Resources & Publications

Beyond Green, Circle Economy’s signature textiles event, held in collaboration with the Amsterdam Fashion Institute, is an annual symposium on the future of fashion that uses the collective power of students and industry to tackle critical issues throughout the fashion system. The next edition of Beyond Green will be held on the 20th of October 2017 and will build on the momentum of the initiatives and targets the circular textiles and fashion arena has launched and set over the past quarter. It will move beyond the 'why?' and set to work on answering the much needed question of 'how?’On the agenda? Our 5 step plan to circularity! To give you a preview of what’s to come, we will be releasing a series of blogs to individually introduce each of the 5 steps over the next few weeks. Sign up for updates on Beyond Green or keep an eye out on our website and social media accounts for upcoming blogs in this series![hr]The first step brands need to take on the way to circularity is to create demand for (and demand!) recycled fibres, and actively encourage a sourcing culture and buying standard that support recycled content. The good news is: they already can, and so can you.With a rising global population and decreasing availability of natural resources, curbing the demand for virgin fibres is more imperative than ever. Growing crops like cotton and flax are water and land-intensive, when both resources are set to become scarcer (and no less important for food security) in the future. In fact, raw material prices are already on the rise, and it makes little sense to increase our consumption of synthetics when that requires more oil extraction — another dwindling and volatile commodity… As the industry begins to revamp its current systems, brands can start weaning themselves off of virgin fibres and introducing recycled content into their modus operandi. Critics may argue that the supply is not there yet, but the supply/demand relationship is positively correlated: the more brands demand recycled material, the more widely available and affordable these fabrics will become. So what options do brands already have?Keeping it in the familyFibre-to-fibre recyclingSourcing fibres and fabrics made with recycled textile inputs reduces pressure on our natural environment by reprocessing the textiles that are already in the system. There already are innovations that allow brands to source recycled textiles without having to sacrifice quality or aesthetics. Mechanical recyclers, such as Brightloops, Recover, and Wolkat, continue to make great strides in creating yarns whose quality is comparable to virgin, and are moving toward a competitive price with a fraction of the environmental impact. Meanwhile, blossoming chemical recycling solutions, like the ones  Worn Again, Ioniqa and EvRnu are developing will help to fast track the textile industry into the future.One’s waste is another’s treasureWaste-to-fibre recyclingA myriad of new materials are being pushed to the market, challenging the industry to rethink what fabric is and what it can be. Many innovations focus on capturing and converting natural (bi)products that are currently  wasted into new pulps, yarns, and fabrics: cow manure to fabric, citrus fruit to garments,mushrooms to leather... the list goes on. Such new materials have the capacity to broaden and therefore diversify our materials library, decreasing our dependency on mega fibres such as cotton and polyester. Sound good? Here’s what you can do to get started:

• Assess your collections to identify key product groups, i.e. bestsellers and those never-out-of-stock items, that are suitable to convert to recycled content. The constant and consistent demand of these products will allow you to smartly integrate more recycled content in the long term, meet your sustainability goals, and begin to reduce the price of recycled textiles by increasing the demand!
• Start sourcing circular fibres, yarns, and fabrics. This will create incentive and support for those suppliers that are diligently producing recycled content.

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Curious for more? Stay tuned for our next blog and make sure to sign up for updates on Beyond Green!

Are you a brand sourcing recycled content? We’d love to hear from you!

Matthieu Bardout (Circle Economy), Jelmer Hoogzaad (Shifting Paradigms)In December 2015, 195 nations signed the Paris Agreement on reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, committing to keep global temperatures "well below 2°C above preindustrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C". The Paris Agreement is a major accomplishment in itself. Meeting its targets will, however, be no easy feat, particularly in light of the recently expressed intention of the United States to withdraw. New and innovative climate change mitigation solutions are needed for public and private actors alike to step up their efforts and creativity in identifying mitigation options. The circular economy concept is promising to improve the way we meet the functional needs of society while using fewer materials and reducing negative impacts such as greenhouse gas emissions. This blog post, the first of four in this series, provides an overview of why the circular economy is a promising pathway to meet the Paris Climate Agreement.

