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This collection has been built by a community of passionate researchers, students, and industry professionals as part of <a href="https://worldcirculartextilesday.com/" target="_blank">World Circular Textiles Day</a> (WCTD). 


World Circular Textiles Day takes place every year on 8th October. Our vision is to galvanise the collective ambitions and goals of people, organisations and businesses to reach a fully circular textiles world by 2050. Our mission is to provide a framework for circularity stakeholders to develop and deliver a collaborative, evolving roadmap and to chart circularity’s momentum annually from the 8th of October until 2050.

What does fully circular by 2050 mean?
- Shared textile resources, in the form of products and raw materials, are kept in **continual circulation**.
- Virgin resources are **replaced with circular materials**.
- Dignity, equity, and equality for the **people** involved in all parts of the circular value chain.

We need to know where we stand today to chart how to get to 100% Circularity by 2050. What circular activity is currently happening in the textiles and apparel industry, and where in the world is it happening? The WCTD Collection aims to answer this question by building the world’s largest digital library of circular textiles case studies. 

World Circular Textiles Day is proud to be supported by our 2022-23 Circular Hero Partners:
[Lenzing](https://www.lenzing.com/), [Texaid](https://retailsolutions.texaid.com/), [Bank & Vogue](https://www.bankvogue.com/), [Usha yarns limited](https://ushayarns.com/), [The Conduit](https://www.theconduit.com/), and [Asia Pacific Rayon](https://www.aprayon.com/en/)

## Want to contribute to the WCTD Collection? Sign up and add your circular textiles activities.

World Circular Textiles Day

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Business case

Impact on the availability of resources as well as their effect on living organisms, ecosystems, and components of the environment.

Ecological Impact

Impacts on the social fabric of the community and well-being of the individuals and families.

Social Impact

Impacts on the financial condition of a company, as well as the the economicconditions of its stakeholders and on economic systems at local, national, andglobal levels.

Economic Impact

Impact on increased knowledge and understanding as a result of the case study

Increase Awareness

Impact on the quantity or quality of jobs, and shifts in the labour market

Jobs

Efficiency gains on operations or transactions either through cultural or technological shifts

Productivity

Impact on the ease of innovation, and facilitating uptake of innovations

Innovation

Minimise waste through diversion: Instead of sending waste to landfill, it is redirected into other industrial processes for handling, treatment, recycling, recovery, or reuse in various forms. 

Minimise waste through design: At the outset of a process of project, plan and design such that there is zero waste or minimal waste during production, use, and at end of life. 

Minimise Waste (SDG12)

Contributing to the improvement of biodiversity including species diversity, total number of protected species, and ecosystem health

Biodiversity

Producing and providing business and consumer goods and services

Goods and Services

Societal Services

Collecting waste from households and businesses by means of refuse bins, wheeled bins, containers, etc., and providing treatment, incineration, materials recovery and reclamation, and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous waste

Waste Management

Producing textile and leather products and processing them into apparel and accessories

Fashion and Textiles

Providing goods on the Internet, through mail order, or television, or providing goods in stores, including apparel, electronics, furniture, food and drug, etc.

Retail

Ensure renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy in an efficient way

Prioritise regenerative resources

Utilise waste streams as a source of secondary resources and recover waste for reuse and recycling

Use waste as a resource

Account for the systems perspective during the design process, to use the right materials, to design for appropriate lifetime and to design for extended future use

Design for the future

Work together throughout the supply chain, internally within organisations and with the public sector and communities to increase transparency and create joint value

Team up to create joint value

Use digital, online platforms and technologies that provide insights to track and optimise resource use, strengthen connections between supply chain actors, and enable the implementation of circular models



Incorporate digital technology

Reuse, repurpose, and recycle waste streams within other industries

Valorise waste streams - open loop

Designing to reduce waste during production and use

Design out waste

Designing to enable multiple uses and lifecycles of a product and its materials

Design for cyclability

Engage with the local community where facilities or offices are located

Community collaboration

Employ online platforms to connect and improve information sharing between stakeholders

Digital platforms

Using materials that can be easily reused or recycled after use

Reusable, recyclable materials and inputs

Transforming waste products, materials for reuse within other industries

Open loop upcycling

Designing products so they produce as little waste as possible during production

Design for minimal waste

Designing products so they use as little materials, water, energy, etc. as possible during use

Design for resource efficiency

Designing products to remove any barriers to recycling and enable easy recyclability

Design for recycling

Designing products to be reused for the same or different purposes in multiple lifecycles

Design for reuse

Provide guidance or professional training to educate employees to use circular economy principles

Training on the circular economy

Developing or utilising online platforms to enable circular economy opportunities through information, product or service offering

Online platforms

Integrate principles of circularity into primary, secondary and tertiary curriculum and conduct workplace trainings

 Education and Curriculum

 Develop research, structure knowledge, encourage innovation networks and disseminate findings with integrity


Strengthen and advance knowledge

VISION:
Raw materials are renewable, recyclable and safe, kept in continual circulation.

