Global partners VF Corporation, Auping and Orta Anadolu and Circle Economy commit to developing a circular decision-making tool for the fashion industry.February 20, 2018. Today, three frontrunning companies commit to partner with Circle Economy, to develop a circular decision-making tool for the fashion and textiles industry, which will enable businesses to move from circular intent to circular action. Despite best intentions, the majority of textiles is currently still downcycled or incinerated at end of life. We are producing and consuming at an ever-increasing pace - global consumption has doubled in the last fourteen years - and at that same time, consumers are using their garments for half as long. While an increasing number of companies recognize the logic of closing the loop, there is a significant lack of evidence on the tradeoffs between circular and linear business models. Therefore, many companies, unwillingly, are in ‘sit & wait’ mode.That is why Circle Economy, with the support of the C&A Foundation, is developing The Circle Fashion Tool. A digital tool that empowers brands to move from the 'why' to the 'how'. The Circle Fashion Tool is a decision-making tool built to help brands evaluate the end of life options and circular opportunities for their own textile excess and weigh the practical implications and environmental and economic impact between scenarios.The Circle Fashion Tool aims to:
Today Circle Economy is proud to announce that three global development and testing partners have joined forces with Circle Economy to develop the Circle Fashion Tool in the coming year: Auping, VF Corp and Orta Anadolu! These global partners will work closely with Circle Economy to provide feedback on the concept and the functionalities of the Circle Fashion Tool, therefore enabling the development team to align with market demand and test the tool on real-life scenarios.In addition to their core participation in the development of the Circle Fashion Tool, Auping, VF Corporation and Orta Anadolu have joined Circle Economy's membership community. Circle Economy's Textiles Programme is focused on developing the system innovations necessary to close the loop within the industry. Together with its members, the programme produces the critical data, tools, technology and business models that are building the new foundation for a circular textiles industry. Over the years the team has established there is a lack of effective decision-making tools in the industry that are focused on circularity. These tools are indispensable if we are to transform intent to action on the scale that is needed. The Circle Fashion Tool plays an important role in attaining this endeavour. Circle Economy is opening the tool for further testing later in 2018. If you are a brand interested to be amongst the early adopters of this fashion tool, please contact Gwen Cunningham.
About the PartnersAupingAuping is a high-end Dutch-based mattress manufacturer with sustainability at the heart of their operations. Auping believes that a healthy and energetic life starts with a good night's sleep. They firmly believe that the quality of sleep can always be improved. That is why, day after day, Auping is working on tomorrow's ultimate sleeping comfort with passion and curiosity. They believe that a sustainable relationship with our surroundings, the environment and individuals is all part of the game. Sustainable, meaningful and conscious; we are ready to accept our responsibility. We also want to be able to sleep with peace of mind in the future. The company fundamentally invests in sustainability and harbours the unprecedented ambition of organizing all operating processes, products and services fully according to the Cradle to Cradle philosophy (C2C) by 2020.
"We have the ambition to become a circular company by 2020. Over the past year, we’ve been optimizing our products for reuse and recycling. We can say that most of the materials we work with can be recycled. In practice, we see that not everything is recycled due to different kinds of barriers. We believe that together with other companies we can share and gain insight on how to eliminate these barriers, and by that achieve our ambition to be truly circular in the coming years." Geert Doorlag, Test and validation engineer at Auping
About VF CorporationVF Corporation (NYSE: VFC) outfits consumers around the world with its diverse portfolio of iconic lifestyle brands, including Vans®, The North Face®, Timberland®, Wrangler® and Lee®. Founded in 1899, VF is one of the world’s largest apparel, footwear and accessories companies with socially and environmentally responsible operations spanning numerous geographies, product categories and distribution channels. VF is committed to delivering innovative products to consumers and creating long-term value for its customers and shareholders.
“At VF, we believe that the linear system of production, as it works today, is not sustainable for a planet with a growing population and limited resources. For this reason, we are exploring new Circular Business Models to build better products, extend product life, transform transactions into deeper relationships, and turn waste into value. In this journey toward a new way of doing business, Circle Economy is a crucial partner for us as it brings together knowledgeable people and high potential tools and projects that will support our pursuit of more circular operations”, says Anna Maria Rugarli, Senior Director, Sustainability & Responsibility VF EMEA”.
About Orta AnadoluSince its inception, Orta Anadolu has been weaving a denim heritage passed from generation to generation. Founded in 1953, Orta transformed from a spinning & weaving company to a denim manufacturer in 1985. Today, Orta produces over 60 million meters of denim in its Turkey and Bahrain factories and is creating a platform for leading manufacturers to step up and reclaim a denim industry where more aesthetics leads to more ethics. While our footprint is what we take from the planet when we consume, our handprint is what we give the planet when we create change for the better. In an era of change, Orta's handprint will promote denim manufacturing at the intersection of where people, planet and purpose matter.
"At Orta Anadolu, we believe in the value of collaboration for a stimulating future. We are committed to envisioning a brighter and sustainable future for textiles. Therefore, we embrace sustainability and circularity as a core value. We are always excited to explore new horizons. In our search for sustainable solutions, our collaboration with Circle Economy will push us to innovate and challenge us to think outside the box. Collaborations and partnerships generate transformational outcomes and we believe that the Circle Fashion Tool will create a platform for the type of circular solutions that the industry is searching for."
For more information and interview requests:Melanie Wijnands+31(0)6 52650156 melanie@circle-economy.com
