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The Swedish government has introduced tax breaks on repairs for consumer goods, with the aim of inspiring people to fix their broken items rather than throwing them out. The government, composed of a Social Democrat and Green party coalition, submitted proposals to parliament in 2016 to cut the VAT rate on repairs from 25% to 12%. It will also submit a proposal that would allow people to get income tax deductions for repairs of larger household appliances. Through these measures, the government hopes to tackle emissions linked to consumption, buy both inspiring consumers to repair their goods and make it more financially attractive.

Swedish government tax break programme for repair

Sweden's goal with the transition to a circular economy is to achieve national and international environmental and climate objectives, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals in the 2030 Agenda. The focus areas discussed are sustainable production and product design, sustainable ways of consuming and using materials, products and services, non-toxic and circular material cycles, and circular economy as a driving force for the business sector and other actors through measures to promote innovation and circular business models. As this is also the overall goal of the transition to a circular economy, progress will be tracked through a selection of the indicators in existing tracking systems for these goals and objectives.

Circular Transition Strategy for Sweden

Ascertaining fair, equal and inclusive policies and working environments for employees plays a vital role in achieving circularity within the textiles and garment sectors. The ILO highlights the demand for gender equality within Asia's garment supply chain through the report 'Moving the Needle: Gender equality and decent work in Asia’s garment sector'. This report demonstrates the existing gender gaps, excavates the key issues impacting gender inequality within industry in Asia, and sets out Regional Road Maps in order to begin actioning the necessary changes needed.&nbsp;

International Labour Organisation report on gender inequality in Asia's garment sector.

Responsible bodies for Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030 are the three associations Swiss and the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) provide strategic support in the steering committe and the office is run by the sustainability firm ecos.As a multi-stakeholder program, STS 2030 supports key actors in the Swiss textile and clothing sector to act in a socially and environmentally responsible manner and to implement transparent sustainability measures in their organizations. With a large part of textile production taking place outside of Switzerland, the program will at the same time be internationally coordinated and specifically tailored to the requirements of the Swiss context. In the long term, the multi-stakeholder program thereby contributes to the sustainable development as well as the competitiveness of the sector along the entire value chain.After an initial mapping, these targets and clear measures how to reach them were defined (Mai 2021). This approach provided a roadmap on how to implement international targets in the Swiss context and how to communicate transparently on their progress. In order to achieve the greatest possible impact, the activities of Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030 are aligned with similar national and international initiatives. Additionally, Sustainable Textiles Switzerland 2030 stimulates sustainable supply and demand by transferring knowledge on sustainable textile production and consumption.

Sustainable Textiles Switzerland (STS) is contributing in achieving the SDGs in the Swiss textile and clothing sector

Managing businesses can have high costs. To tackle this issue, some businesses rethought their business models to offer farmers a rental service for tractors, and also provide skillful labour when necessary, by using digital technology.

Digital technology enabling new business models

Vattenfall, an energy company has been assisting industries through electrification and exploring innovative and sustainable ways of producing plastics.

From Fossil Fuels to Renewables: Vattenfall's Innovative Approach to Plastic Packaging

Plastic Energy is a company that has developed a patented process for transforming plastic waste into high-quality, valuable products. By utilizing a chemical recycling process, the company is able to convert plastic waste into materials that can be used for a variety of applications, reducing waste and promoting a circular economy.

Plastic Energy's Waste Transformation Process: A Solution for Plastic Packaging

TerraCycle's Zero Waste Boxes provide a sustainable solution for hard-to-recycle waste, diverting it from landfills and incinerators. The company partners with individuals, businesses, and organizations to collect and recycle waste streams that are not accepted in traditional recycling programs.

TerraCycle's Zero Waste Boxes: A Solution for Hard-to-Recycle Waste

HP is a multinational technology company that aims to reduce its environmental impact through sustainable packaging design. One of the ways they achieve this is by designing packaging that is made for disassembly, making it easier to recycle or reuse the materials. HP is committed to achieving a circular economy by using recycled content, reducing packaging waste, and designing products that can be disassembled.

How HP works on climate pledges through its ink cartridges

This case study illustrates how Tetra Pak is collaborating with local communities to foster sustainable development and engage them in the company's operations.

Tetra Pak: Engaging Communities to Foster Sustainable Development

Emrgy is a woman-led clean tech company that is redefining waterpower to be as local, rapidly deployable, and cost-eﬀective as solar power.

Transforming global water infrastructure into sources of distributed renewable energy

Policy—such as the EU’s Right to Repair legislation—can be leveraged to make repair the new normal.

EU's Right to Repair Legislation and Member States' Initiatives to Make Repair the New Norm

Rwanda’s Circular Economy Action Plan embeds circular principles into the construction sector.