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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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Starter Kit collection

Business case

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

Increase Awareness

Reduced use of virgin materials and/or an increase of the use of secondary and bio-based materials

Reduce Material Consumption (SDG12)

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

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 so they are able to be easily repaired

Design for repair

Solutions at all stages of the textiles value chain.

Zero Waste Textiles

Other

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

Urban Opportunities

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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                                          Though it may seem counterintuitive, washing and drying your waterproof outerwear — and periodically reapplying durable water repellent (DWR) — will help to ensure it remains water and stain repellant for years to come. Patagonia wants to help you get the most out of your gear; here you'll find brief explanations and some guides to proper care.      If you're on an adventure, miles from civilization, and you rip a hole in your gear you can't just whip out your sewing machine. For those unexpected situations, we've got your back with a special series of on-the-go fixes.      During an extended backcountry trip or a faraway expedition, if your gear breaks, you make a repair. There are no other options. But back at home when something breaks, many people are in the habit of throwing it out. Fortunately, most Patagonia® gear can easily be fixed, so we've partnered with iFixit to show you, step-by-step, how to repair your Patagonia® clothing. A patch on your jacket or a gleaming new zipper not only gives you bragging rights, but completing the repair yourself extends the life of your gear. Learn more about the Patagonia Worn Wear® Program on iFixit.com.     







Lasting Function and a Commitment to Repair
In a landscape of disposable ski and snowboard fashion, fixing and keeping your snow gear in play is the most radical act we know. On average, most of us keep a piece of clothing for just three years, yet the materials and processes for making any new garment are tremendously costly to the planet. The average U.S. citizen throws away 70 pounds of clothing and other textiles each year, of which 85 percent goes to landfills. Only 15 percent is donated or recycled, although most discarded clothing is suitable for reuse.
We build your winter garments and equipment to last. We want you to keep them in use—to love them for the experiences you’ve had with them the way so many have been trained to love brand new things for their pristine novelty. Like a good backcountry partner, your snow garments become something you can trust; you know what they can survive and where they thrive. They’ve trudged the last steps to faraway summits and toughed it out on multi-day missions. They’ve been immersed in the season’s best turns and endured a few tears and repairs along the way. Why wouldn’t you keep them around? Just to swap them for next season’s color?











Crested Butte Ski Patroller Ellie Atkins gives her jacket the good ol’ duct tape treatment inside the patrol shack—a temporary fix to get her through the day. Crested Butte, Colorado. Photo: Jeff Cricco







 



At Patagonia there are two ways we are changing our relationship to things: first, our dedicated approach to building durable, meant-to-last high-performance products with recycled inputs wherever possible. For example, this season our pinnacle PowSlayer Jacket and Bibs are now built with 100% recycled GORE-TEX® Pro face fabric. And second, our commitment to repairing, repurposing or recycling your garments at the end of their life.
We discovered about 10 years ago, after publicly committing to take back from customers anything we’ve ever made, that in the “Reduce, Repair, Reuse, Recycle” mantra, recycle comes last for good reason. Some things shouldn’t be made, or bought, in the first place. Everything made comes with more environmental cost than we can repay. Whatever breaks should be fixable. And whatever still works, yet merely hangs in a closet or sits in a garage, should be put back in circulation.
Each time we have ramped up our repair facility in Reno, we have outgrown our capacity within months to the point where we now operate the largest clothing repair facility in North America (repairing about 50,000 pieces per year).











Repair Tech Andy Cook fixes one of the nearly 50,000 garments repaired at our Reno facility last year. Photo: Tim Davis










Looking down on our Reno distribution center and repair facility. A short walk over the Truckee River gives employees access to an extensive trail system behind the building. The shoulder of Peavine Peak beckons in the distance. Reno, Nevada. Photo: Tim Davis










Patagonia Repairs Supervisor Tanya Nawrocki looks for matching trim pieces (zippers, buttons, pulls). Photo: Fred Marmsater










Patagonia Repair Tech Manuel Rivera fixes a ski patrol jacket. Photo: Ken Etzel










The boneyard: Repair techs will pull usable parts and fabrics from these shells when needed. Photo: Tim Davis










Andy Cook removes a strip of seam sealing tape from the zipper backing of a PowSlayer Jacket after heating/loosening it up on a Geo Knight heat press machine. Photo: Tim Davis










When a garment can’t be repaired, it doesn’t get thrown away. These bails of irreparable garments are ready to be upcycled, recycled and/or repurposed. Photo: Tim Davis



  