1. What do current climate change mitigation policies focus on?

Our dependence on fossil fuels is at the heart of the climate change challenge. Around 65 percent of greenhouse gas emissions are carbon dioxide (CO2) from the combustion of fossil fuels. The remainder are carbon dioxide from forestry and land use (11 percent), and methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agriculture (16 percent) and industry (6 percent).In this context, it is not surprising that a majority of climate mitigation policies focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy, as exemplified by the European Union's so-called 20-20-20 policy aiming for a 20 percent reduction in emissions relative to 1990 levels by 2020, based on a 20 percent share in renewables and a 20 percent increase in energy efficiency. Other policies and initiatives target emissions from Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF), or focus on reducing methane and nitrous oxide emissions. These are also mitigation activities which tend to benefit from offsetting mechanisms where mitigation outcomes are quantified and traded.

2. Why are new solutions needed to meet the Paris Agreement?

The core of the Paris Climate Agreement are mitigation commitments from national governments but also numerous private and subnational actors have committed to doing their share. Despite this joint effort, current commitments fall far short of the 2°C target, let alone of the 1.5°C target. UNDP's latest 'Emissions Gap' report estimates a remaining gap of approximately 14 billion tonne of CO2 equivalents in 2030 between a scenario where all commitments are being achieve and keeping emissions at a level which limits global warming to 2°C  by 2100.This gap was already well understood upon signature of the Paris Climate Agreement and a 'ratcheting mechanism' was included to encourage signatories to increase their ambitions every five years. Circular economy strategies can support countries with identifying and developing mitigation options which go beyond current pledges, both in scope and ambition.

3. What is the circular economy?

The circular economy is a far-reaching concept at the forefront of sustainability thinking. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a leading think-tank on the topic, defines it as an "industrial system that is regenerative and restorative by design, rethinks products and services to design out waste and negative impacts, and builds economic, social and natural capital". Circle Economy's '7 elements of the circular economy' stress the combined material and systemic nature of the circular economy, identifying three material pillars:

1. Prioritise regenerative resources,
2. Preserve and extend what is already made, and
3. Use waste as a resource;

And four systemic enablers:

1. Rethink the business model,
2. Design for the future,
3. Collaborate to create joint value, and
4. Incorporate digital technology.

Recognising its tremendous potential to create sustainable value, public and private stakeholders are adopting the circular economy: the Netherlands recently announced its ambitions to become the first circular country by 2050; the European Union released its circular economy package in 2015; many other countries such as France, China, Japan, Sweden and Finland are developing circular policy frameworks; and a growing number of front-running companies - small and large - are implementing the circular economy.

4. How does the circular economy go beyond existing climate mitigation commitments?

Ever since the industrial revolution, global economic growth has been fuelled by natural resource extraction. Today, we extract over 80 billion tonnes of materials per year, of which a mere 7% is reused or recycled by the global economy*. Material management through our economies is estimated to account for as much as two thirds of global emissions** and as much as 4.1 billion tonne of CO2 equivalents are associated with materials after the use stage (i.e. with waste management).  Additionally, an estimated 3,928 cubic kilometres of freshwater are withdrawn annually, of which 56% is released into the environment as largely untreated wastewater, which results in considerable emissions and degradation of water resources.In this context, the circular economy promises to significantly contribute to climate change mitigation efforts through a combination of improved material management, dematerialisation and systemic change. Looking at materials, a wide array of opportunities to scale the use of low-carbon materials are overlooked and underfinanced. Wood, for example, has tremendous potential as a substitute for concrete in large-scale structures. The use of waste as a resource also holds considerable potential, as indicated by the Dutch government's recent allocation of 150 million euros for the construction of industrial-scale biodigesters to capture and valorize methane emissions from cow manure, which is expected to dent the country's agricultural emissions. The circular economy also calls for a critical re-examination of the way we meet our societies functional needs. In the digital age, numerous opportunities exist to dematerialise our economies, make more efficient use of assets or shift toward 'product-as-a-service' models. Terms like the 'sharing economy' and 'functional economy' are now mainstream and a growing number of companies and consumers are finding innovative ways to create value without owning new physical assets, or by offering more efficient services. In this context, the development of business models such as chemical leasing or ride-sharing are increasingly being considered as powerful means to decarbonize our economies.  The circular economy thus offers the promise of transformational mitigation, complementing incremental improvements with e.g. energy efficiency that fail to tackle systemic flaws.