DETAIL:
Imagine a time when…the raw materials that are used to make things are sourced from existing products and regenerative agriculture, via carbon negative and climate neutral processes. Biodegradable raw materials are used for products with biodegradable end routes. Toxic chemicals have been washed out of the global materials pool, disposed of safely and replaced with beneficial alternatives. Virgin fibres made from fossil fuels have been banned, while secondary synthetic fibres, derived from what was already in the system, are kept in constant circulation as a resource. Circularity accounting methods, built on science-based metrics, help to manage a balanced system of resources, across all industries, and in line with the planet’s environmental limits.

Raw Materials and Planetary Boundaries

VISION:
People are valued and supported in an equitable, socially just and resilient society.

DETAIL:
Imagine a time when…people and communities are at the heart of any sustainable and circular system. The planet thrives, enabling us to survive with balance and abundance. People are no longer passive consumers, but proactive participants. The ‘makers’ who design, build, reprocess and recirculate products throughout the value chain are treated equally and are equitable partners in shaping and benefitting from the system. Textiles/garments can be produced and repurposed locally as well as centrally. A blend of craft methods alongside more automated production provides regionalised, multi-faceted perspectives and fulfilling livelihoods, be they high- or low-tech. Wealth gaps are minimised and dignity, equity, equality is a reality for all.

People and Society

Slow strategies aim to keep materials in use for as long as possible, for example through design for durability and repairability. A more circular economy is also a slower one: materials, components, and products—and even buildings and infrastructure—that we lock in stocks are made to last. This will lower material demand in the long run, in essence also serving to narrow resource flows.

Slow

Regenerate strategies phase out hazardous or toxic materials and processes and substitute them with regenerative biomass resources. A circular economy aims to mimic natural cycles—by shifting to more regenerative farming practices, for example—while also maximising the share of circular biomass that enters the economy. Regeneration can happen both at the systems level (by designing regenerative processes) as well as at the product level (by switching synthetic to organic fertilisers, for example).

Regenerate

Cycle strategies aim to cycle and reuse materials at their highest value: they maximise the volume of secondary materials re-entering the economy, ultimately minimising the need for virgin material inputs and therefore also narrowing flows. Of course, virgin materials will always be needed to a degree: all materials degrade and can’t be cycled infinitely, use energy, and require blending with virgin materials to maintain strength and functionality.

Cycle

Impacts

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Industries

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The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

It is 2050.  Full systems change has taken place. This wouldn’t have been possible without the immediate action and radical steps taken from 2020 onwards. Many targets had to be identified in the early 2020s and achieved by 2030 to ensure that the 2050 goal happened in full. A sense of urgency, turbo stakeholder collaboration, supportive government regulation and clear, data driven targets enabled the mindsets and systems change needed to transform to a fully circular textiles ecosystem.

A circular economics model underpins what we have created. It reflects and supports a living organism made up of makers, users and restorers, interacting across vibrant and interconnected networks. Checks and balances, alongside transparency and accountability, ensure a healthy system. Financial, environmental, and social metrics have the purpose of serving communities and the planet. There is shared ownership of profit and loss – across all three metrics – throughout the value chain.

This is what we’ve achieved over the last 30 years:

WCTD Themes

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Based on the work of [Bocken et al. (2016)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309699661_Product_design_and_business_model_strategies_for_a_circular_economy), the Four Flows Framework serves as a simple framework for managing resource flows in a circular economy by using less (Narrow), using for longer (Slow), using again (Cycle), and using clean, regenerative materials and energy (Regenerate).

These different principles of circular economy can be applied to our socioeconomic metabolism: we can design stocks like buildings, infrastructure, machinery, and vehicles to be rich resource mines for the future, and design manufactured goods and consumables to be cycled and made regenerative. Furthermore, the focus must also centre on getting more value out of fewer materials. Achieving the aims of a circular economy—minimising material use, regenerating the Earth, and preventing material losses—can be done through these four key strategies mentioned above.