   Fashion, clothing and textiles    Patagonia - Worn Wear Program   What is it?  Worn Wear is Patagonia's product life extension hub ‘because the best thing we can do for the planet is cut down on consumption and get more use out of stuff we already own’ (Patagonia, 2020). Why is this important? The clothing industry is one of the most polluting industries. Conventional (non-organic) cotton production is a vast consumer of water and pesticides. Polyester and nylon are made of manmade materials consuming energy and resources. Clothing is also a massive source of obsolescence and waste. The Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017) estimates that “USD 500 billion value is lost every year due to clothing being barely worn and rarely recycled”. Main resource strategy: slowing resource loops by allowing clothing and other outdoor gear to last for a longer time. Patagonia also created a ‘recrafted collection’ based on remanufacturing used clothes into new ones. Other resource strategies: closing the loop (e.g. facilitating recycling after multiple reuses); building quality new products initially will allow for future circular activities (repair, resale, upcycle) Business model aspects: Patagonia is extending the product value of its range: Patagonia has a trade-in and resell model so it can resell 2ndhand products on its online platform. The customer trading in items receives a fee for its traded in product and Patagonia sells it on with a margin after quality curation on its platform.  Value Proposition: Quality products as a reduced price; a valuable clothing reuse option for Patagonia customers Value Creation & Delivery: Consumers can trade in their used products, receive a trade-in price, and Patagonia will give up to $100 in vouchers to be used online or in their stores (Patagonia, 2018). Value Capture: Trade-in prices range from $10 for children’s gear and less technical items up to $100 for more technical items, such as alpine insulation jackets. (Patagonia, 2018). Fleeces are sold for roughly $ 45 – 100 and jackets for $ 60- 400 showing the potential profit margins after any cleaning and repairs.  Business model experimentation practices: Patagonia started off by a collaboration with eBay (Common Threads Initiative) where Patagonia pledged to ‘build useful things that last, to repair what breaks and recycle what comes to the end of its useful life’, whereas customers were asked to only buy what is needed and will last, make repairs, reuse and recycle, and consider second hand products (Bocken & Short, 2016). Moreover, Patagonia hosts a repair website in collaboration with iFixit (2020). These may have been the starting point for further experimentation that has led to the Worn Wear platform. Sustainability outcomes: It is estimated that Patagonia has sold 120,000 repurposed items to date (Batten, 2020).  Some estimates suggest that buying used garments rather than new ones could reduce an individual’s apparel carbon footprint by up to a 60% (Batten, 2020). Furthermore, an increase of 10% in second-hand sales could cut carbon emissions per tonne of clothing by 3% and water use by 4%, if it extends garment life by 50% (WRAP, 2017). Exact numbers vary and depend on how long the product life is extended and the use phase, i.e., how often and how the clothing is washed. Sources:  Batten (2020). Patagonia’s Worn Wear Collection Is Saving the Planet. Accessed 25 November 2020 at:https://www.themanual.com/outdoors/oatagonia-worn-wear-collection-recycled-recommerce/ Bocken, N. M., & Short, S. W. (2016). Towards a sufficiency-driven business model: Experiences and opportunities. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 18, 41-61. Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2017), A new textiles economy: Redesigning fashion’s future. Accessed 25 November at:  http://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/publications iFixit. (2020). Accessed 25 November at:  https://www.ifixit.com/Patagonia Patagonia (2018). PATAGONIA TRADE-IN VALUES. Accessed 25 November at:  https://wornwear.patagonia.com/assets/WW-TRADE-IN-VALUES.pdf Patagonia (2020), Wornwear website. Accessed 25 November at:  https://wornwear.patagonia.com WRAP (2017). Valuing Our Clothes: the cost of UK fashion (July 2017) *** About project Circular X  Project Circular X is about ‘Experimentation with Circular Service Business Models’. It is an ambitious research project funded by the European Research Council (ERC) which supports top researchers from anywhere in the world. Project CIRCULAR X runs from 2020-2025.  The project is led by Principal Investigator (PI) Prof Dr Nancy Bocken, who is joined by a multidisciplinary team of researchers at Maastricht Sustainability Institute (MSI), Maastricht School of Business and Economics, Maastricht University. The project cooperates with businesses who want to innovate towards the circular economy.   Project Circular X addresses a new and urgent issue: experimentation with circular service business models (CSBMs). Examples of such new business models include companies shifting from selling products to selling services and introducing lifelong warrantees to extend product lifetimes. However, CSBMs are far from mainstream and research focused on experimentation is little understood.  The research aims to conduct interdisciplinary research with 4 objectives:    Advancing understanding of CSBMs; their emergence and impacts  Advancing knowledge on CSBM experimentation  Developing CSBM experimentation tools Designing and deploying CSBM experimentation labs  Funding source   This project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme, grant agreement No. 850159.    Using of this information  When you cite this publication, please use the following source: Circular X. (2020) Case study: Patagonia - Worn Wear Program, Accessed from www.circularx.eu 

Reno

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Patagonia, Inc. is an American retailer of outdoor clothing. It was founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973 and is based in Ventura, California.
Patagonia is known for its upscale outdoor clothing and various environmental sustainability efforts. The company continues to grow by offering products that are designed to last.

Patagonia

iFixit is a wiki-based site that teaches people how to fix almost anything. Anyone can create a repair manual for a device, and anyone can also edit the existing set of manuals to improve them. Our site empowers individuals to share their technical knowledge with the rest of the world.

iFixit

Patagonia is an outdoor clothing brand headquartered in the United States. In autumn 2015, the company started its Worn Wear program under the motto “Repair is a Radical Act,” an initiative started by CEO Rose Marcario. The program aims to explain to customers the value of preserving clothes by repairing them instead of buying new. Patagonia’s environmentally friendly campaign aims to counter fast fashion trends and increasing demand for new clothes, by encouraging quality standards that produce clothes designed to last.

Patagonia Worn Wear - Repair program for clothes

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

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

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

Reduced use and withdrawal of water and rate of recycling and reuse of water

Save Water (SDG6)

Reduced use of fossil fuel energy sources and/or increased use of renewable energy

Reduce Energy Consumption

Producing and providing business and consumer goods and services

Goods and Services

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

Industry peers to industry peer collaboration to create joint value and identify synergies

Industry collaboration

Employ online platforms to connect and improve information sharing between stakeholders

Digital platforms

Working together with stakeholders and parties in other unrelated industries to implement circular economy strategies and opportunities

Cross-industry projects, pilots

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

Online platforms

Raise awareness and run information campaigns about  strategies for and impacts of the circular economy in different contexts.