5. What evidence is there to support this?

An estimated 67% of our greenhouse gas emissions are related to the management of materials, showing that progressing to a circular economy with a lower material footprint, is also a pathway for low-carbon development**.A growing body of evidence is emerging that demonstrates the circular economy's mitigation potential. In a White Paper published jointly with Ecofys in 2015, Circle Economy for example estimated that the circular economy has the potential to close approximately half of the emissions gap between current policies and the 1.5°C target. Engagement with climate policy experts at a policy dinner organised in Bonn in May 2017 by the Stanley Foundation, also yielded great excitement as to the circular economy's potential. Participants, for example, acknowledged the need for an increased focus on low-carbon materials, as well as the circular economy's potential to drive low-carbon behavioural change.It must, however, be acknowledged that the application of the circular economy concept is still in its infancy; robust and granular evidence is lacking to clearly delineate and quantify the circular economy's climate mitigation potential. Research is urgently needed to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms at play and enable the circular economy to realise its full potential.*  Circle Economy team analysis based on Exiobase (2011); Tukker et al., EXIOPOL - Development and illustrative analyses of a detailed global MR EE SUT/IOT (2013) Economic Systems Research, 25 (1), pp. 50-70.; Wood et al., Global sustainability accounting-developing EXIOBASE for multi-regional footprint analysis (2015) Sustainability (Switzerland), 7 (1), pp. 138-163.** UNDP, "Circular economy strategies for Lao PDR - A metabolic approach to redefine resource efficient and low-carbon development" (unpublished draft), a project with Shifting Paradigms, FABRICations and Circle Economy

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The next blog posts will provide more information on the implications of the circular economy on climate policy, negotiations and finance.

[cta link="http://circle-economy.com/climatechangeseries"]Stay tuned[/cta][hr]

We are very proud to welcome Wolkat, a one-of-a-kind player in the circular textiles arena, to our Circle Membership! Wolkat is a family-owned, textile-to-textile recycling company, and they are passionate about creating a world where post-consumer textile waste is no longer seen as waste, but as the valuable, raw material it can be.Wolkat sorts and turns textiles into new textiles products for the fashion, car, and furniture industries — all under one roof. Their vertically-integrated process makes them a unique textile to textile recycling company in that they act across the entire supply chain, so that sorting, recycling, spinning, and weaving all happen inside their own factories.

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands holding a bouquet made of 100% recycled textiles from Wolkat

To give them a proper welcome into the Circle Economy community, we asked them five questions on their experience in textile recycling and the role of brands in the future of circular textiles:What would your message to brands be? Under the right conditions, there is most definitely a commercial solution for all textile waste. This starts much earlier than when clothes, for example, have already been worn and turned into “waste”. From design to marketing to sales to the collection of used clothing- there are so many aspects where brands can have a lot of positive influence, starting with the image they give of textiles to their consumers. But finding solutions is a two-way street, so there needs to be an open conversation between brands and textile recyclers to adopt the most practical, feasible approach.Beyond using sustainability as a marketing tool, now’s the time for brands to start putting money where their mouth is.What’s next for Wolkat? Launching more products and getting involved in the market in order to really understand the needs and wishes of the various stakeholders in the textile market (e.g. brands, government, producers etc). We’re also constantly optimising our end-products and looking into which techniques and approaches will get everyone the best results.Any new and exciting projects in the near future? Yes! We have a lot of new projects coming up and our range of end-products is expanding every day. We are also generating a lot of data from the pilots and projects we work on, which is enabling us to build and offer a solid basis for (future) partners and collaborations. What makes Wolkat unique? Being the only company in the world that has the knowledge and actually does everything from sorting to producing end-products in-house. This way, we can offer both transparency and sustainable, quality results.What has been your biggest learning so far? That the possibilities are endless when it comes to textile recycling and making the textile industry more sustainable! But so are the challenges that need to be overcome. So you need to think outside the box and be extremely passionate, willing to take a leap of faith, and a little bit crazy in order to achieve hands-on results. Finding the right partner on the brand side of the story who shares these qualities is also key for further development.

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Our member community is an active group of businesses and institutions that have a shared ambition to make the circular economy a reality. As a member you will gain access to a powerful global network of change-makers, thought leaders, peers, and stakeholders that share in our ambition to make the circular economy a reality.

Are you a changemaker? Learn more about our global network of innovators by clicking the link below.

