The Circular Toolbox

The Circular Toolbox aims to enable apparel brands to design and launch their own circular pilot, specifically applying a rental or resale business model. ‍The toolbox guides apparel brands through a five-step circular innovation process, from getting sign-off from the top and putting a team together all the way to piloting the new concept on the ground.

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Resources include design thinking and research tools, workshop sheets and facilitator’s guides, a podcast featuring brands that have gone through the same process and, crucially, specific guidance on how and when to use each tool.

The circular innovation process outlined in the toolbox was tried and tested by the Switching Gear project. This project guided four brands — Asket, Lindex, ETP and Kuyichi — as they developed and launched circular business model pilots. Circular business models, such as resale and rental, offer commercial opportunities for brands to innovate their business model while expanding the practical service life of clothing — allowing brands to do more with less. When intelligently designed, they can also reduce the total environmental impact of the industry.

It is an initiative of Circle Economy, made possible thanks to the support of Laudes Foundation.