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

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

Increase Awareness

Impact on the health and happiness of human populations

Well-being

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)

Producing and providing business and consumer goods and services

Goods and Services

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

Fashion and Textiles

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

Engage and guide customers and consumers to ensure circular use of products

Customer / consumer collaboration

Working together with customers to jointly create products fit for them

Co-creation

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

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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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     DE STEEK is founded by Dutch sustainable fashion designer Natalie de Koning. Already a teacher in sewing and textile techniques like natural dyeing for almost 9 years now, it was time to see how it was possible to reach and inspire more people to start sewing, crafting and repearing: makerstore DE STEEK was born! Our studio in Amsterdam consist of a small shop, focusing on natural, organic, fairtrade fabrics and supplies, a Sewing Cafe, in which we teach sewing lessons and rent work spaces, and a workshop room with a lovely weekly program of workshops.  
   The mission of DE STEEK is to make it accessible for everyone to learn clothing making, repairing and textile making techniques in Amsterdam. We want to bring all makers a-like together. And we want to make it easier for people to choose sustainable options in clothing by offering only sustainable or upcycled materials, repairing workshops and creating a local environment and consciousness.  
   Our vision is to offer a sustainable, fairtrade, but still modern alternative for the fast fashion industry and to inspire people from all genders, cultures and sizes to create and repair their clothes themselves!  
   

Dutch sustainable fashion designer Natalie de Koning (33) is the founder of De Steek. She is also the head designer of De Steek’s own pattern collection, sold on this webshop as sewing patterns. Natalie studied fashion design. First a Bachelor’s degree at the Utrecht School of Arts. After that she also finished a Master’s degree at ArteZ in Arnhem. She first developed two other concepts before De Steek. The first one was I am Nold, a company with which she teached sewing lessons and workshops in Amsterdam. The second one was PULP, a platform and concept store that sold repurposed and recycled fabrics. With De Steek, the two old concepts where combined in one studio in Amsterdam!

  
  DE STEEK has a Sewing Café. The Sewing Café is open 7 days a week and it is possible to follow sewing lessons by renting a table there and get the guidance of a fashion designer to help you with your sewing projects. Or rent a table without guidance and work by yourself!
> Book a sewing lesson in the Sewing Café
   DE STEEK hosts different workshops in the field of fashion and textiles. Different fashion & textile designers are developing and guiding these courses. We have a weekly program, but also lots of one-day workshops. Also available for groups & events.
> Go to one-day workshops
> Go to weekly courses
   DE STEEK also has a store in which you can find natural, organic and recycled fabrics. We also offer good quality sewing supplies and books. We developed our own pattern collection which is available for purchase, as well as our own sewing kits. It is also possible to buy these materials online in our webshop.
> Go to webshop
      
     
     

	


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Amsterdam

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De Steek

<p>De Steek Amsterdam's co-creation platform, sustainable fashion hub, educational programs, and boutique collectively address the challenges within the fashion industry. By fostering collaboration, providing resources, and promoting sustainable practices, De Steek Amsterdam empowers both consumers and designers to participate in the movement towards a more sustainable fashion industry.</p>