Source: Circle Economy. (2023). *[The circularity gap report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023)* (p.22). Amsterdam: Circle Economy. 

Four Flows Framework

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       Connect with us     
                   
     
         My daughter is into recycling, so I thought to give her one and keep one. When they came - very quickly, also - I was so pleasantly impressed by how large, beautiful and functional they were! I’m so happy with these tote bags!!! The photos online don’t do them justice. They were not cheap, but with the jobs provided to the makers of the totes, and the reuse of packaging simply thrown away, they are worth the price. I will most likely buy other products!   Kimberly Farnsworth       I'm happy both the way, environmental and customer aspect. The product is really really nice. And most importantly it is durable and robust, also provides good protection to the Kindle. I am glad I also saved the environment by purchasing this product. I'm looking forward to buy more products of EcoKaari.   Swapnil Rane       Very Good, very well made product The finishing and tagging of the product has been very very good. Each made to perfect size and uniformity. The stitching quality looks heavy duty and also the zip used is of good quality. Please keep up with the quality of your products. Thank you for timely delivery and  packaging.    Meghna       Beautiful bags! Absolutely beautiful, could never believe it is made from recycled wrappers. Great initiative, all the best for showing us the eco friendly way, Truly RRR(Reduce Reuse Recycle) principle. My wife approves it, it's a great product. She has planned to gift all her friends!   Balkrishna Mehta       Fabulous products! I bought 2 large totes and a wallet from EcoKaari.  Amazing quality, fantastic designs and great workmanship. Kudos to EcoKaari for doing such a superlative job of protecting our environment. I have spread the word as far as i can. Besides that, EcoKaari will be on the top of my list for gifting and personal use. All the best to the EcoKaari team. God bless you all.   Vijayalakshmi Srinivasan       Wonderful product! Very nice outer designed by waste upcycled plastic, and interior stiched with cotton cushion. If citizens of every corner of India use EcoKaari daily use products, and ship single use plastic bags to: EcoKaari Office, Pune. Then I'm sure that plastic garbage free clean city, state and country can be made. A good initiative has been taken by: Mr. Nandan Bhat and his entire team of EcoKaari Pune. I congratulate to whole team of EcoKaari for this wonderful initiative.    Pradeep Mandal       A wonderful product! Just bought this bag and it is incredible! Can't believe you people have actually upcycled plastic into something so good and utilitarian! Kudos to this initiative and hope you keep growing and save the ecosystem for us all! Three cheers to the entire team at EcoKaari!   Supriya Acharya       Superb Bags! Loved the two bags I received....very neatly made. Will proudly use them and will surely be ordering more bags later.   Sakina Shakeer       Most impressed! I bought two totes from here. Was really impressed with the workmanship and attention to detail.   Chandana Roychoudhury       Must Have! The bag is absolutely beautiful! I highly recommend getting one of these.   Rucha R.       Cute bagI loved the bag and it's totally worth for money.   Mrudula Ganesh        Good product! Very good product. The pencil writes thick, sharp .   Vidya BV        Amazing! The bag is very good and spacious. amazing way of recycling plastic. I wish more people know about EcoKaari and come forward to support.   Chaitra Strings       Ecocool!! Very good bags, highly recommended. Comfortable and great quality!!   Veena Sahgal        Beautiful bag! Loved it, its commendable how you have transformed the plastic waste into such beautiful designs   Dhvani Mehta        Compact and convenient! Liked the fact that the wallet is gender neutral and is easy to use and carry. Also looks cute :)   Mridula Kaimal       

“91% of plastic isn't recycled, and millions of tons of plastic ends up becoming trash and litter, eventually ending up in the ocean. Through the collection, we aim to minimise our waste and take a step towards a relatively sustainable fashion scape.” - Gaurav Gupta.EcoKaari makes fabrics by upcycling single-use waste plastic bags and wrappers using charkha and Handloom by women artisans!Made with precision, we have used fabrics created with wrappers of crisps and biscuits, plastic bottles and other daily consumables that have been excavated from oceans & landfills and employed to create a chunk of the collection.#RedefineLakmé Absolute Grand Finale@gauravguptaofficial x @lakmefashionwk x @fdciofficial 

India

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Ecokaari

Recycling plastic is on an upward trend in India. Organisations, such as Ecokaari, have turned it into a social enterprise by encouraging the handicraft industry in India to move in the direction of recycling plastic waste. To this effect, weavers are taught to recycle plastic waste and use it in their charkha handlooms.