[cta link=”http://www.circle-economy.com/membership/”]I’m a changemaker![/cta][hr]

As of 22 June, Fiona van ‘t Hullenaar joined Circle Economy’s Cooperative Board. She brings with her over 20 years of corporate experience, an extensive network, and leadership experience and will work alongside our current board members, Robert-Jan van Ogtrop, Herman Wijffels, Dr. Louise Vet, and Martijn Lopes Cardozo.The expansion of Circle Economy’s Cooperative Board represents the maturing of Circle Economy as an organisation. Having now been in existence for 5 years, the Circle Economy team recognised the need for new expertise, experience, and outlook on the Board as a way to achieve the organisation’s ambitious goals. The member companies of the Circle Economy cooperative agree and recently voted to confirm Fiona’s appointment during the most recent annual meeting, held on 22 June.

“We are very happy to welcome Fiona to the Cooperative Board. She is a dedicated professional and a true ambassador advocating the circular agenda. Her latest project at a.s.r. shows her capacity to make circular ambitions a reality.”

- Robert-Jan van Ogtrop, Executive Chairman of Circle Economy’s Board

About Fiona van 't Hullenaar

For the last six and a half years Fiona has been the Director of Business Support at a.s.r. Insurance during which, she was responsible for Sustainability, Facility Management, Operations and the Sustainable Renovation of the company’s 86.000m2 head office. Fiona was awarded the Bouwpluim 2015, the Nederlandse Bouwprijs 2017, and was nominated for the Duurzame 50 2017 for her work in the field of sustainable building. She also holds several advisory positions, including one on the International Advisory Board of Utrecht University on the subject of sustainability. Fiona’s extensive experience in corporate environments gives way to her strong focus on corporate responsibility and circularity. She has an MSc degree in geology and geophysics from Utrecht University and furthered her education at the London Business School. Recently Fiona received her certification as an Executive Coach, which she is now using to help business executives tap into their intrinsic motivations and develop themselves to their full potential.

"I strongly believe that there is simply no excuse to wait for holistic, integral solutions. There is simply no excuse anymore for focusing on the “Cannot” or “But what if”. The way forward is for each and every person to focus on the possibilities and opportunities that the circular economy provides, and apply that to their own circle of impact and influence. As a Circle Economy board member I am eager to contribute my enormous enthusiasm to the organisation and to inspire other companies to see the possibilities and concretely build on their efforts to achieve a more sustainable future."

- Fiona van ‘t Hullenaar, Member of Circle Economy’s Board

Future perspective

Alongside Robert-Jan van Ogtrop (chair), Herman Wijffels, Louise Vet, and Martijn Lopes Cardozo, Fiona van ‘t Hullenaar will focus her work on expanding Circle Economy’s network and supporting the organisation as it further develops new programs and digitises its tools.

When we initiated the Netherlands Circular Hotspot (NLCH) campaign back in 2016, along with Compazz,Delta Development, and SER, our goal was not only to position the Netherlands as an international frontrunner in all things circular, but to clear the way for other countries to take up the torch and collectively light the way for a global, circular economy. By no means did we lay an exclusive claim to the Circular Hotspot title, and so we are eager to welcome our neighbors in Luxembourg into the (closed) loop as they showcase their own progress throughout the coming days!

Resourceful by necessity, circular by design

“The Netherlands is an ideal country for experiments or pilots, which is why the transition to a circular economy is such a natural fit.” Guido Braam, Initiator of NLCH

Necessity is the mother of invention, and the Dutch have a long-standing history of proving just how true the saying goes. As a nation that largely sits below sea level (and gradually sinking, too!), the Netherlands have had to turn to flood control strategies that go beyond the traditional levee and found opportunities in the most challenging of places.But if innovation is indeed the key to reshaping the world, necessity cannot be alone in breeding creativity — something the Dutch understand well. Optimistic, entrepreneurial, and quick to adapt, they were and continue to be in a unique position to lead the global transition to a circular economy, especially in light of the knowledge they have accumulated over the past few years on circular solutions.And so they did.

A circular springboard

NLCH rallied thought-, sector-, and industry leaders to outline a visionary future for our global economy through an energizing compilation of testimonials, opinion pieces, and interviews. To better illustrate this vision, the campaign also set up the Circular Expo, a futuristic exhibition that imagined what a future circular economy could look like, giving the concept the tangible quality it lacked and bringing it into the realm of the practical. By demonstrating real-life applications of circular strategies at the Innovation Expo, and by putting the spotlight on iconic circular projects in the Netherlands — from Mud Jeans’ leasing jeans model to Black Bear Carbon’s used-tires-to-carbon-black process and Philips’ lighting-as-a-service proposition — the Netherlands effectively proved circularity to be a viable (and feasible) economic model.

