This thesis explores how a batch of defective garments referred to as “Dead Products” can be reactivated through scalable, material-led remanufacturing. Dead products are defined as garments that retain full material and functional value but are deemed unsaleable due to production defects, trend misalignment or logistical issues. Despite having high potential for reuse, such products are not largely acknowledged in current research and policy, which primarily emphasize recycling and preventive design as circular solutions. As a result, dead products often enter the same waste streams as lower-value textiles which represent a significant loss of material and economic potential.

Through a design-driven case study, this research applies Flöde’s remanufacturing framework to develop and evaluate remanufacturing interventions aimed at reactivating the defective garment. The alterations were developed on a single defective coat representing a larger batch of 250 units with the same issue. Guided by a hands-on material analysis that identified key construction flaws and fabric behavior, the process involved eight iterative interventions across Flöde’s framework for value-adding upcycling. The applied strategies fell under the Updates and Rework categories where each respective intervention was assessed in terms of material efficiency, execution time, implementation difficulty and brand alignment.

The findings show that low- to mid-complexity interventions that are developed through adaptive, material-responsive methods can restore both functional value and commercial relevance, without full deconstruction. Moreover, through the methodological approach, the study demonstrated how scalability within circular design can be reached through the consistency of the results that the method provides. Showing that highly viable and relevant outcomes can be generated from unpredictable inputs.

In this way, this research contributes to the field of circular product development and remanufacturing by offering a structured, practice-based example of how dead products can be integrated into the supply chain as a potential resource. Similarly, it highlights how remanufacturing can be applied on textile waste products as a circular design strategy that can both add and retain inherent value.