Communication and awareness

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



Photo: Patagonia advertisement from the Friday, November, 25, 2011 edition of The New York Times (click image to read as a PDF, 1.5MB).
———————
Why run an ad in The New York Times on Black Friday telling people, “Don’t Buy This Jacket”?
It’s time for us as a company to address the issue of consumerism and do it head on.
The most challenging, and important, element of the Common Threads Initiative is this: to lighten our environmental footprint, everyone needs to consume less. Businesses need to make fewer things but of higher quality. Customers need to think twice before they buy.
Why? Everything we make takes something from the planet we can’t give back. Each piece of Patagonia clothing, whether or not it’s organic or uses recycled materials, emits several times its weight in greenhouse gases, generates at least another half garment’s worth of scrap, and draws down copious amounts of freshwater now growing scarce everywhere on the planet.
We’re placing the ad in the Times because it’s the most important national newspaper and considered the “paper of record.” We’re running the ad on Black Friday, which launches the retail holiday season. We should be the only retailer in the country asking people to buy less on Black Friday.
But we’re in business to make and sell products. Everyone’s paycheck relies on that. Moreover, we are a growing business, opening new stores and mailing more catalogs. What do we tell customers who accuse us of hypocrisy?
It’s part of our mission to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.
It would be hypocritical for us to work for environmental change without encouraging customers to think before they buy. To reduce environmental damage, we all have to reduce consumption as well as make products in more environmentally sensitive, less harmful ways. It’s not hypocrisy for us to address the need to reduce consumption. On the other hand, it’s folly to assume that a healthy economy can be based on buying and selling more and more things people don’t need – and it’s time for people who believe that’s folly to say so.
Nevertheless, Patagonia is a growing business – and we want to be in business a good long time. The test of our sincerity (or our hypocrisy) will be if everything we sell is useful, multifunctional where possible, long lasting, beautiful but not in thrall to fashion. We’re not yet entirely there. Not every product meets all these criteria. Our Common Threads Initiative will serve as a framework to advance us toward these goals.
Why the provocative headline if we’re only asking people to buy less and buy more thoughtfully?
To call attention to the issue in a strong, clear way.
We used the line “Don’t Buy This Shirt” several years ago in a catalog essay, to strong response. It is our hope that this headline will prompt as many people as possible to read the full ad, then go to our website to take the Common Threads Initiative pledge.
 Take the pledge

REDUCE
WE make useful gear that lasts a long time
YOU don’t buy what you don’t need
REPAIR
WE help you repair your Patagonia gear
YOU pledge to fix what’s broken
REUSE
WE help find a home for Patagonia gear you no longer need
YOU sell or pass it on (eBay is a great place to start)
RECYCLE
WE will take back your Patagonia gear that is worn out
YOU pledge to keep your stuff out of the landfill and incinerator
REIMAGINE
TOGETHER we reimagine a world where we take only what nature can replace


One of the most responsible things we can do as a company is make high-quality stuff that lasts for years, so you don't have to buy more of it.Buying used extends a garment's life by about two years, which cuts its combined carbon, waste, and water footprint by 82%. (ThredUp)We're bringing Worn Wear to you. Find us on the road or at an event and we'll help you keep your gear in action longer so you can buy less.

                                 Leer en español  Ler em português

A year ago — on one of America’s most profitable shopping days — Patagonia made an extraordinary move. This outdoor clothing and gear company partnered with eBay on a new initiative. They kicked it off with a full-page ad in The New York Times showing their best-selling jacket with a banner that read: Don’t Buy This Jacket. Yes, you read that correctly: they wanted people to buy less stuff. Although this seems counterintuitive to corporate leaders charged with top line growth, they demonstrated an Innovation Management best practice called “Systemic Authenticity.” This term comes from The World Database of Innovation, a collaboration between my company, Innovators International, and the CTOs of our member companies. It is the world’s first broad look for statistics underlying Innovation Management practices. When looking at several thousand corporate growth leaders, we found 18 common Innovation Management best practices. In a study by Dr. Rajendra S. Sisodia , he states that mission-led businesses outperform the market by an astounding 9:1 ratio (that’s innovation by any measure at 1111%). Our own research has now shown three important nuances to this mission-led phenomena, which Patagonia’s newest innovation demonstrates more clearly than any other we could find. A few months before its launch last year, R&D leader Randy Harward presented the Don’t Buy This Jacket campaign to a gathering of innovation leaders at 3M. He was met with wide eyes, and strong commentary on how it ran against the basic concept of commercial self-interest. But Patagonia moved ahead anyway because they knew — almost like it was endemic — that this was who they are. Some months after the launch, while at Google’s offices, Randy presented the idea again but met with significantly less resistance. Why? Because numbers talk, and Patagonia had achieved significant growth rates in line with top line innovation companies following the launch of the campaign. You might be thinking, “Okay, this was just a savvy PR move.” You might also ask, “How can they claim a success when more product was consumed?” But if you look at the net effect, they did advance their mission. Since Patagonia’s goods last longer, one of their jackets will last as long as three average products meaning you can consume less. Add to this that their materials are far more sustainably produced than average meaning there is a net positive effect when their product is chosen over any average good,. The company has even voluntarily lost money on a recycled clothing project, and made an immense investment in helping to create an organic cotton industry. And I can personally attest that their Ironclad Guarantee is very real as in 1994 they repaired — didn’t replace — a coat that ripped on a 60 day artic expedition! These sentiments are backed up by sophisticated and systemic efforts aimed at achieving specific goals including one of the most robust Carbon Footprint analyses I’ve ever seen. This campaign is just further evidence that their mission is genuine — the first nuance of Systemic Authenticity. And this leads into the second nuance, the penetration of the mission throughout the company and beyond. At Patagonia’s campus you can feel it deeply — staff can rattle off their mission like a short breath “Yeah, sure, of course we’re here to build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, and use business to inspire…” But it goes deeper. From the executive team to the warehouse staff, employees actually live the life of their core customers: the “Dirt Bag” as they fondly call them. They will tell you that if they didn’t live the lifestyle, they couldn’t design for them. And if they didn’t design for their extreme needs, they would not be making the stuff that the rest of the world also now wants. The final piece of this puzzle: in order to make it real, you must also have a deep knowledge of your company’s capabilities in order to know what you can and cannot do. Patagonia knew it had the audience and strategy, but that it needed eBay to pull off the campaign. The well-known article on core competencies by Prahalad and Hamel (1991) best defines and lays out this rigorous task. So why does this Systemic Authenticity thing work? If you look closely you can see a clear theme: know thyself. Yes, this is where spirituality and hard core business cross paths. We’ve all experienced the magic that occurs when we learn something new about ourselves and then make a meaningful move in this direction. Well, we have found that the same is true for a company. If your mission is real, and is felt and known by all of your team, then anyone can answer a market challenge and do it well. Leaders, think of how fast your company could move if you didn’t have to be in on every decision but still knew it was naturally heading in the right direction. Don’t Buy This Jacket campaign is one of the best examples we can find of deepening one’s Systemic Authenticity and its success in the marketplace makes it a true innovation. Patagonia as a whole also has shown its innovation prowess through growth levels in their top line, margins, and market share that any executive would be ecstatic to write home about. For any organization — corporate, government, or social — that seeks to create innovations, the first thing to do is answer the questions: Who are we? How will we serve the progress of humanity? and What are our Core Competencies? Innovation, or future top line growth, is directly related to these fundamental aspects of Systemic Authenticity, which is an Innovation Management best practice, a key to growth, and something that happens to be great for the world. 