“You’ve got this extraordinary expertise building up here in the Netherlands. Your next big leap is export, because you’ve got a gift to bring to a lot of other places.” (Andy Ridley, CEO at Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, former CEO at Circle Economy)

But first and foremost was NLCH an exercise in transferring knowledge, as trade and journalist missions rolled in to learn about the Netherlands’ approach to closing the loop and connect with the pioneers advancing the field. The campaign democratized the circular economy concept to the rest of the world. It laid the grounds for and asked other countries to adopt and adapt the concept — and our plea did not fall on deaf ears.

Luxembourg steps into the ring

If we are to move towards the mass adoption of the circular economy, we need more countries to step into the ring and communicate their commitment to and their progress in terms of circularity as early and as often as possible. Luxinnovation, the Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce, and the Luxembourg government drew inspiration from the framework we provided to set up their own campaign and make Luxembourg the next circular hotspot, and we are excited to learn about the strides they’ve made over the last year at their showcase event throughout the coming days.As more countries start to follow suit (looking at you, Scotland!), we hope to continue to turn the tide and make circularity the norm rather than the exception. Circular islands in overwhelmingly linear seas are no doubt a great start, but we are eager to see the islands multiply and grow until no linear waters can ever surround them again.

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Learn more about the event here.Are you attending and want to connect with us? Let Vera know!

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The past quarter brought with it many exciting developments in the circular fashion and textiles arena. March saw both the launch of Fashion for Good and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Circular Fibres Initiative; April brought promise in the form of the EU waste policy reform; and May heralded the annual Copenhagen Fashion Summit. Spring has sprung in the circular textiles world, and the seed of change has been firmly planted. So what’s next?

The picture gets clearer

The Copenhagen Fashion Summit, now a yearly occurrence, has made much needed headway with its Global Fashion Agenda — a bold and ambitious initiative aimed at mobilising the fashion industry to change its dirty ways. Its goal? Increase the volume of textiles collected, reused, and recycled by 2020 by setting forth four immediate action points for brands:

1. Implement design strategies for cyclability
2. Increase the volume of used garments collected
3. Increase the volume of used garments resold
4. Increase the share of garments made from recycled textile fibres

These action points give a simple direction to an immensely complicated topic and therefore can successfully rally the support and help the fashion industry needs to build critical mass on this topic. But, after signing on the dotted line, the ambitious brands that take on the GFA challenge still need support in delivering on their promises — something the current system cannot yet provide. While GFA is providing a toolbox for signatories to get started, the long term still calls for tailored guidance.

An addendum to the agenda

The Global Fashion Agenda doesn’t merely encourage change — it demands it, and the action points it has set forward are no doubt a great start to the conversation. To date, 30 global brands have already signed, including Adidas, Kering, and H&M. But as Livia Firth rightly articulated, “If we had to go to yet another conference where we hear pledges, promises, targets to achieve, discussions on what it will look like, we will all become old before it actually happens.” To turn intent into action and make closed-loop a reality, the current agenda should also include these two critical action points:Invest and collaborate in infrastructure. A robust infrastructure of reverse logistics, standardized input materials, and co-created best practices will support the success of viable textile-to-textile recycling technologies now and in the future. This infrastructure is the foundation for sustainable consumption and production patterns, and without such a system, increased collection and use of recycled fibres is not possible.Communicate with the consumer. In a circular economy, consumers become suppliers to the system and act as a gateway for resource collection. They are not the end of the funnel but an essential link in closing the loop — and we are only as strong as our weakest link. Increased transparency and willingness to be vulnerable in the transition towards circularity will be what sets the frontrunners apart from the laggers. Consumers need to be taken along this journey- and any triumph big or small is reason enough to shout about and set a precedent for the industry.It's imperative that brands put their money where their mouth is and help build the infrastructure needed to climb our ever growing clothing mountain — and shout about it as they're doing it, so that the cultural tide can also begin to turn.This is no easy feat, but with (sustainability) heavy weights like Asos, Inditex and M&S on board, the clout is there to make this the agenda to end all agendas. We will eagerly track the progress and support the signatories with the necessary data, tools, technologies, as they take steps towards attaining these goals. [hr]

The 2017 edition of Beyond Green cuts through the noise, the pledges and the ambitions — in short, the long-standing blah blah surrounding sustainability in the fashion industry, and moves straight to practice.

