"Second Pattern" From Deadstock to Design: Scaling remanufacturing in the fashion industry

AI Quick Summary

New EU legislation banning the destruction of unsold goods creates an opportunity to extract value from brands' waste and reintroduce it back into their value chain.We address Challenge 7 and 8 - investigating the feasibility of a computational decision-support system for remanufacturing - through LCA, material flow analysis, brand interviews and product attribute mapping. We aim to build the evidence needed to scale end-of-life circular solutions (7) whilst identifying where remanufacturing can enable new value creation from unsold inventory (8). a) Can remanufacturing decisions for clothing and accessories be computerised by product data and pattern blocks?b) LCA-based quantification to distinguish if remanufacturing, recycling, resale or donation would be the most preferable strategyThis research would lay the foundation for a platform that could translate unsold goods or deadstock into a creative and commercial opportunity. 

Project Idea Metadata

• Project Idea Name: "Second Pattern" From Deadstock to Design: Scaling remanufacturing in the fashion industry
• Date: 4/20/2026 3:50:58 PM
• Administrators:
  • Lexi Beeken

Project Idea Description

New EU legislation banning the destruction of unsold goods creates an opportunity to extract value from brands' waste and reintroduce it back into their value chain.

We address Challenge 7 and 8 - investigating the feasibility of a computational decision-support system for remanufacturing - through LCA, material flow analysis, brand interviews and product attribute mapping. We aim to build the evidence needed to scale end-of-life circular solutions (7) whilst identifying where remanufacturing can enable new value creation from unsold inventory (8).

a) Can remanufacturing decisions for clothing and accessories be computerised by product data and pattern blocks?
b) LCA-based quantification to distinguish if remanufacturing, recycling, resale or donation would be the most preferable strategy

This research would lay the foundation for a platform that could translate unsold goods or deadstock into a creative and commercial opportunity.