United States

Patagonia, an outdoor clothing brand, ran a campaign on Black Friday in 2011 urging consumers not to buy their jacket.With this ad, the company aspired to raise consumer awareness regarding the consequences of over-consumption, especially in the textile industry.The ad highlights how each piece of Patagonia clothing—despite being made from recycled materials—emits far more greenhouse gas (GHG) than it weighs, in addition to increased use of freshwater for production purposes.The results of the campaign were estimated as 'successful' by the company. Even though the advertisement had an element of a reverse psychology, making customers buy more of Patagonia's clothing, the net effect was positive.

'Don't Buy This Jacket!' Claim Turns Into Business and Climate Successful Campaign 

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

Innovation

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

Using bio-based materials such as bioplastics, mushroom-based materials, etc.

Alternative bio-based materials and inputs

Enacting measures that optimise material use such as 3D printing, etc.

Material efficiency

Using materials that can be easily reused or recycled after use

Reusable, recyclable materials and inputs

Using waste materials that have been processed and recycled to produce new products within the same industry

Using closed loop recycled materials

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

Research and facilitate new technological developments to aid the transition to a circular economy.

Research and Development

Review and update regulation

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

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

Prioritise regenerative resources [Textiles]

Utilise bio-based, reusable, non-toxic and non-critical materials

Regenerative materials [Textiles]

Alternative bio-based materials and inputs [Textiles]

A framework of policy instruments that enabled and encourage the transition to the circular economy

Policies

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A framework of policy instruments that enable and stimulate the transition to the circular economy

The Textiles Key Elements Framework is based on the main Key Elements Framework which renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive textile-focused strategies and interventions. 

The framework is action-based to provide users with concrete inspiring exemples to prevent and reduce the textiles waste mountain. 

The Framework consists of:
- 3 core elements: activities directly handling textile product or material flows; and uniquely,
- 4 Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.

Under which strategies provide further detail. Finally, each strategy consists of a diversity of tangible solutions which are framed in relation to the sought outcome. 

'Click through each of the seven elements cards below to explore the framework and circular textile-focused case studies in more depth!'

This framework was developed in collaboration with Circle Economy's textiles team. Read more about it [here]( https://www.circle-economy.com/programmes/textiles). 

Textiles Key Elements Framework

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 An action-based framework for apparel brands working towards circular strategies

 From the lab to the store: Last week saw the debut of a limited-edition jean model by Weekday, part of the H&M Group, made with the new sustainable textile regenerated fiber Infinna.The 64 pairs of jeans offered via Weekday’s online shop are made with 50% organic cotton and 50% Infinna. The new fiber is created out of 100% textile waste. The scientific name for Infinna is cellulose carbamate fiber and has been introduced by Infinited Fiber Company, a specialized Finnish textile-fiber recycler, who developed the new product.      Weekday 'Rowe' fit made with Infinna  “Lots of different garments have been created with Infinna in the past to demonstrate how our regenerated textile fiber works in different fabric applications from T-shirts to hoodies to dress shirts to jeans. But these are the first garments that are available for anyone out there to purchase,” said Infinited Fiber Company’s key account director Kirsi Terho.Infinna is said to have the soft and natural look and feel of cotton and is created out of 100% textile waste like, for instance, old clothes that would otherwise end up as pollution in landfills or be burned (because that’s what happens to most discarded textiles around the world).The new fiber looks and feels like cotton because it bonds well with cotton, as both yarn and fabric. Its durability makes it a good blend for demanding applications like denim. It can be woven as a soft 100% Infinna denim, though alternative blends using 65% Infinna with cotton can also work out fine. Future tests will show whether an 80% Infinna blend might feel the same. In addition to denim, Infinna can be used for different fabrics and weaves like, for instance, single jersey, French terry, woven fabrics and printed wovens.According to Infinited, Infinna is biodegradable and clothes made with it can be recycled again in the same process together with other textile waste as it is created out of cellulose, the building block of all plants. Any non-cellulosic materials in the raw material–such as polyester, elastane and dyes–are removed in Infinited Fiber Company’s process. While the Infinna in Weekday’s jeans is made from textile waste, Infinited Fiber Company’s technology can also use and recycle other cellulose-rich waste streams–such as used cardboard or paper or wheat or rice straw–as its raw material.      Only 64 jeans of Weekday's Rowe jeans are made with Infinna.  As for Weekday’s jeans, Infinna is used for the women’s fit, Rowe, and, like all the other Rowe jeans, they are priced at 500 Swedish krona (around €50), in keeping with the philosophy that sustainable shouldn’t be exclusive and have to become mainstream for maximum impact.  “We’ve previously teamed up with actor Maisie Williams and co-designed a custom two-piece outfit made from 100% Infinna, [...] This time around, we wanted to scale up this concept and give a wider audience the chance to choose circular design and created a limited edition of our most popular women’s jeans fit Rowe,” says Weekday head of design Anna Norling.READ ALSO:         Fabrics Infinited Fiber: ‘We can make circularity a reality’ Read more →            Sustainability Lenzing launches carbon-zero Tencel fibers Read more →            Fabrics Is this fiber the future of fabrics? Read more →    