[cta link="http://circle-economy.com/beyondgreen2017"]Join us there[/cta]

Our new CEO, Harald Friedl, and senior lecturer on the circular economy, Alexandre Lemille, joined us on Twitter for our monthly edition of #circlechat last Wednesday to share their vision for an inclusive circular economy and take questions from other participants. We compiled the main insights from our conversation here.

Jump to the full conversationThe argument for the circular economy has traditionally been an economic argument first and foremost: resource scarcity threatens a healthy bottom line, so reuse, remanufacturing, and refurbishment strategies provide a sound solution for mitigating our reliance on fraying natural capital. Because the circular economy can hardly be divorced from the benefits it brings our planet, the environmental argument for it has also steadily grown stronger as a result.

We believe it is high time the concept also evolves to put people on an equal footing with profit and planet.

We explored this idea during our latest Twitter chat — Circle Economy’s monthly initiative to bring the circular economy community together online. Here are 5 guiding principles that came out of our conversation:

1. Designing for positive social externalities at every level is key.

Whereas economic agents have been encouraged to limit or internalise negative externalities in the past, an inclusive circular economy focuses on creating positive social externalities at every step of the way. This means making social impact the driving force rather than the afterthought.

A3:That beyond embedding environmental and economic externalities we also embed social externalities using the Circular Thinking #CircleChat

— Alexandre Lemille (@AlexLemille) May 24, 2017

For example: governments can establish laws that support and enable social inclusion; businesses can involve and empower informal workers; industry leaders can ensure smaller players are accounted for across sectors; product developers can design for all abilities; consumers can signal a demand for fairer products; and entrepreneurs can adopt work-integration business models… The list goes on.[hr]

Don't miss another one of our Twitter chats. Sign up for a reminder!

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2. Poverty is an important item on the inclusiveness agenda.

Poverty, just like waste, is a human construct that needs to be designed out. Ensuring everyone’s physiological and safety needs are met is an important first step in the way of empowerment, as poverty and inequality often feed into each other. It is also an important step in bringing the circular economy discourse closer to emerging countries, where inequality gaps are often extreme and environmental incentives not necessarily appropriate.

A4: @AlexLemille's workis important as brings the #CE debate 2 emerging country context. Poverty 1 of human angles to discussion #circlechat

— harald friedl (@friedlh) May 24, 2017

A universal basic income, for example, could not only help eliminate poverty, but it could also offset the job losses involved in work automation. Finland, ever the social innovator, is already experimenting with the idea.

3. But it’s not the only one.

In order for the circular economy to be truly inclusive, it needs to — at least aim to — address all of the SDGs. Alexandre Lemille’s work on circular human flows puts humans at the heart of the circular economy’s biological and technical spheres, where people profit just as much from gaining access to vital resources as they do from nurturing their skills, knowledge, and education.

A4 If we think multidimensional poverty, and not only income and take into account all targets of #SDG1, then it is close. #circlechat

— Mairita Luse (@mairitaluse) May 24, 2017

4. Growth doesn’t have to be the enemy if it is properly designed.

There is definitely room for economic growth in an inclusive, circular economy, as it allows for the creation of additional jobs, but we do also need to shift perspectives, redefine the notion of growth, and develop new ways to assess it.

Good Point. discarding growth as evil makes no sense. Growth is a inherently "good" societal Frame. Redefine growth! #circlechat https://t.co/ggxtNrfoFx

— Justus Kammueller (@JustusKammuller) May 24, 2017

GDP, for example, has always been a poor reflection of a country’s prosperity; employment, similarly, fails to capture the larger picture; and while indicators like Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness are a step in the right direction, we still need tools to effectively measure and benchmark the circular economy in its multidimensionality.Few are currently available, but we’re working on it.

5. Technology as a force for good.

Technology in and of itself is not deterministic, and so it is up to us to put it to good use. Just as the circular economy draws on science to mimic natural systems in order to restore balance to both our industries and our planet, so too can it use technology to cast the inclusion net wide.

Agree. Tech isn't a silver bullet. But if used effectively can be a powerful enabler #circlechat

— Shyaam Ramkumar (@shyaamramkumar) May 24, 2017

Blockchain technology, for example, could be key in enabling inclusiveness as it provides increased transparency, decentralises power, and is already being used in ensuring fair supply chains.

