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This collection features a selection of inspiring examples of the circular economy, compiled in the context of the Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains programme (SWITCH).

Launched in 2020, SWITCH is a five-year initiative that assists EU multinational companies and their suppliers from developing countries to switch to more circular economy approaches and practices in three selected value chains: [Plastic Packaging](https://knowledge-hub.circle-lab.com/switchtocircular/search?collections=832%3D0&framework_elements__5=111), [Textile & Garments](https://knowledge-hub.circle-lab.com/switchtocircular/search?collections=832%3D0&framework_elements__5=99), and ICT and Electronics.

The overall objective of SWITCH is to support the “transformation towards a circular economy”, and to contribute to sustainable growth, low carbon and climate resilient development, decent jobs creation, and a safer, healthier and pollution-free environment.

SWITCH is co-funded by the European Union and the Government of Finland, and implemented by UNIDO, in collaboration with Chatham House, Circle Economy, and the European Investment Bank.
Learn more at www.switchtocircular.eu

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Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains

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Starter Kit collection

Business case

Direct and indirect effects that increase revenues or the potential for new revenues, for example from new products, customer segments, partnerships or business models

Revenue Potential

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 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

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

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

Design for cyclability

Designing products of multiple parts that can be easily disassembled

Design for disassembly

VISION:
Products and services are designed for multiple use and material value retention, with maximum positive impact.

DETAIL: 
Imagine a time when…products flow via optimal collection and distribution streams into reusable and repairable product platforms. Reuse and access models are dominant, and products are designed for multiple recirculation before biodegrading (if designed to do so), or being broken down into reusable raw materials for production. People only consume what they need. Production and consumption wastes have been fully eliminated and multifunctional, season-less and timeless fashions are the norm, yet still fulfil our human need for expression and creativity without constraint. All business models, organisations, governments and citizens play a role in maintaining a healthy, functioning circular ecosystem.

Products and Services

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

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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“Circularity” has become a buzzword in the fashion world, with brands using the catchall term to refer to everything from using eco-friendly materials to selling secondhand goods. But becoming a truly circular company is harder than it looks, as Timberland, the iconic American boot brand founded in 1973, is discovering firsthand.[Photo: courtesy Timberland]Today it launches a program called “Timberloop” that invites customers to return used Timberland products so they can be refurbished or disassembled and then upcycled. For a brand that generates upward of $11 billion in annual revenue, this program was a major undertaking, requiring it to partner with experts across its global markets—including the U.S., Europe, and Asia—who could take apart shoes and clothes and transform them into new products. Now the big question is whether enough consumers will be willing to go through the effort of returning their old products, and whether Timberland can scale this program.[Image: courtesy Timberland]The concept of a circular economy has been around since the 1960s. It refers to moving away from a linear system in which consumers use products then throw them away. Instead, products would stay in circulation for as long as possible by being repaired, refurbished, and resold. Then, at the end of their lives, they would be recycled into new products, minimizing the amount of raw materials that need to be extracted.[Image: courtesy Timberland]As climate change worsens, brands increasingly tout their circular practices. Many, however, just focus on one small part of the process. Companies like ThredUp and TheRealReal focus on selling secondhand products, while brands like Everlane and Reformation use recycled plastic in their manufacturing. Atlanta McIlwraith, Timberland’s director of global community engagement and activation, says that the company’s goal was to come up with a comprehensive system that would address many aspects of circularity.Starting today, customers will be able to download a free shipping label to return any Timberland product, or return items to any Timberland store. (To encourage participation, the company is offering customers a 10% discount on their next purchase.) These products will be collected and shipped to Timberland’s recycling partner, ReCircled, to be processed.McIlwraith says products that are in good condition will be refurbished and resold on a soon-to-be launched secondhand website that’s part of  Timberland’s main site. Products beyond repair will be taken apart, so each part—from the leather to the plastic sole to the metal components—can be recycled. “Historically, footwear has been very hard to recycle, because it is made of so many different materials that are tightly attached together using adhesives and thread,” she says. “We chose to partner with ReCircled because it has the expertise and the equipment to process our shoes.”
      
      
    [Image: Timberland]Another benefit of partnering with ReCircled, McIlwraith says, is that it has an international footprint. In April, Timberloop will roll out in Europe; later in the year it will be available in the Middle East and Asia Pacific markets, all of which will be processed by ReCircled. “For the customer, the entire experience will operate through Timberland’s website and stores, so it will be a seamless process for them,” she says.Timberland’s goal is to create a fully closed loop, in which components that ReCircled takes apart and recycles are then used to make new Timberland shoes. ReCircled sends each material to a different industrial recycler that specializes in, say, plastic or metal. Many of these recyclers are now Timberland’s suppliers.But Timberland is also redesigning its shoes to make them easier to take apart, which will ultimately mean ReCircled will require less time and effort to separate their component materials. The company’s designers are already working to reduce the number of materials in the shoes, using adhesives that are easier to dissolve, and developing stitching techniques that will make them easier to disassemble. In April, the brand will unveil a new shoe called the Timberloop Trekker, made from recycled materials and designed so that the outsoles can be easily removed for recycling. McIlwraith says the brand’s designers will incorporate these new techniques across the entire product line in subsequent seasons. “It’s a complex design problem,” she says. “The shoes are designed to last a long time but be easy to disassemble at the end of their life span.”For Timberloop to have a real impact, customers will need to send in large volumes of product. While some environmentally conscious consumers will likely embrace the new program, it’s unclear how many people will take the time and effort to send in their old shoes and clothes, or bring them back into stores—and a 10% discount may not be enough of an incentive to do so. McIlwraith says that the company is working hard to educate customers about the program by creating attractive collection bins in stores that explain the process, training retail representatives to talk about it, and sending emails to encourage people to take part.Ultimately, for circularity to work it will require consumers to change behavior en masse. In Europe, governments are considering legislation that would use tax incentives to reward reuse, repair, and recycling, and discourage incinerating or landfilling clothes, but no laws have yet passed. For now, brands like Timberland are absorbing the cost of recycling products through programs like Timberloop and are encouraging consumers to send in old products voluntarily.