          Infinna™ has the natural look and feel of cotton, plus unique properties that make it ideal for use in a range of fabrics – from soft single jersey and French terry to denim, shirting fabric and beyond. Made from cellulose-rich waste like discarded textiles, used cardboard or even rice straw, Infinna™ is a new premium cellulose fiber that works wonderfully on its own, and also blends beautifully with fibers like organic cotton and viscose. Use at 100% or blend with other fibersBetter dye uptake than cotton or viscoseNatural anti-microbial properties
  Infinna™ looks and feels like cotton because it bonds well with cotton, which is why it blends beautifully with cotton as both yarn and fabric. Its durability makes it the perfect blend for demanding applications like denim. We’ve created lovely soft 100% Infinna™ denim, and denim that feels just like your favorite pair of jeans by blending 65% Infinna™ with cotton. Future tests will show whether an 80% Infinna™ blend might feel the same. Infinna™ has been tested and proven for production of yarn counts from Ne8 to Ne40.Tested spinning methods: compact siro spinning, ring spinning, open-end spinning, Murata VORTEX spinning.Infinna™ can be spun at full speed and blended like any other fiber.
 The fabrics and clothing featured here are made from 50% – 100% Infinna™ reborn from 100% post-consumer textile waste, demonstrating the versatility and quality of our fibers.  They just feel like normal fabrics. And it’s great that we can have fabrics that have such a good background and come from such a good place. And can do so many things in the future again. I love it!     
 
 

      Written by John Mowbray	    Published: 20 April 2021        HELSINKI – Infinited Fiber Company (IFC), which produces cellulosic fibres from textile waste, plans to build a 30,000 metric tons per year facility in Finland at a cost of €220 million. Working with textile machine builder Andritz, it expects the new manufacturing plant will be operational in 2024 and is the next step for IFC in its bid to scale its recycled cellulose fibre technology to commercial levels. The company currently operates pilot facilities in the cities of Espoo and Valkeakoski, Finland, with a combined nominal capacity of 150 metric tons/annum. It’s already working with apparel brands such as H&M, Bestseller, PVH Corp, Wrangler and Patagonia. Log in or subscribe to see this content   

      Written by Chris Remington	    Published: 05 July 2021        HELSINKI – Infinited Fiber Company, which produces cellulosic fibre from textile waste, has secured €30 million (US$35.6m) in new capital, with the likes of Bestseller, H&M and Adidas amongst the investors.   Bestseller and H&M have also announced new multi-year sales agreements with the Finnish innovator, following in the footsteps of outdoor brand Patagonia.  It lays the foundations for a successful launch at Infinited Fiber's planned €220 million (US$261m) flagship factory in Finland, which will be capable of producing 30,000 metric tonnes of the chemically-recycled fibre per year.  “We can now also boost our pilot facilities so that we can better serve our existing customers and also grow our customer-base in preparation for both our flagship factory and for the future licensees of our technology,” commented the firm's co-founder and CEO, Petri Alava.  Log in or subscribe to see this content   

Patagonia and Infinited Fiber Company have announced a multiyear deal guaranteeing the outdoor apparel brand access to Infinna™, the textile technology startup’s trademark fiber created out of textile waste. Infinna™ is a unique regenerated material that features the “soft and natural look and feel of cotton.” Both companies see this as a big milestone for actualizing textile circularity in the near future. “Circularity is a marathon, not a sprint. By partnering with companies like Infinited Fiber Company, we are able to build a circularity partnership that not only recycles the products of the past but builds a circularity plan for the products of the future,” said Patagonia Lead Material Developer Ciara Cates.Although the lifespan of textiles can be extended through repurposing or upcycling – think thrifting or cutting jeans into shorts – there is an eventual end products reach where it’s beyond repair. Instead of opting for the landfill, Infinited Fiber Company is breaking down textiles at the molecular level in order to transform the cellulose – the building blocks of all plants – into new fibers. This regenerative approach allows Infinna™ to be completely biodegradable with no microplastics. An item utilizing Infinna™ is capable of continuously going through the same cycle. “There are many reasons to be excited about Infinna™. First and foremost, it enables the creation of beautiful, comfortable clothes 100% out of textile waste that’s been born again as Infinna™,” said Infinited Fiber Company CEO Petri Alava in an interview with Forbes. “And Infinna™ can also be created out of other cellulose-rich waste streams like used cardboard, paper, or even agricultural residues like rice or wheat straw. No matter which of these goes in, what comes out is the same, premium textile fiber.”Infinited Fiber CompanyPatagonia has long been at the forefront of combating the climate crisis. In tandem with a long list of philanthropical endeavors, the apparel company also has a number of sustainable product initiatives, from its repair and reuse program Worn Wear, to NetPlus, where the brand uses recycled fish nets to create jackets, hats, and more. “Patagonia is an industry pioneer in sustainable clothing and practices. Their environmental standards and requirements for sustainability are top of the league. We are humbled by their stamp of approval for Infinna™ as the circular alternative to virgin cotton going forward, and we’re very proud of the long-term commitment they have now made to using Infinna™ in their future collections,” said Infinited Fiber Company Key Account Director Kirsi Terho.Patagonia’s commitment is a clear indicator that innovation in all areas of a company is almost required, especially in textile and materials. Textile Exchange notes that the global textile fiber market is expected to grow 30% from 111 million metrics tons in 2019 to 146 million metrics tons by 2030. Most of what is produced ends up in landfills or incinerators so the use of alternative materials and the support developing new options is not only a nice-to-have, it’s necessary. Patagonia’s deal with Infinited Fiber Company, which also supplies materials to H&M and Wrangler, will help the textile startup grow and scale to meet the overall demand of the global fashion and apparel industry. Infinited Fiber Company is planning to open a flagship factory in Finland that will have an annual production capacity of 30,000 metric tons, which, as the company states in a press release, “is enough fiber for roughly 100 million T-shirts made with 100% Infinna™.” In related news, a recently published report states the next-gen materials industry will hit $2.2 billion USD by 2026.