Technology eg #blockchain, opens up avenues to #organize #collaboration and share #risks, and collectively manage infrastructure #circlechat

— Elisa Achterberg (@ElisaAchterberg) May 24, 2017

[hr]We need to design for all three dimensions from the onset. The circular economy is a systemic, long-term, and tangible approach to both doing business and doing good. The economic benefits it brings with it make it an appealing and sound concept to rally those in power around it, and it is environmentally beneficial by definition. Let’s make it socially inclusive by design.It’s not too much to tackle at once if we all collaborate.Look back on the full conversation here:

[<a href="//storify.com/circleeconomy/designing-inclusiveness-into-the-circular-economy" target="_blank">View the story "Designing inclusiveness into the circular economy" on Storify</a>]

Circle Economy’s official Twitter chat (#circlechat) is back for a second edition, May 24, at 6pm (GMT+2). Harald Friedl, Circle Economy’s new CEO, and Alexandre Lemille, “Circular Economy 2.0” advocate and senior lecturer on the circular economy, will be taking questions and sharing their vision on designing inclusiveness into the circular economy.

We need a system that is inclusive by design and provides a chance for those who have been left out of the conversation to have a say in our common future.

 A future-proof economy is only as good as the balance it is able to restore, not only to our planet, but also to our people. Poverty and injustice have been feeding each other for far too long now, and it’s time to break this loop.As the circular economy concept continues to evolve, it’s important we acknowledge and move away from the linear use of human beings as capital. Beyond regenerating our planet, the circular economy should also empower and invest in the people that support it. It should give them back the agency that linear models stripped away, and make space for them in the closed loops it creates. We need to give more than we take.Harald Friedl and Alexandre Lemille share this vision. They are also working tirelessly to make it a reality and will be joining us on Twitter to share their thoughts and answer any questions you may have!Join us and get inspired on May 24, at 6pm (GMT+2), using the hashtag #circlechat!Tweet us if you want us to send you a reminder the day of the chat! Not sure how to participate? Check out our FAQ and insights from our last #circlechat for more information! [hr]

Before joining Circle Economy in 2017, Harald spent 5 years in Myanmar, during which he co-founded Impact Hub Myanmar, headed the market development for the world market leader of electromechanical hydropower projects in the country and co-founded Myanmar’s first pre-incubation programme for social enterprises. Prior to moving to Myanmar, he lived in New York where he worked as the Head of Office for the Assistant Secretary General and acted as the spokesperson for the Deputy Prime Minister of Finance in Austria.

Alex is the founder of Wizeimpact, a for-purpose thrivability consultancy that leverages business-as-a-powerful-tool to find solutions to our social and economic challenges. In 2016 Alex was recognised as Highly Commended in the Circular Economy Leadership category by the World Economic Forum. He co-founded the African Circular Economy Network with the aim of promoting a socially inclusive approach to Circular Economy for the African continent.

[hr]#circlechat Tweets

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Denim is loved across ages, genders, countries and styles. It’s the undisputed champion of garments. In the past however, the denim industry has been a large consumer of water, insecticides, pesticides, and energy as well as uses harmful chemicals in the dying/finishing processes. Now, with the incorporation of circular economy principles, the denim industry can become the sustainable, circular leader to spearhead a textiles revolution.Starting on the 17th of April, Amsterdam turned blue for an entire week. The city hosted 'Denim Days', a series of industry events, trade shows, seminars and a denim festival centred around the ever-popular indigo blue fabric. Our own Jade Wilting (Project Coordinator Circle Textiles Programme) spoke at The Blue Print Festival, on the future of denim, and explored the question, is there a future for denim without circularity? We see that while the denim industry as a whole has yet to become circular, competitive companies are moving in the right direction, with some frontrunners already firmly rooting their business models in circularity. We've collected 3 key insights about this transition below:Insight #1: The skinny on skinny jeansFrom stretch denim to rigid & raw

"We are happy to see skinny jeans slowly making an exit from the wardrobes of the masses - if not for their unforgiving silhouette, then for their stretchiness, which is a major barrier when it comes to circularity"Jade Wilting, Project Coordinator Textiles Programme

While we don't condone quick changing trends that create obsolete fashion monthly, we can't help but get excited about a growing demand for mono-material jeans and raw denim. Raw denim is the godfather of all denim. It is unwashed and characterized by its rigid structure and deep blue colour. In contrast, most of the jeans that we buy have been through a series of industrial washings to soften and add aesthetic effects to the trousers. Raw denim aficionados swear off washing their trousers for at least the first 6 months after purchase to get a natural fade, custom-made by one's own wearing. As you might have guessed, raw denim jeans need much less water in the production process, and the culture around raw denim lends itself perfectly to circularity. It's all about retaining the value of the jeans for as long as possible through repair, re-wear and less washing. The movement toward non-stretch, rigid denim is a move in the right direction when it comes to circularity. Insight #2: Salvage the SelvedgeThe latest development in closed loop denim

