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

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

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

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

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Switch to Circular Economy Value Chains

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Starter Kit collection

Business case

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)

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 products that are made to last and to ensure longer use

Design for durability

Designing products to resist damage and wear, and serve a long and useful life.

Design for physical durability

Business

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

Browse case studies by type of implementing stakeholder.

Implementing stakeholders

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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   Billi London tights, biodegradable in landfill   Billi London   It is common knowledge that our throwaway clothing culture is contributing millions of tonnes to landfill waste every year. The majority of these clothes contain synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon, which release micro plastics during washing, wear, and disposal. Circular economy business models have fast emerged to divert apparel and footwear from landfills into resale, rental, and recycling. But there is a category of products that typically do not meet the criteria for these avenues due to product fragility, hygiene restrictions, and recycling limitations—hosiery. As many as 8 billion pairs of tights are made, worn a handful of times, and discarded every year. Statista reports that the tights and leggings segment of hosiery is expected to grow in volume to 387 billion pieces per year by 2025. Tights in landfills biodegrade into plastic fragments that leach into waterways, contributing to micro plastic pollution. Sophie Billi-Hardwick, 33, and Marie Bouhier, 27, cofounded Billi London two years ago to address this problem. They set about creating a sustainable tights product and say they now “own 100% of the biodegradable tights market” as hosiery industry behemoths lag behind.  The journey to launching biodegradable tights took 2 years of research and development by the two entrepreneurs, who had no previous experience in the hosiery industry. The duo visited 5 tights factories in Europe and conducted extensive research into biodegradable synthetic yarns and consumer attitudes towards tights. They discovered that of 300 tights-wearing consumers, most of them typically “binned 1-2 pairs per month” which was creating guilt (due to the waste generated) and a reluctance to continue wearing tights, given their cost and negative environmental impact. Having researched biodegradable nylons in apparel products during a Master's degree at London College of Fashion, Maire Bouhier wondered why this innovation was not being applied to tights usually knitted from nylon and elastane yarns.      Billi London tights, biodegradable in landfill  BilliLondon   Additional research by Bouhier and Billi-Hardwick, who joined forces in 2019, unearthed two yarn suppliers willing to supply enhanced versions of both nylon 6.6 (the type typically used in tights) and elastane. The enhancement was a change in the molecular structure of both the nylon and elastane that make them susceptible to microbes. This susceptibility leads to “digestion” of the nylon and elastane by microbes in landfills, resulting in non-toxic byproducts and no micro plastics. But with this improved biodegradability comes additional complexity in the handling of the yarn and the creation of a high-quality and high-performance product, and this is what the entrepreneurs believe is hindering the widespread adoption of these yarns, which are readily available from suppliers in Europe.    To use these yarns, which are optimized for apparel products, not tights, Billi London partnered with a tights manufacturer to utilize specific knitting machine technology with a high degree of specificity when it comes to combining nylon and elastane and programming the knitted structure and specifications of the tights. Two years of R&D, wearer trials, and external biodegradability testing and certification indicate that disrupting the tights market is something only a scrappy startup on a singular mission seems willing to embark on. Their nearest competitor (a global tights brand) uses just a portion of biodegradable yarn in their comparable product. However, the entrepreneurs conceded that they do not have a total biodegradable tights solution, and currently, can only offer one thickness of tights (30 denier, which retail at around $32 ) while they troubleshoot problems with their thinner 15 denier tights prototypes, where the challenges posed by the biodegradable yarn properties are heightened.  Having worked briefly in the tights sector myself, I know what a challenge this product can pose, both in terms of performance and the inbuilt seasonality, with demand ebbing for around half of the year. However, Billi-Hardwick revealed during our interview that “socks and leggings are next on the agenda” for biodegradable disruption. Given that these products typically include at least some synthetic fibers (often elastane) for stretch and recovery, this seems a brilliant move. It also seems smart given that the startup is soon to launch a funding round ahead of market expansion plans, which will no doubt be catapulted by a universal product like socks.   On the subject of biodegradability credentials, I dug into the conditions required for optimal breakdown with a degree of skepticism. I have often seen biodegradability and compostability data based on highly specific (and inaccessible) conditions. Billi London bucks this trend. Bouhier explained that the tights require “biodegradability conditions of a well-controlled landfill—which now represents the majority of landfills in the EU”. Such landfills are characterized by “high humidity, an absence of oxygen and high (levels of) specific anaerobic bacteria that produce (organic compounds) biogas and biomass”. Biodegradability tests have demonstrated that Billi London tights biodegrade within 5 years, versus 40-100 years for traditional tights. Clarifying a common question over composting as an optional disposal method, Bouhier explained that “it doesn’t work (for Billi tights) because (composting is) not anaerobic”.       Billi London biodegradable nylon and elastane tights  Billi London   On the direction of the startup and its founding values, Billi-Hardwick said “something extremely important and in our DNA (is) we want to bring innovation into the market. We have a challenger mindset”. When asked about the long term vision for the company, she said “we want to build the brand as a material science and consumer goods brand. We really believe in partnerships, so we might join others and collaborate”, which echoes the ethos and business model of other sustainable product disruptors who I have recently interviewed.   In weighing up recycling versus landfill for plastic waste (including synthetic fibers) it is useful to know that less than 10% of all plastic produced since 1950 has been recycled, with 79% in landfills or the natural environment (the remainder is incinerated, releasing CO2 and other hazardous additives into the atmosphere). Plastic recycling is complex and expensive, and the recycled material can be more expensive (and sometimes of lower quality) than the virgin equivalent. Separation of different synthetics materials is also a complication—for example, where traditional nylon and elastane are mixed. As a result, micro plastic particles from degrading plastics in our environment are reaching catastrophic levels. “Aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, plastic waste has become a major part of the global pollution crisis, along with biodiversity loss and climate change." This represents a "triple emergency" that must be tackled, according to a recent UNEP report. The report also demonstrated how the world’s most marginalized populations are bearing the brunt of plastic pollution impacts.   Global brands are beginning to take a stake in such solutions, as evidenced by materials science partnerships and investments, buoyed by consumers becoming increasingly vigilant about the environmental consequences of plastics. But saddled with entrenched material sourcing and manufacturing processes, incumbent market leaders in product categories such as tights may lack the impetus and “challenger mindset” (as quoted by Billi-Hardwick) to embark on innovation journeys. Such initiatives can be seen as expensive, risky, and a threat to the bottom line. But the toxic consequences of plastic material waste from commercially successful products can no longer hide behind the business mantra ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’. The planet is broken, and innovation offers the promise of fixing it. 

