Chain Gang Small Enterprise, Blockchain Collaborations and Textile Recovery in the Circular Economy (Heim, 2021).pdf

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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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Article / Report

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

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

Fashion and Textiles

Employ technologies to gather and analyse data to provide insights on resource use

Data and insights

Employ online platforms to connect and improve information sharing between stakeholders

Digital platforms

Employing artificial algorithms and robotics to identify, enable and/or implement circular strategies (eg. effective resource use & logistics planning, circular business models & design)

Advanced robotics, artificial intelligence

Utilising data and models to to identify, enable and/or implement circular strategies (eg. effective resource use & logistics planning, circular business models & design)

Data analytics, modelling

Connecting products and services into the internet of things to identify, enable and/or implement circular strategies (eg. effective resource use & logistics planning, circular business models & design)

Internet enabled, connected operations

Installing sensors to gather data from products and services to identify, enable and/or implement circular strategies (eg. effective resource use & logistics planning, circular business models & design)

Sensors, monitoring systems

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

Online platforms

Impacts

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Industries

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The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

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Alexander McQueen

Asia Pacific Rayon

<p>This study sets out to investigate the level of cooperation required for the effective implementation of blockchain for transparency along the fashion supply chain. The study finds that many of the current use cases of blockchain in the fashion supply chain are limited to private, permissioned blockchains – thus effectively shutting out other players.</p>

Chain Gang
Small Enterprise, Blockchain Collaborations and Textile Recovery
in The Circular Economy. 

Business case

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

Increase Awareness

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

Innovation

Labelling

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

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

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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   Temera, leader in IoT solutions for the fashion & luxury industry, and Everledger, a pioneer in digital transparency, announce their strategic collaboration.This partnership will foster the adoption of an easy-to-use technology for the certification of authenticity and storytelling to the final consumer, putting in place Temera’s decade of experience in the fashion sector, and the suite of cutting-edge solutions for traceability and Everledger’s customer experience.The first concrete application resulting from this collaboration is operational on MCQ, the new fashion brand launched last week by Alexander McQueen, a company part of the Kering conglomerate. For years, Temera has been offering McQueen its solutions for the identification and traceability of the product chain using RFID-UHF technology. An additional chip with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology has been added to the products of the new line, which allows the interaction of the products with the final consumer through the use of smartphones. Everledger completes, with blockchain technology, the writing and management of a real “digital twin” of the physical product.     The information, which goes from the birth of the product to its distribution, is accessible with the highest level of security by the consumer who can, in a phase following the first purchase, decide to “transfer” the ownership of the garment by reselling it in the second hand market and transferring ownership of the used product to the buyer.An evolutionary step that marks an absolute milestone for McQueen as a pioneer in the adoption of highly innovative solutions.Side/top: an example of an NFC tag with Blockchain protocol. Found on the swing tag of each garment, it allows interaction of the same with the consumer through the use of a smartphone. Photo credit MCQ           In terms of functionality, Alexander McQueen takes a step forward with MCQ also in terms of authentication.Each icon presented by MCQ is fully traceable through its MYMCQ digital platform, a unique system of its kind that uses blockchain and NFC technology to unlock innovative features. MYMCQ provides historical information, moreover it represents a multimedia hub where anyone can interact with the brand, access behind-the-scenes content, interviews with collaborators and other creatives within the MCQ community and more.Side/top: the MYMCQ portal that functions as a real “media hub” of the brand. Photo credit MCQ        For this partnership, Temera managed the adoption of NFC tags that allow you to digitally register each garment in a unique way and to have its digital twin online, on MYMCQ. Temera has also integrated its platform Stylewhere with the Everledger one, which makes it possible to record the events relating to the history of each individual item and associated data on a distributed and immutable register. Temera stands out for its specific know-how, gained in response to a strong need to solve problems related to the optimization of logistical and production processes in the fashion sector, which include anti-counterfeiting, gray / parallel market control, and ever more pervasive and loyal customer experiences.Everledger has developed the MYMCQ website, a Blockchain-based technology platform that allows brands and consumers to securely register and trade clothing designed by a selection of designers. MYMCQ will also be the focal point for a customer community. Everledger’s technology enables the creation of a secure and permanent digital record of each piece of clothing using blockchain technology. In addition to the security implicit in the technology, one of the advantages is the user experience: the entire life cycle of each garment is accessible online, from when and where it was designed to the first purchase and even resale. Consumers can rest assured that they are buying authentic items, whether they are sold directly by MCQ or peer-to-peer, helping to combat counterfeit luxury goods. By allowing an easy resale of items among consumers, MCQ hopes to encourage more conscious consumerism.      “In the fashion ecosystem, non-digital certifications are complex and expensive, while supplier monitoring systems are inadequate to meet the ever-increasing need for transparency. Thanks to the partnership with Everledger, we are able to increase consumers’ confidence in the brand, making a full history easily available and shareable. With the combined use of NFC and blockchain technology, now brands can bring to light second hand market re-selling activities, fueling the need for sustainability by new generations of consumers thanks to the enablement of a circular economy.”Arcangelo D’Onofrio, CEO of Temera         Innovating with a view to sustainability means thinking about the overall impact on the environment. MCQ’s designers have created an end-to-end packaging system to significantly reduce excess waste, which means they use the same packaging along the entire production chain until it reaches the consumer. The same packaging preserved by the first consumer can be reused in the second hand market as an integral part of the product.Photo credit MCQ          MCQ’s idea of ​​collaboration does not respond to the typical constrains of co-branding. It is a fluid conversation between emerging creatives around the world and provides them with a global platform to bring their ideas to life.This democratic approach means that MCQ can autonomously define the releases of its collections instead of being subject to the usual seasonal fashion hierarchy. Working in six-month cycles, at least three ‘drops’ of new icons are expected, each telling an entirely new story, from images to collaborators to the launch event and location.Photo credit MCQ        A further push to the change of concept that has been emerging in recent years in the fashion scene and which enhances Alexander McQueen’s choice to use UHF technology and the Stylewhere platform for product traceability and to serve the customer with what they want: right product at the right time in the right place.MCQ recognizes the contribution made by the partnership: “Core values ​​for MCQ, are creating a community of people on the same page, functioning as an enabler to connect people and bring them together. We are excited about what is happening among the people who they interact with each other, for the result brought by the group, rather than a single individual. Therefore it makes us very happy that our friends from Temera and Everledger, who met through MCQ, are about to embark on a partnership together. “      “This strategic partnership encapsulates the key values for each organisation, around pioneerism, transparenc, openness, and decentralisation. It’s such an incredible opportunity to take the fashion industry to the next stage, integrating cutting-edge technology to centuries-old craft. MCQ has pushed the use case for their consumers further and further, and having a fantastic partner like Temera has enabled us to have such an incredible launch in a very short amount of time.”Calogero Scibetta, Head of Business Development & Strategic Partnerships Everledger             “It is not every day that we see the birth of a brand, let alone one that connects two worlds: fashion and technology. MYMCQ is an outstanding achievement by the visionaries at MCQ and a very dedicated group of people that turned that future into reality. We’re honoured to be part of a project that will change the fashion industry forever, and for the better. More circular, more sustainable, more connected with their end consumers. I’m looking forward to building ever more simple and scalable solutions for the apparel industry.”Leanne Kemp, Everledger’s founder and CEO    