"Denim to denim has long been the holy grail of high-value recycling. Not only is it a compelling story for the consumer, but recycled denim also has the potential to offset the huge water impact that denim has, reutilise the indigo dye trapped in the material and reduce our dependency on virgin cotton."Gwen Cunningham, Programme Lead, Circle Textiles Programme

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MUD Jeans[/caption]Our hope for the future is for textiles to be consistently made, used, collected and reintroduced into the supply chain as raw material. In order to reach this goal, denim can’t be thrown away once it is deemed unfit to rewear.  From a recyclers point of view, denim is an ideal material feedstock, as it's fairly consistent in colour (indigo blue), fibre composition (chiefly cotton) and construction (zippers and buttons are consistently on the top third of the garment, which makes cleaning more efficient).More recently, MUD Jeans and Recover, collaborated to turn old MUD jeans into new MUD jeans. They have pushed innovation to new heights by working to increase the percentage of recycled cotton that can be used to 40%. Previous research conducted by Circle Economy and G-Star showed that by including 12% recycled content in a pair of jeans, water usage decreased by 9.8%, energy consumption by 4.2% and the CO2 footprint by 3.8%. Just imagine what the impact would be with 40%, or even more, recycled content! Meanwhile, upcoming chemical recyclers are also experimenting with closed loop denim. Levi Strauss and Evrnu, a start-up chemical recycling technology company, have collaborated to turn post-consumer cotton waste into new denim. Using Evrnu's unique chemical process, cotton fibres are dissolved and reconstituted, before being spun into new yarn and made into new fabric. Insight #3: Cleaning up our actThe new production methods that improve impact  Denim uses a ton of water in its lifecycle. According to Levi Strauss, 3,781 liters of water are used during the production and use phase of one pair of 501® jeans and 33.4 kg of CO2 is created throughout its lifetime. This includes growing cotton, processing the denim and washing at home. Minimizing these impacts requires  producers to improve technology and consumers to think about how they care for their denim. MADE-BY created a wet processing benchmark that details the impacts from commonly used processing techniques and brings understanding and awareness to the impacts of this step in textile production. Stemming from the insights companies such as Jeanologia, a partner of MUD Jeans, have developed an Ozone technology that can be used in place of water intensive stone washing,  drastically reducing the water, energy, and chemical usage in the processing phase of jean production. The result is worn or faded looks without the negative environmental or health impacts. Consistent colouration of recycled denim can be difficult to achieve and requires additional energy and water. Australian researchers have created a way to make denim-dyed denim, with help from the H&M Foundation to scale and commercialize this technology to use recycled denim as a dye source.

Wondering what you can do as a consumer? We’ve got you covered!

1. Buy vintage, raw, or mono-materials. Raw denim is 100% cotton and uses far less water and chemicals during production. Mono-materials (e.g. 100% cotton) ensure that the textile can undergo high-value recycling after you are done with them..
2. Ask for recycled content. Brands are looking for signals from the market to incorporate recycled content. Ask for it, and when it's available, buy it.
4. Wash less! You don’t need to wash your jeans every time you wear them. If you’ve worn them a couple of times but they are clean of stains, leave them in the freezer overnight to kill germs.
6. Repair. Fix your jeans! Brands like Nudie Jeans offer to repair your jeans for you, and YouTube tutorials on how to fix your jeans are plentiful.
8. Send your old jeans for reuse or recycling! Some brands will take items back themselves, but if in doubt, donate to them your local charity shop or drop them in your local collection bin.  

The denim industry has come a long way. Technological advancements continue to decrease its impact, but the next steps require the industry to adopt a more circular model. It is important to remember that true circularity requires thinking beyond decreasing the impact and  considering how design, repairability, and recycling can play a role in circularity.

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Industry collaboration is key in catalyzing and implementing systemic change. Circle Economy, together with the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, House of Denim and MADE-BY are fostering collaboration through the Alliance for Responsible Denim, an initiative that brings denim brands together to collectively take steps towards improving the ecological sustainability impact of denim production.

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