Resources & Publications

2015 has been an exciting year for Circle Economy’s Circle Textiles Program. We have enhanced our own expertise through several published reports and articles, below we have listed the three most important publications.  

Sitra: Empowering Sustainable Business Through Service-based Business Models & Circular Strategies

This past summer, Circle Economy and SITRA collaborated on a report to highlight the latest innovations in sustainable business modelling for the textiles industry. The core purpose of the report, ‘Service Based Business Models and Circular Strategies for Textiles’, was to inspire Finnish textile companies to identify promising opportunities and successfully develop new business models, based on circular principles. The conducted research acted as a trigger and starting point for a series of live lectures and workshops involving 126 Finnish brands and retailers, seeking to integrate new services as part of their sustainable strategies. Ten of the most innovative and promising projects were selected, from a global pool of more than 250 participants, to further evaluate their feasibility.

Interested in learning more about the report? [cta link="http://www.circle-economy.com/case/sitra-empowering-sustainable-business-through-service-based-business-models/" ]Click here[/cta]

Closing the Loop: Creating A Common Language for the Textiles Industry

“The moment of now is as turbulent as it has ever been. Nobody wants to be left behind, but the mission to ‘close the loop’ for textiles reaches well beyond the technology and cannot be tackled by one organisation alone.”

Circle Economy’s Circle Textiles Program strives to solidify short and long term strategies for brands which are looking to engage in the circular arena, in our annual MCL Global Report, ‘Closing the Loop’. The 11-page feature editorial outlines a future vision for the industry and was penned in collaboration with pioneering technology partners Worn Again, Recover and esteemed academic Kate Goldsworthy.

Looking for ways to develop your brand’s circular strategies? [cta link="http://www.circle-economy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/CTL-Samples-Circle-Economy-1.pdf" ]Read the full report[/cta]

Are Closed Loop Textiles the Future of Fashion?

“You cannot have infinite, unfettered growth and fast fashion methods of production and consumption, if you want to protect resources”

Sourcing Journal’s Lyndsay McGregor caught up with the Circle Economy’s Circle Textiles Team, H&M, Worn Again and EvRnu to understand the core opportunities and barriers that are faced when trying to realise circularity within the textiles industry. Want to learn more about the textile industry's transition to circularity?[cta link="http://www.circle-economy.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Sourcing-Journal-CE-Article.pdf" ]Read the full story[/cta]

In 2016 we are making High Value Recycling happen with three exciting new pilots. For the three pilot we work with G-Star RAW, ReBlend and Reshare. Read about the pilot below:G-Star RAW & Circle Economy: Making the Case for Closed Loop Textiles G-Star expressed their ambition of closing the textiles loop by becoming the newest member of Circle Economy’s Circular Textiles Program! Inspired by the potential opportunities that could emerge from the realization of a circular economy, G-Star will join forces with other Circle Economy members, Wieland Textiles and Recover to create a business case for high value (textile-to-textile) recycling.

ReBlend: 100% recycled! 100% fashionable!Circle Economy is excited to welcome ReBlend to it’s member base and support their new line of 100% recycled yarn for the fashion and upholstery market.At the end of January, a new 16 kg batch of 100% recycled yarns arrived from Spanish Recover at the ReBlend office in Amsterdam. In the coming weeks, these yarns will be sampled into beautiful knitted and woven fabrics that can be used for high fashion garments and stylish upholstery fabrics. If sampling is successful, a total of 4 colours will be taken into production by our innovative recycling partner Recover.This recent  match between Circle Economy’s members ReBlend and Recover has resulted in the production of over 4 tons of recyclable post consumer textiles. These used textiles are not suitable for re-wear and contain blended materials (cotton, polyester, acryl ao.). While at the moment these recyclable mixed textiles have little value to the textile recycling industry (e.g. they are incinerated, landfilled or downcycled), high value (textile-to-textile) recycling promises to dramatically change this landscape!With their new line of 100% recycled yarn, ReBlend aims to show the market that used textiles can be transformed into new, beautiful, high quality products. This March, the company plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign for a new fashion collection in close cooperation with high end fashion label BYBROWN. At the same time, pilot projects for upholstery will be initiated in cooperation with interior design company Ahrend.

ReShare: Recycling old Dutch Army Uniforms into new textiles!We are proud to announce Circle Economy is partnering with ReShare: Part of the Salvation Army and Recover in a high value (textile-to-textile) recycling project. Already for some time, ReShare has been faced with the challenge of finding a sustainable and safe solution for approximately 140 tons of old Defence workwear that they have collected. Safety issues prevent the uniforms from being worn again and they have remained most securely stored. However, incineration was never an option and so ReShare has been looking at ways to keep the textile materials in the loop. In this project, several tons of old Dutch navy and army uniforms will be transformed into new yarns that can be used for a wide variety of new textile products. The aim of the project is to not only show the market that textile-to-textile recycling is technically feasible, but also prove that there is an attractive business case compared to alternative scenarios of incineration and downcycling. In addition to developing innovative models to keep used Defense uniforms in the loop, ReShare is also pushing the market for post consumer textile recycling forward as part of the FIBERSORT project.