Finland

"We’re on a mission to make textile circularity an everyday reality – offering a way to capture the value in waste by regenerating it as a new and versatile textile fiber. We see a future that’s not reliant on precious natural resources and where old processes are replaced with cutting-edge alternatives. Working together with textile producers, brands and people who share our vision, we can bring joy and hope back to closets, homes and people as we go." - Infinited Fiber

Infinited Fiber Company

H&M Group

The Finnish company&nbsp;Infinited Fiber&nbsp;produces chemically-recycled super fibre&nbsp;Infinna&nbsp;from cellulose-rich waste - such as old textiles, used cardboard or crop residues - that would otherwise be incinerated or landfilled. The high-quality fibre looks and feels like cotton and is known scientifically as cellulose carbamate fibre. Non-cellulosic particles like polyester, elastane and dyes are cleaned out by the process in which urea reacts with the cellulose, leaving a fibre that is more sustainable than conventional cotton, polyester or viscose. The fibre also has unique qualities like antimicrobial properties and superior dye uptake whilst being biodegradable and free of microplastics.Companies like H&amp;M Group, Patagonia and Adidas have invested and signed deals with the Finnish company, which expects to have its factory operational in 2024 with an annual production capacity of 30,000 metric tons. In the latest funding round from July 2021, the company raised 30 million Euros from well-known brands for further investment in their flagship factory and production capacities.

Infinited Fiber Company: Transforming cellulose-rich waste into super fibre Infinna using a closed-loop chemical recycling process

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

Jobs

Working together with industry peers to engage in business activities or exploratory projects that advance the circular economy

Joint industry ventures, projects, pilots

Implement innovation programmes

    The United Repair Centre in De Hallen in Amsterdam. Credits: Hamza Kashash   The new United Repair Centre (URC) is designed to encourage both brands and consumers to repair clothing as an attractive alternative to new purchases in order to extend the life of a garment and reduce its footprint.  The facility aims for 300,000 clothing repairs per year, a move Patagonia and Makers Unite say will save an average of 1m kilos of textile waste, and encourage brands to make repair and reuse part of their business and revenue model.  The process enables consumers to contact a brand affiliated with the URC when a garment is in need of repair through use. The brand will then ensure the product ends up at the URC where it will be repaired before being returned to the consumer.  Meanwhile, in addition to helping to tackle textile waste, the URC will provide employment to people with what Patagonia and Makers Unite call a “distance to the labour market” for the next five years. From September the URC, in collaboration with House of Denim, will offer the United Repair Centre Academy where 300 students will be trained to become certified textile repairers with an immediate opportunity to work with brands.  The parties involved have been brought together by the Amsterdam Economic Board and are supported by a consortium of Dutch investors with a focus on social impact. “Structural change is needed in the textile industry. Patagonia, therefore, calls on brands not only to look at more sales but rather at stimulating reuse and being able to wear clothing longer through repair and recycling,” says Willem Swager, director of finance and operations EMEA at Patagonia. “It should become normal for more clothing brands to offer this as a service and to see this as business as usual.”  Thami Schweichler, managing director and co-founder Makers Unite, adds: “The fashion industry is at the beginning of a new era. An era where repairs and other new services will make more impact. We are now tackling the fashion industry because something has to be done. For us, it is a unique opportunity to create valuable jobs and we do this naturally with people who are struggling to get a job.” Research released earlier this week from Primark’s Irish arm, Penneys found the cost of living pressure is prompting more people to repair their own clothes. Recently, under new rules proposed by the EU Commission, clothing sold in Europe must be longer-lasting, easier to repair and its journey to point of sale traceable. Click here for Just Style’s coverage of the changing face of apparel retail.       Cloud-Based Software for Supply Chain Management      Product Lifecycle Management and Digital Transformation Solutions for Retail, Fashion, and Apparel Companies      Cloud-Based Software for Fashion Brands, Apparel Manufacturers, and Consumer Goods Businesses (PLM, ERP, Virtual Showroom, Smart Factory, etc)   

 Skip to content                                          Tags: bluejean, climatechange, clothes, clothing, cotton, easyecotips, ecofriendly, ecology, environment, fashion, fastfashion, globalwarming, greenliving, greentips, nomoreplastic, noplasticbags, plasticfree, pollution, recycled, secondhand, shopping, slowfashion, sustainableliving, tips, upcycle, water, zerowaste, zerowastelife, zerowastelifestyle, zerowasteliving         

