Uniqlo’s circular initiative “Re.Uniqlo,” operated by Fast Retailing, Japan’s largest fashion company, is marking its fifth year. What began as a concept has evolved into a core business strategy, driven by Koji Yanai, group executive officer overseeing sustainability, and creative director Clare Waight Keller, who frames her mission as “designing the lifespan of clothing.”
 
Across the fashion industry, circular strategies are multiplying — global SPAs are strengthening garment collection schemes, while European luxury houses are elevating biodiversity as a strategic pillar. Uniqlo’s approach stands out by pairing donation-led cultural sensitivity with advanced recycling technologies developed in collaboration with Toray, and by linking corporate management directly with design.

Launched in 2020, Re.Uniqlo has expanded its scope from clothing collections to commercializing recycled down products, offering repair and remake services and resale pilots. This five-year phase has been about trial and error across the board, moving circularity from philosophy to practice.

Fast Retailing has pledged to shift 50 percent of all materials used to recycled or more sustainable alternatives by 2030. As of 2024, the ratio stood at 18.2 percent. Responsible sourcing guidelines now require traceability from the very top of the supply chain, starting with farms and mills. From 2023, this began with cotton products; cashmere followed in 2024, with wool added in 2025. Audits are now being rolled out across all stages, from raw material origin to garment manufacturing. Additionally, a proprietary Life Cycle Assessment framework requires suppliers to input environmental-impact data, which is verified by third parties. The numbers are visualized to inform sourcing criteria and investment decisions — essentially “pre-compliance” with Europe’s tightening CSRD and eco-design regulations.

On the production side, monitoring based on the 2004 Code of Conduct and employee hotlines reinforces human rights and labor protections. On the consumer side, the Re.Uniqlo Studio concept has expanded to 63 stores across 22 markets, fostering a “longer wear” culture through repair and embroidery. Within this framework, donations are positioned as a community contribution, while resale is seen as a social responsibility toward a circular society. Resale pilots are being tested in a shop-in-shop format to identify conditions for wider rollout.

Koji Yanai’s View: “Anchored in Customer Expectations”

Spearheading the strategy is Yanai, who defines the mission behind Re.Uniqlo in simple but universal terms: meeting customer expectations. From his travels to stores worldwide, he hears directly from customers whose criteria for “good clothing” now extend beyond quality, price and design to include safety and responsibility in production.

That, he said, is both a challenge and a constructive pressure. “Today, customers hold more information than we do. Even with eco-friendly products, if there is a price gap, the final decision rests with them.”

The trend toward spending only on what’s truly necessary has grown stronger post-pandemic, a trend now shared globally. Also, Yanai believes differences in sustainability awareness between Japan and the markets of Europe and the U.S. are narrowing.

In today’s hyper-connected world, where technologies and trends spread instantly, fashion tastes cross borders as seamlessly as soccer, music or film.  Yanai also views the tightening of European regulations positively, sometimes as an opportunity for past efforts to be reassessed. “If consumers demand transparency as a right, and it becomes a rule, then we will compete in accordance with those rules,” he affirmed.

He does not hide his frustration that Uniqlo is still sometimes categorized as “fast fashion.” He stressed, “Our clothes are made to last for years.” He cited the credibility of hearing directly from consumers who say, “I’ve been wearing this for five years.” To him, communication must not stop at intention: “It’s not enough to assume we’ve conveyed it. We have to persist until the message truly lands,” he said.

Clare Waight Keller’s View: “Designing With Longevity in Mind”

For Clare Waight Keller, design is both the entry and exit point of circularity. “My role is to think carefully about the lifespan of clothing,” she said. The goal: timeless appeal, high quality and functionality delivered together.

One example is the men’s sweatsuit launched in September 2023 under “Uniqlo :C.” A basic wardrobe item, it became a top seller within six months thanks to its contemporary silhouette and double-layered premium cotton. Repeat purchases followed, which Keller described as “a real answer to sustainable design that blends universality and quality.”

Her most significant challenge is evolving Uniqlo’s classics.  A French striped T-shirt has been updated with a modern touch, featuring an improved length and neckline. Even core products like Heattech are being elevated, with innovations such as lightweight cashmere blends. By continuing to use consistent fabrics and palettes across seasons, she advocates for “wardrobe longevity.” Recycling is important, she  emphasized, but it is not enough. “Sustainability is only genuine if the garment is made to last.”

Keller acknowledged that collection volumes remain low and sees the need to strengthen consumer engagement. Still, she imagines inspiration from the future moment when her own designs return through collection bins. “That would spark new ideas for reuse,” she said with a smile.

The cadence of her work has shifted dramatically from seven annual collections at luxury houses to just two at Uniqlo. She calls it “a luxury” to spend time scrutinizing fabrics and proportions before release. Her vision: carefully built timeless wardrobes, and ultimately, “a system where more and more of our clothes return to circulation, creating wardrobes that endure five, 10 years and beyond.”

The Strategic Agenda for the Next Decade

One pressing challenge is accelerating the switch to recycled materials. As noted, progress toward the 2030 50 percent target sat at just 18.2 percent in 2024. While polyester already achieves a 47.4 percent recycled input, natural fibers remain a bottleneck. Resale is still at the pilot stage.

Looking ahead, biodiversity will be critical. Uniqlo has begun collaborating with scientists at the University of the Ryukyus to assess the impact of cashmere herding in Mongolia. Using satellite imagery to analyze rainfall and desertification, and tracking rare species, the company aims to incorporate scientific insight on ecological risks alongside climate considerations.

The bigger question is how to maximize resources from the collected garments. Here, Uniqlo has already achieved one breakthrough: its down recycling scheme with Toray. At the heart of this is the separation machine at Toray’s Seta plant, which uses weight differentials and air flow to extract feathers even from garments with zippers and fasteners attached. The recovery rate is already at about 90 percent, with further improvements underway. Such technical foundations are what make circularity not just a philosophy, but a business.

Globally, governments and corporations are racing to build “fiber-to-fiber” recycling systems through innovation and regulation. With annual revenues topping 3 trillion yen, Uniqlo is positioning itself to lead its supply chain toward scalable solutions. Success would have ripple effects across the entire industry.

Notably, Uniqlo’s clothing collection began with donations, a practice that continues today. By August 2024, 58.97 million items had been donated to 81 countries and regions via UNHCR and other partners. Sorting centers follow strict cultural guidelines, filtering out prints that may evoke conflict, ensuring clothes can be handed over directly. Building on this foundation, Uniqlo is now looking beyond donations — advancing fiber-to-fiber technologies and scaling up resale — to address evolving consumer expectations.