Circle Economy news and archive

Transformative change won’t come to the textile sector overnight—here’s why we need to accept intermediary solutions

It's no secret we’re beleaguered by an overwhelming textile waste problem. In 2020, the EU produced an average of 16 kilograms of textile waste per person, roughly equivalent to 50 garments—the vast majority of which was tossed by consumers rather than manufacturers or retailers. Shockingly, a mere 12 percent was reused or recycled, with the...

BusinessFeatured

Circular fashion: Brands can’t make the leap alone, according to new Circularity Gap Report

Circle Economy Foundation’s Circularity Gap Report 2024, launched this week, wastes no time in setting out its mission: after six years of measuring the state of global circularity, it’s time to shift from theory to action. This comes in response to the finding that despite the volume of debates, discussions and policies on the circular economy...

Business|REPORT Featured

Circle Economy study: How to combat the steadily falling global circularity rate

Together with business consultancy Deloitte, global impact organisation Circle Economy Foundation has published its “Circularity Gap Report 2024” today, which highlights how the global circularity rate is currently falling from 9.1 percent to 7.2 percent despite the number of discussions, debates and articles related to the circular economy...

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Circle Economy Foundation names Ivonne Bojoh as new CEO

Circle Economy Foundation has announced that Ivonne Bojoh, the current chief operating officer (COO) and director of digital, will assume the role of CEO, succeeding Martijn Lopes Cardozo. Commenting on the leadership transition, the company’s founder and chairman Robert-Jan van Ogtrop said: “Ivonne is the right person to lead the Circle Economy...

Fashion Featured

Extended Producer Responsibility isn’t enough to tackle global ‘fashion waste mountain’. Here's why

The Netherlands will be the second European country to launch an EPR for textiles - but will the policy end waste colonialism? Textile waste is one of the world’s fastest-growing waste streams: according to the Clean Clothes Campaign, globally, upwards of 100 billion garments are produced each year, a huge portion of which don’t even reach...

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Where are they now? A look back on the innovation journey of 4 brands

It is well understood that extending the life of a garment is considered one of the most effective ways to reduce the overall impact of the clothing industry. Why? Firstly, optimising the use of clothing can contribute to a decrease in production and consumption of new garments and secondly, it can reduce the growing volumes of textile waste...

Business|EXCLUSIVE Featured

G-Star Head of Sustainability: Is a circular fashion industry achievable? ‘Only if we're all on board’

"We believe it's just something you should do, not something you should brag about." This statement on sustainability in fashion comes from Rebecka Sancho, G-Star RAW's new Head of Sustainability, who is quietly working to scale the denim brand's circular economy initiatives. This is an ethos the fashion industry would do well to embrace—...

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Fashion fit for the future: The skills needed to drive clothing's circular transition

How the rise of reuse and repair models will change the landscape of the Dutch clothing industry. Countries around the world are racing to make plans to curb climate breakdown by 2050—with some spotlighting the circular economy as a means to this end. Let’s imagine a scenario thirty years in the future where circularity, supported by government...

Fashion Featured

Circle Economy to launch guide on how brands can start rental, resale businesses

Impact-driven organisation Circle Economy is launching a free, online, step-by-step guide teaching apparel brands how to launch a rental or resale business in under a year. Launching on April 1, The Circular Toolbox will guide brands of all sizes through a five-step circular innovation process, from getting sign-off from the top and putting a...

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Building the business case for circular business models Part 2: Rental

The potential of circular business models continues to grow in the apparel market—more and more rental and resale experiments and pilots are being launched and market growth is outpacing traditional retail. Nevertheless, for brands looking to design and launch a circular business model, there are many real and perceived barriers associated with...

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Building the business case for circular business models. Part 1: Resale

BusinessFeatured

The future of garment technology in circular fashion

‘Technology’ in fashion is a wide-reaching term, one that covers anything from product data and traceability, to logistics, inventory management and garment labels. As an umbrella term, technology covers all of these topics and is an increasingly pivotal enabler of circular business models. But when we talk about technology we are no longer...