“Ultimately, old uniforms, workwear and other used textiles should not go to waste but should be put back into the loop via high value (textile-to-textile) practises. We are happy that we can contribute positively to the circular movement in the textile sector through this partnership.”

- Michel Rosenquist, Manager relations at Salvation Army ReShare

Sharing Innovation

Within one month since the world agreed to combat climate change at COP21 in Paris, The Netherlands is launching Netherlands Circular Hotspot (NLCH), a campaign spearheading the transition to a circular economy. The campaign builds on the fact that the country has become a hub for innovation and implementation of a circular economy with the desire to share that knowledge and learn from others across Europe and the world. NLCH Initiator His Royal Highness Prince Carlos de Bourbon de Parme said, “Humanity has great environmental challenges ahead of it. We are at a stage in history where we must find realistic and practical solutions to these. A circular economy offers us a road map for systemic change in our economic ecological and social system. Our ambition with NLCH is to share the practical experiences from businesses, cities, governments, entrepreneurs and communities to show what is possible and inspire ever greater adoption of the circular economy principles“.About Netherlands Circular Hotspot CampaignThe Netherlands Circular Hotspot is a campaign aimed at positioning the Netherlands internationally as a circular hotspot and sharing the best practices and learnings with companies and governments around the world. The campaign includes the realisation of a broad vision on the Netherlands’ circular future, a Circular Expo, exhibiting (internationally) scalable circular projects, and an incoming trade- and journalist mission. The vision will be shaped based on input from Dutch and international thought-, sector- and industry leaders and representatives of younger generations. The visionary document will be presented to European government officials at the Innovation Expo during the Dutch EU presidency in 2016.Prince Carlos de Bourbon de Parme and Circle Economy are the pioneers of this campaign. The initiators are the Social Economic Council (SER), Delta Development Group, Circle Economy and INSID. Netherlands Circular Hotspot is supported by more than 25 ambassador-businesses, organizations and cooperates with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment and NLCirculair!.Background informationThe Netherlands as small as 41.500 km2 with almost 18 mln people living on it, the population density is remarkably high (18% vs 0,5% globally). There’s no choice but to see our small country as one big eco system in which loops need to be closed and our economy is based on a regenerative system. Infinite reuse of resources is the norm, without the expense of economic growth. The Netherlands, being highly dependent on the rest of the world for its increasingly scarce raw materials and particularly vulnerable to climate change and its parallels to rising sea level action has been taken. The innovative and entrepreneurial nature of the Dutch has lead to resolving many societal issues over the past. The position of frontrunner within the circular economy will create benefits for both the Dutch economy as well as the society as a whole. In order to transform to a circular economy the creation of a ‘living lab’ has taken big steps in finding innovative solutions and answers to become an ecosystem of its own. Being a global circular hotspot sharing innovation and collaborating with the rest of the world is necessary to become a global circular economy in order to combat climate change.Prof. Dr. Jan Peter Balkenende, Partner Corporate Responsibility at EY, Professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam, Former Prime Minister of the Netherlands “The Circular Economy is key to quality of life, a sustainable world and huge economic opportunities. It should be part of the DNA of every government, company and organization. As a circular hotspot the Netherlands is proud to play a servant role to other urban delta's around the globe, in being a first national living lab for the circular economy”.Frans van Houten, CEO Royal Philips “At Philips, we embrace circular economy-thinking, because of the intrinsic benefits for societies and because it drives economic growth. We have made significant steps in redesigning our product propositions and business models. Among other innovations, we are pioneering asset tracking to close the loop on re-use of parts and we have designed consumer products from recycled plastics. We also have been selling refurbished medical equipment for a long time. We have significant R&D activities in the Netherlands, an ideal testing ground to jump start breakthrough innovations. That is also why we support Netherlands Circular Hotspot. Together with its initiator Circle Economy, we are committed to make the circular economy happen.”To get inspired go to our social platform to find circular best practices from different industries and governments www.netherlandscircularhotspot.nl. Join us on Facebook.com/NLcircularhotspot and Twitter.com/CircularHotspot Tweet #NLCircularHotspotNetherlands Circular Hotspot | Sharing innovationBest caseswww.netherlandscircularhotspot.nl

_________________________________________________________________________________________The ambassadors of the campaign are: Accenture, Akzo Nobel, Black Bear Carbon, Delta Development Group, Deltares, Desko, DSM, Floow2, FrieslandCampina, City of Amsterdam, Region Haarlemmermeer, Inashco, Interface, KPMG, Modulo, PGGM, Philips, Port of Rotterdam, Powered by Meaning, Rabobank, Rockwool, Royal Haskoning DHV, Rotterdam Partners, Schiphol, Siemens, The Executive Network, Dutch Water Authorities, Van GansewinkelNote for editors:Contact Annerieke Douma for more information or interview requests at 00316 14665068 or Email: press@circularhotspot.nl