How does TIMBERLOOP™ Work?

When your well-loved, used gear reaches the end of its life with you, you can return it to us. These products will take one of two paths: 
RESOLD: Lightly used products that can look like new with a few small repairs will be refurbished and resold.
RECYCLED: Products that are beyond repair are disassembled and either reused in new products or put into the proper recycling streams – rubber, plastic, nylon, cotton, leather, etc.

How do I return my product(s)?

You can return items in-person OR by mail! 
Clearly marked donation boxes are installed in every Timberland® store.
Want to ship it? Simply visit timberland.com/timberloop, print the FREE pre-paid shipping label, and mail back your worn Timberland® products to begin their recycling journey. Our goal is to make it as easy as possible to participate – the more products we get, the better!

Do I get something in return for the product I send you?

Beyond helping to preserve the planet, you'll receive 20% off one item on your next Timberland® purchase.

Does the TIMBERLOOP™ program offer a repair option, so people can get back their own product?

This is not an option today, but something we are working toward for the future.

Will recycled materials end up back in Timberland products?

Our intent is for the materials that get recycled through the TIMBERLOOP™ program to end up in future Timberland products. But it will take some time to get there.
In some instances, reusable components like zippers and buttons will be used to repair damaged products. In others, materials will be ground down and used in things like recycled leather, insulation and much more. Either way, the end goal is zero waste.

Can I track what happens to my items?

Yes! Anyone who prints a pre-paid label and ships their products from home will be able to track their products, and whether they were repaired for resale or disassembled for upcycling/recycling.

Can I return items that are a brand other than Timberland?

While we are actively seeking Timberland products as we work toward our 100% circularity goal, we will accept products from other brands. Products from other brands will either go into the recycling stream, be donated, or be resold.

Why did you create this program?

The TIMBERLOOP™ program helps fuel a greener future. Along with sourcing natural materials through regenerative agriculture, circular design will play a crucial role as we work toward this vision.
To achieve circularity, we not only need to design our products for recyclability, but we need systems and infrastructure to get those products back and ultimately turn them into new materials for future production. This program enables us to work with consumers to “close the loop,” keeping products and materials in circulation for as long as possible.
Disassembling used products and putting materials back into their respective recycling streams translates into reduced waste and environmental impact.

I have a product issue. Who do I contact?

If you need further assistance, you can contact us by phone at 800-720-8921, or email us at help@timberloop.com.



Timberland is kicking off the year with the launch of Timberloop, a take-back program to keep the brand’s shoes and apparel out of landfills.
Beginning Monday, the Timberloop take-back program rolls out online and in store at all 85 Timberland full-price and outlet locations across the U.S. At no cost to them, customers can issue take-backs on Timberland items in any condition via the brand’s website by printing out a free shipping label and sending in their product or by visiting the designated drop-off boxes in store.
While customers get a 10 percent discount toward their next purchase, their goods get a second chance.
After take-back, goods are either routed for recycling (and upcycling into new products via Timberland’s partner ReCircled) or refurbishment to be given new life on Timberland’s resale website launching later this spring, according to the company. Although programs like Nike’s Reuse-a-Shoe have been around much longer, operating since 1993 and repurposing 30 million athletic shoes to date, the service is limited in some aspects. Reuse-a-Shoe is available in 150 stores in North America but not yet apparel.
Meanwhile, Timberloop seeks to edge forward with the capacity for apparel and an added technology stance on circularity.
“Via the digital take-back program, consumers will be able to track their products and whether they were repaired for resale or disassembled for upcycling/recycling,” Susie Mulder, global brand president of Timberland, told WWD. “Ultimately we aim to share the positive environmental outcomes of the consumer’s recycling efforts — in terms of water and energy saved — so they’ll know specifically how they helped to make a difference.”
The European take-back program will roll out in April along with the brand’s circular Timberloop Trekker city hiking shoe and the brand’s dedicated resale site. Asia-Pacific will trail these efforts in 2023, as the brand sets sights on its goal of 100 percent circularity by 2030.
For More, See:
Short Takes: What’s Happening With Take-Back Programs? 
How The North Face Plans to Engage Customers on Its Sustainability Journey
Timberland Is Breaking Down Its Shoes to Build Up the Circular Economy


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Timberland LLC is an U.S manufacturer and retailer of outdoors wear, with a focus on footwear. It is owned by VF Corporation. Timberland footwear is marketed towards people intending outdoor use. The company also sells apparel, such as clothes, watches, glasses, sunglasses, and leather goods

Timberland

We are the infrastructure for fashion in the circular economy

ReCircled

<p>American footwear giant Timberland recently launched a new take-back program called ‘Timberloop’. Customers are invited to return their used Timberland footwear, apparel and accessories so they can either be refurbished or disassembled and upcycled (remanufactured) (Timberland, 2022).</p>