For years, Temera has been offering McQueen its solutions for the identification and traceability of the product chain using RFID-UHF technology. An additional chip with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology has been added to the products of the new line, which allows the interaction of the products with the final consumer through the use of smartphones. Everledger completes, with blockchain technology, the writing and management of a real “digital twin” of the physical product.The information, which goes from the birth of the product to its distribution, is accessible with the highest level of security by the consumer who can, in a phase following the first purchase, decide to “transfer” the ownership of the garment by reselling it in the second hand market and transferring ownership of the used product to the buyer.An evolutionary step that marks an absolute milestone for McQueen as a pioneer in the adoption of highly innovative solutions. In terms of functionality, Alexander McQueen takes a step forward with MCQ also in terms of authentication.Each icon presented by MCQ is fully traceable through its MYMCQ digital platform, a unique system of its kind that uses blockchain and NFC technology to unlock innovative features. MYMCQ provides historical information, moreover it represents a multimedia hub where anyone can interact with the brand, access behind-the-scenes content, interviews with collaborators and other creatives within the MCQ community and more.For this partnership, Temera managed the adoption of NFC tags that allow you to digitally register each garment in a unique way and to have its digital twin online, on MYMCQ. Temera has also integrated its platform Stylewhere with the Everledger one, which makes it possible to record the events relating to the history of each individual item and associated data on a distributed and immutable register. Temera stands out for its specific know-how, gained in response to a strong need to solve problems related to the optimization of logistical and production processes in the fashion sector, which include anti-counterfeiting, gray / parallel market control, and ever more pervasive and loyal customer experiences.Everledger has developed the MYMCQ website, a Blockchain-based technology platform that allows brands and consumers to securely register and trade clothing designed by a selection of designers. MYMCQ will also be the focal point for a customer community. Everledger’s technology enables the creation of a secure and permanent digital record of each piece of clothing using blockchain technology. In addition to the security implicit in the technology, one of the advantages is the user experience: the entire life cycle of each garment is accessible online, from when and where it was designed to the first purchase and even resale. Consumers can rest assured that they are buying authentic items, whether they are sold directly by MCQ or peer-to-peer, helping to combat counterfeit luxury goods. By allowing an easy resale of items among consumers, MCQ hopes to encourage more conscious consumerism.

  Blockchain firm Everledger has partnered with Internet of Things (IoT) specialist Temera to provide brands in the apparel and luxury… 



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London

Temera

Everledger

<p>A partnership between technology companies Temera and Everledger has made it possible to provide greater transparency and traceability in the fashion &amp; luxury industry. In a use case carried out with the MCQ brand by Alexander McQueen, the brand's consumers were able to identify all the players involved in a garment's supply chain. This possibility was made using blockchain and Near Field Communication (NFC) technologies, in addition to a digital platform called MYMCQ. The platform offers a better experience to the consumer, increasing their confidence in the authenticity of the products bought as well as helping to raise awareness of the choice of a conscious and sustainable purchase.</p>