports; other times, it’s as simple as following local news or trade association bulletins for mentions of new circular initiatives. The process isn’t perfect—some firms overstate their efforts, others fly under the radar—but over time, patterns emerge.
To measure impact, the next step is to survey material inputs and waste outputs. Firms willing to disclose how much of their feedstock comes from recycled sources (textile remnants, leather offcuts, post-consumer goods) are sending a signal that’s easy to track—at least for those who bother to look. Likewise, reporting on waste outputs—whether that’s landfill, incineration, or reintegration into production—offers a glimpse of whether circular claims translate into real change.
Of course, the reporting landscape is uneven. Some regions or sectors have mandatory disclosure regimes; others rely on voluntary, and often inconsistent, data. Analysts have to navigate these gaps, triangulating from public statements, regulatory filings, and sometimes even direct surveys. Over time, the effort pays off. You begin to see clusters of activity—cities or regions where circular fashion is more than a buzzword, and where networks of suppliers, processors, and designers are actually building new business models around reuse.
What’s easy to overlook is how circularity in fashion is as much about relationships as about raw numbers. A single spinning mill (ISIC 1410) sourcing 30% of its input from recycled fibers can transform the market for local waste collectors. A leather garment manufacturer (ISIC 1511) investing in upcycling technologies can create new partnerships with smaller workshops or community enterprises. The ISIC codes help to reveal these linkages—not just who is doing what, but how change ripples outward through the supply chain.
Naturally, there are limits. Not all circularity is visible in official classifications, and some innovations blur the boundaries between sectors. Firms sometimes overstate their green credentials, and waste flows are notoriously difficult to track. Yet for all these imperfections, using ISIC codes to anchor analysis gives policymakers, investors, and advocates a way to separate signal from noise—to see not just where circular fashion is being discussed, but where it’s actually taking hold.
Measuring circular fashion through ISIC is a kind of detective work—equal parts data, curiosity, and skepticism. It’s about turning industry promises into evidence and asking, again and again, if the fabric of the sector is really changing, or just its rhetoric. With patience and persistence, it’s possible to spot real progress—thread by thread, garment by garment, company by company.