 Before you dive into the main content in this post, check out these surprising facts about textile waste: 
The volume of clothing Americans throw away each year has doubled in the last 20 years, from 7 million to 14 million tons
In 2018, 17 million tons of textile waste ended up in landfills, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency, making up 5.8 percent of the total MSW generation that year
According to the World Resources Institute, it takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt.
Textiles can take up to 200+ years to decompose in landfills (see other decomposition times here)

Moreover, many people may be shocked to learn that 84 percent of clothing ends up in landfills or incinerators. In New York City alone, more than 400 million pounds of clothes are wasted each year! With these numbers in mind, we thought it would be useful to explore what exactly is driving this unsustainable behavior and what kind of impact it has on the environment. In this post, we're covering everything you need to know about why managing textile waste is so challenging, the impacts it has on the environment, what brands are doing to reduce textile waste, and how your business can take action. Continue reading to learn more!
What You Need To KNOW About Textile Waste
The EPA estimates that in 2017, of the 16.9 million tons of textile waste generated in the United States, only 15.2% was recycled, which resulted in 11.2 million tons of textile waste ending up in landfills. Since the 1990s, consumer behavior has shifted towards shopping for new clothes frequently, but as consumers purchase more clothing, more frequently, that means textile waste ends up in landfills faster. To put it into perspective, in less than 20 years, the volume of clothing Americans threw away each year doubled and is likely to triple if we don't make a change. The reason for such a drastic increase? Fast fashion. To meet the high demands of the latest fashion trends, many retailers produce inexpensive, non-durable clothing. Because of this, fast fashion retailers (like Forever21, Zara, and more) may churn out new clothing multiple times a month. Tasha Lewis, a professor at Cornell University's Department of Fiber Science and Apparel Design explains, "It used to be four seasons in a year; now it may be up to 11 or 15 or more."
A factor that most people don’t ever consider is the impact our clothes have on the environment. Textile production requires significant amounts of chemicals, water, energy, and other natural resources. According to the World Resources Institute, it takes 2,700 liters of water to make one cotton shirt. And when consumers throw away clothing in the garbage, not only does it waste money and resources, but it can take 200+ years for the materials to decompose in a landfill. During the decomposition process, textiles generate greenhouse methane gas and leach toxic chemicals and dyes into the groundwater and our soil.
Brands working to fight textile waste
Every year, the average American generates around 80 pounds of textile waste. However, with conscious consumers and environmentalists pushing for change in this area, a few brands have started working hard to keep clothing out of landfills by changing how they produce their textiles and by providing better ways for consumers dispose of them. Here are some of the strongest examples we've seen as of late: 
In 2017, Patagonia launched Worn Wear,  an online platform where you can buy, trade and sell second-hand Patagonia goods. And in November 2019, Patagonia opened its first physical pop-up store for Worn Wear. The shop offers a selection of used products that Patagonia buys back from customers, recycles, and redesigns. Patagonia explains, “One of the most responsible things we can do as a company is make high-quality stuff that lasts for years, so you don’t have to buy more of it.” By recycling and reselling their customer's apparel, Patagonia will help extend the life of their gear and keep more textiles out of landfills. Customers will receive a store credit in exchange for their unwanted clothing. 
H&M, still a known contributor to the fast fashion industry, has at least started offering recycling services at more than 4,200 stores to prevent their customer's unwanted clothing from reaching landfill. H&M was the first fashion company to have a clothing collection initiative worldwide. The retailer explains, "Every year, tons of textiles end up in landfill, but as much as 95 percent of these textiles could be used again. We want to offer an easy solution for our customers to leave their old garments with H&M and at the same time do something good for the environment." H&M accepts textiles old or new, from any brand, then sends them to the nearest recycling plant. For every bag of textiles customers drop off, they receive a discount card for 15% off their next in-store purchase. According to H&M, the brand collected 20,649 tons of textiles for reuse and recycling in 2018, 16% more than the previous year and equivalent to 103 million T-shirts. 
You would never know by the look of their clothing, but Ecoalf creates their textiles from used fishing nets, coffee grounds, plastic bottles, and other recycled products. Ecoalf's mission is to create the first generation of recycled products with the same quality and design as non-recycled products. The brand hopes to prove that it is not necessary to use our planet's natural resources carelessly. In their ongoing efforts to reduce the consumption of natural resources, Ecoalf has taken over 500 tons of waste from the bottom of the ocean, recycled over 120 million plastic bottles, and developed over 300 fabrics and turned them into top quality garments. 
Madewell's recycling program is a unique one. The popular clothing company makes sure your jeans don't end up in landfills by using them to build homes. By partnering with Cotton's Blue Jeans Go Green program and Habitat for Humanity, the donated jeans get recycled into housing insulation. Since their partnership began, Madewell has recycled 830,714 pairs of jeans and saved 415 tons of waste from landfill. In return for your used jeans (no matter the brand), Madewell will give you a $20 store credit for your donation.
 

