Business case

Direct and indirect reduction in economic costs

Cost Savings

Reduced green house gas emissions released into the biosphere

Reduce Emissions (SDG13)

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)

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 textile and leather products and processing them into apparel and accessories

Fashion and Textiles

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

Design for resource efficiency

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

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

Raw Materials and Planetary Boundaries

VISION:
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

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

Prioritise regenerative resources [Textiles]

Replace freshwater with less impactful alternatives and enact water efficiency measures

Regenerative water [Textiles]

Replacing freshwater use with rainwater, fogwater, seawater, etc.

Alternative water use [Textiles]

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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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

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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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 Today’s and tomorrow’s consumers expect to buy what they want anytime, anywhere, wholly on their terms. Understanding how to properly fulfill this evolving, unpredictable channel demand is a key strategic focus in today’s retail market. 
As a result, apparel and footwear brands and retailers have been some of the first to add RFID and digital identities to every product, with the goal of optimizing the consumer experience and further driving conversions. According to Auburn University, apparel retailers currently have 65% inventory accuracy without RFID. With RFID, the rate improves up to 99%. The key metrics from the brand and retailer perspective is to improve inventory accuracy and brand security to create a more satisfying omnichannel shopping experience that is focused on maximizing convenience and utility. 

Giving consumers what they want – and more

With Avery Dennison digital ID technologies, brands and retailers can give consumers what they want – a simple, convenient and transparent shopping and brand experience. By utilizing RFID apparel retailers are radically optimizing supply chains, authenticating brand integrity and engaging their customers in a world class consumer experience.

While comprehensive touchless solutions of course provide maximum benefit, Avery Dennison offers an implementation vision to enable these key use cases across the full supply chain from factory to consumer: 

The first step is to get all items RFID tagged at source and set the foundation from factory, to distribution centers and stores in order to maximize inventory accuracy across the entire supply chain.
The second step is to optimize supply chain operations and maximize omnichannel business value with new consumer delivery trends like buy online and pick up in store, ship from store, curbside pickup and same day delivery – while also making sure that in store shoppers can find exactly what they are looking for. 
The third step is to look at other applications that are enabled by these touchless technologies even beyond inventory accuracy optimization. This includes POS checkout, loss visibility, as well as bringing the product to life via an EPC enabled QR code or NFC tag to enable richer consumer interactions.

The evolution of retail 

Retail is evolving from the traditional push model to a future ‘Internet of Things’ model. Now, new models are emerging and, as familiarity with the technology grows, the digital ID “ecosystem” powered by RFID, NFC, QR, Bluetooth and more is predicted to produce even more exciting and profitable applications. 

Inventory accuracy: Digital is ubiquitous, and shoppers are becoming increasingly channel-agnostic. Accurate inventory management is crucial to enable full stock visibility and guarantee a product’s availability for the customer — no matter the channel. 

Brand protection: Product authentication is key for brand trust and to combat counterfeiting. Our atma.io connected product cloud enables brands to digitize their entire production line and give customers the certainty of purchasing an authentic product.
Circular economy: Re-use, recycle, re-imagine. Giving clothing a new lease of life is more and more crucial for consumers and brands alike. RFID labels with a corresponding QR code or NFC tag can provide information about a garment directly to the consumer: How to wash it to prolong usage, what it is made of, closest recycling points, etc., supporting a more conscious approach to apparel production and consumption.
Consumer engagement: Directly connecting your brand to your customers is more and more crucial in a world full of information overload. With RFID, shoppers can interact with your product in a way that goes beyond the point of sale, without the need for ambassadors or middlemen. Our atma.io connected product cloud enables brands to digitize their  enables brands and retailers to connect and communicate with consumers via their products. By assigning each item a unique digital ID and “digital personality”,  brands can transform their marketing efforts, increasing customer engagement while also capturing real-time data and consumer insights for every product, from manufacturing to end-of-life.
 

 The Management and all who work at Viyellatex Ltd. are committed to the care of the environment and the prevention of pollution.
The organization ensures that all its activities are carried out in conformance with the relevant environmental legislation and the requirements of Directorate of Environment, Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.
The organization operates processes, which are prescribed under Red Category (serial 14), SCHEDULE–1, The Environment Conservation Rules, 1997 of Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, and observes the requirements (under act 13) (schedule 12b) laid down by the same act.
The organization commits to prevention of pollution and continual improvement. The organization seeks to minimize waste arising, promote recycling, reduce energy consumption, reduce harmful emissions and, where possible, to work with suppliers who themselves have sound environmental policies.
An essential feature of the environmental management system is a commitment to improving environmental performance. This is achieved by setting annual environmental improvement objectives and targets which are regularly monitored and reviewed. The objectives and targets are publicized throughout the organization and all staff is committed to their achievement.
In order to ensure the achievement of the above commitments, the organization has implemented an environmental management system, which satisfies the requirements of ISO 14001:2004.
This Policy and the obligations and responsibilities required by the environmental management system have been communicated to all employees. The Policy is available to the public on request 

Dhaka

Viyellatex is a vertically-integrated garment manufacturer based in Dhaka, operating along several steps of the value chain from spinning to garment production. 

Viyellatex

<p>The implementation of new technologies to reduce the use of energy and water in the clothing production processes can have a significant impact on both the environment and business costs. Viyellatex stands out for its initiatives in this matter and has achieved numerous awards for business, social and environmental performance for its commitment.</p>