Circle Economy is partner of the European Remanufacturing Network (ERN). Together with the other partners a European wide market study on remanufacturing is performed.ERN estimates the current size of the European remanufacturing industry to be just under €30bn, employing around 190,000 people. The market study however shows that with supportive governmental policies and industry investments, the industry could grow to €90bn by 2030 and employ as many as 255,000 people. Europe’s manufacturing powerhouse Germany, undertakes the most remanufacturing by a significant margin, making up almost a third of European remanufacturing turnover.RemanufacturingRemanufacturing is considered an important component of a resource-efficient manufacturing industry and a key strategy within the circular economy: by keeping components and their embodied material in use for longer, significant energy use and emissions to air and water can be avoided. Despite these benefits, remanufacturing currently is an undervalued part of the industrial landscape and an under-recognised sustainable industry. Without coordinated support, European remanufacturing could lose competitiveness against major competitors, like the USA and China, who already have a common vision and strategy for remanufacturing. ERN’s market study is a first step in mapping the potential of remanufacturing in Europe.ERN will add value for (aspiring) remanufacturers by mapping the challenges of remanufacturing business models, product design and processes.Competitive advantage“The top motives for businesses to remanufacture are higher profit margins, environmental responsibility, a strategic advantage and increased market share. These all point to an encouraging view of the future of the remanufacturing industry from those within the business”, says Seigo Robinson – Senior Consultant at Oakdene Hollins. Other motives include a secure spare parts supply, potential to lower product prices, opportunities through alternative business models, reduced resource security risk, customer pressure, asset and brand protection, and reduced lead times. The study further identified customer recognition, availability of ‘cores’ (used parts to be remanufactured into new products), quality of cores and high labour costs to be key barriers to remanufacturing.The full market study can be downloaded here.In 2016, the partners will create online tooling and organize workshops. In these workshops, ERN representatives will present and discuss tools and methods for how to overcome key remanufacturing challenges

This report identifies B30’s economic sectors with the highest potential for implementing circular strategies, honing in on the 16 most impactful strategies. 

As a frontrunner in the circular economy, the study sets the B30 region next to other European cities and regions that have taken part in a Circle City Scan—such as Bilbao, Amsterdam or Prague. Representing the circular vision for the B30 region, it presents a visual roadmap that identifies the opportunities and starting points for fostering the transition to a circular economy. The document prioritises the economic sectors with the greatest potential for circularity and proposes 16 circular strategies in these areas—the greatest potential emerging in the agri-food, packaging, metal and chemical sectors.

This document is the result of collaboration between different agents and entities, led by the Association Àmbit B30, and with the input of Fundació Fòrum Ambiental, inèdit and Circle Economy.

In the textiles recycling landscape, more and more high-value recyclers are popping up and existing technologies are scaling up their production. To ensure Fibersorted post-consumer textile waste finds its way to these recyclers, the Fibersort project has mapped the high-value recyclers landscape, providing more insight into the current and potential end markets. The overview of high-value recyclers and the types of materials that they process are available open-source.

We encourage all organisations to enrich this document by providing feedback, suggesting other high-value recyclers or more detailed information on their operations. Please reach out to Natalia Papu through the Textiles Programme Contact page with your suggestions.  

*This research builds on publicly available information on recycler's websites or reports.

Design for Disassembly: Ontwerp principes voor klimaatsystemen

De werkgroep DFD (Design for Disassembly) van het programma Nederland Circulair! heeft tijdens Circle Economy's interactieve workshop 5 ontwerp principes geformuleerd voor het makkelijk uit elkaar halen van een generieke klimaatinstallatie in de utiliteitsbouw:  

1.  Standaardisatie

2.  Demontage

3.  Monomaterialen

4.  Multifunctionaliteit

5.  Ketensamenwerking

De vijf ontwerp principes, zijn niet alleen relevant voor klimaatinstallaties, maar toepasbaar op een breed scala producten. Tijdens de interactieve workshop is ook gekeken naar de keten en de partners die nodig zijn om op termijn circulaire klimaatsystemen mogelijk te maken.  De ambitie is dat uiteindelijk iedere ontwerper en engineer in Nederland met deze principes gaat werken.

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How should we modify and rethink current financing and reporting practices for the circular economy?

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A transition towards a circular economy holds great promise for achieving a sustainable economic development. Yet, although the Netherlands has been one of Europe’s frontrunners when it comes to the recycling of materials, with 80% of all the waste generated being recycled, downcyclingrather than upcycling remains the rule, resulting in recycled material of lower value than the original. Moreover, far less attention has been paid to prevention, reuse and repair. The white paper outlines the roles played by new entrepreneurial ventures in the circular economy (called circular start-ups) to accelerate the transition towards a circular economy.

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