To reduce their environmental impact, The North Face encourages people to drop off unwanted clothing and footwear at participating stores. Through its Clothes The Loop program, The North Face accepts and sends the apparel to Soles4Souls, whose mission is to create sustainable jobs and provide relief through the distribution of shoes and clothing. In exchange for their donation, customers will receive a $10 reward toward their next purchase. So far, customers have brought in 95,000 pounds of clothing and footwear to be reused and/or recycled.
Take Action Against textile waste
While many big brands are working to reduce textile waste, businesses and individuals need to do their part as well. Here is how your business can get involved: 
Recycle
The textile recycling rate is currently one of the lowest compared to other materials. But these fabrics, including worn jeans, stained sweatshirts, and even mismatched socks, can be given a brand new life as new clothing, housing insulation, rags, or even stuffed animals. Retailers like H&M, Madewell, and The North Face make textile recycling as easy as a trip to the mall by offering in-store recycling containers. RoadRunner even offers one-time pickups for different types of materials, including (but not limited to!) clothing donations. Learn more here. 
Host A clothing swap or exchange
You've probably heard the saying, "one man's trash is another man's treasure." The same is true when it comes to your used clothing. Hosting a swap or exchange event is an excellent way for your employees to receive new clothing while responsibly getting rid of the items they don't want anymore. 
Rent Your Clothing
For special occasions that require a new outfit, like a job interview or important business meeting, brands like Rent the Runway make it possible to rent a brand new outfit while saving all of the resources needed to manufacture a new piece of clothing. Renting also allows you to stay up to date with the latest fashion trends without spending a fortune and eventually sending your clothing to the landfill. 
Donate
Donating gently-used clothing to charitable organizations is a great way to give back while keeping textiles out of landfills. Companies like ThredUp, The Salvation Army, and Savers will accept your used clothing and recycle the clothing that they can't sell.
Closing The Loop
We'd love to hear how your organization properly disposes of used textiles. Do you prefer recycling, swapping, renting, or donating your unwanted clothing? Let us know in the comment section below or get in touch with us here. Thanks for reading!

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Amsterdam

Makers Unite

Through a business partnership, outdoor clothing company Patagonia and creative textile platform Makers Unite opened a new repair centre in Amsterdam (the Netherlands), offering clothing repair services for affiliated brands and their customers. The aim is to divert some 1m kilos of textile waste that would have otherwise been created by the prolongation of the garment's lifetime. Another added value of the project is the creation of a unique job opportunity for the local community.

Partnership to Divert Textile Waste: Patagonia and Makers Unite Open a United Repair Centre (URC)

Prioritise regenerative resources

Regenerative materials

Designing to reduce waste during production and use

Design out waste

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

 Black fabric made with 100% Infinna PRESS RELEASEJUNE 28, 2021 Outdoor apparel company Patagonia and circular fashion and textile technology group Infinited Fiber Company have signed a multiyear sales agreement for Infinited Fiber Company’s unique, premium-quality regenerated textile fiber Infinna™, which is created out of textile waste. The move marks a major milestone for both companies towards making textile circularity an everyday reality: The deal guarantees Patagonia access to the limited-supply fiber over the coming years and secures future sales income for Infinited Fiber Company as it ramps up production. “Circularity is a marathon, not a sprint. By partnering with companies like Infinited Fiber Company we are able to build a circularity partnership that not only recycles the products of the past but builds a circularity plan for the products of the future,” said Patagonia’s Lead Material Developer Ciara Cates.  “Patagonia is an industry pioneer in sustainable clothing and practices. Their environmental standards and requirements for sustainability are top of the league. We are humbled by their stamp of approval for Infinna as the circular alternative to virgin cotton going forward, and we’re very proud of the long-term commitment they have now made to using Infinna in their future collections. We absolutely love working with Patagonia. We have shared goals, which means we’ve been able to move forward quite fast, and we’re so excited to be making circular textile production a reality together with them,” said Infinited Fiber Company Key Account Director Kirsi Terho. Infinna is a unique, virgin-quality regenerated textile fiber with the soft and natural look and feel of cotton. It is created from cotton-rich textile waste that is broken down at the molecular level and reborn as new fibers. Because it’s made of cellulose – a building block of all plants – Infinna is biodegradable and contains no microplastics to clog our seas. Clothes made with it can be recycled again in the same process together with other textile waste. “The beauty of Infinna is that the consumer would never guess it is made from recycled garments. They will get to experience the same longevity, comfort and softness as a similar product made of virgin materials,” said Patagonia’s Cates. In April, Infinited Fiber Company announced plans to build a flagship factory in Finland to meet the growing demand for Infinna from global fashion brands. It is currently supplying customers from its R&D and pilot facilities in Espoo and Valkeakoski, Finland. The planned flagship factory will have an annual production capacity of 30,000 metric tons, which is enough fiber for roughly 100 million T-shirts made with 100% Infinna. Infinited Fiber Company expects to have sold the new factory’s entire output for several years during 2021. More than 92 million metric tons of textile waste is produced globally every year and most of this ends up in landfills or incinerators. At the same time, textile fiber demand is increasing, with Textile Exchange estimating the global textile fiber market to grow 30% to 146 million metric tons by 2030 from 111 million metric tons in 2019. Infinited Fiber Company’s fiber regeneration technology, which uses cellulose-rich waste streams as its raw material, offers a solution both to stop waste from being wasted and to reduce the burden of the textile industry on the planet’s limited natural resources. Dig deeper Press enquiries and interview requests  Corey Simpson, communications, Patagonia, Corey.simpson@patagonia.comLaura Vinha, communications, Infinited Fiber Company, laura.vinha@infinitedfiber.com Press images available at: https://infinitedfiber.imagebank.fiRead all kinds of good news from Infinited Fiber Company on our news page. 




 

Infinna is a soft, cotton-like fiber made from postconsumer cotton that can be recycled into new fiber again and again.




 

Helsinki

Outdoor apparel company&nbsp;Patagonia&nbsp;and circular fashion and textile technology group Infinited Fiber Company have signed a multi-year sales agreement for Infinited Fiber Company’s unique, premium-quality regenerated textile fiber Infinna™, which is created out of textile waste. The move marks a major milestone for both companies towards making textile circularity an everyday reality: The deal guarantees Patagonia access to the limited-supply fiber over the coming years and secures future sales income for Infinited Fiber Company as it ramps up production.