On April 1st, 2021, the Circular Toolbox, a step-by-step guide for apparel brands looking to explore resale and rental, was officially launched at an online event. Watch the recording below, or go straight to the toolbox to learn more.‍Go to the toolbox →WATCH THE LAUNCH EVENT‍‍‍‍


 
 
 
  


 


This series of guidance notes provides different audiences within product development teams (e.g. designers, buyers, retailers) advice on designing to improve clothing life. 
 Extending clothing life has been identified as the single largest opportunity to reduce the carbon, water and waste footprints of clothing in the UK.
Quite simply, if clothes have a longer usable life, they can be replaced less frequently – reducing the volume discarded and meaning fewer resources are consumed in manufacturing.
Research by WRAP found that extending the average life of clothes by just nine months would save £5 billion in resources used to supply, launder and dispose of clothing. Guides
The guidance notes were drafted by technical specialists and informed by advice from industry. The accompanying notes are formatted as a series of bullet points that can be used in presentations or for ready reference during design, and cover the following eight categories:
 Childrenswear covers clothing for children from babies to teenagers, including schoolwear, nightwear, trousers, skirts, tshirts, coats, knitwear, party clothes and fancy dress.
Top 5 tips for childrenswear:

Designing in a growth allowance.
Selecting fabrics and components that are proven to offer durability and colourfastness.
Applying fabric finishes to reduce the likelihood of staining.
Designing garments for multi-functionality (such as reversible coats).
Reinforcing weak areas, or areas liable to extra stress such as elbows and knees.


Occasionwear
Occasionwear refers to clothes that are worn for special events and occasions. It includes bridal wear, dinner jackets, evening wear, party dresses and high-quality suits.
Top 5 tips for occasionwear:

Using classic styles, innovatively, to help transcend fashion fads.
Ensuring high quality fabrics are used when designing garments.
Designing garments that are multi-functional, to give the customer the option to wear different parts of the outfit with other clothes.
Facilitating alteration through adjustable waistbands, generous seams or additional buttons.
Selecting materials and components that can withstand the chemicals used in the dry-cleaning process.

 Knitwear refers to manufactured styles produced by weft knitting, including jumpers, cardigans and dresses.
Top 5 tips for knitwear:

Using quality yarn and fibres to improve the strength and colourfastness of knitted garments.
Ensuring care and laundry advice is clear and simple.
Taking steps to preserve the quality of knitted fabric (including colourfastness) and garment manufacture throughout production.
Providing guidance for use and design in re-use and encourage consumers to downcycle old garments.
Focusing on classic design and loose shapes.


Tailoring
Tailoring refers to formal wear such as suits, jackets, skirts, trousers and coats.
Top 5 tips for tailoring:

Using high quality outer fabric and ensuring lining and interlining are compatible.
Applying classic styles, cut and colours, and building-in features to allow easy adjustment size and shape alteration.
Including clear guidance and advice on the care label.
Where possible utilising detachable elements, such as collars or linings, which can be replaced when worn.
Providing a specialist aftercare service, as well as mending and repair advice.

 Denim encompasses not only jeans, but also denim jackets, dresses, shirts and skirts.
Top 5 tips for denim:

Using ozone bleaching, laser engraving and resin finishes to create the desired effects with a lower environmental impact.
Enhancing fabric strength and surface quality by applying sustainable dyeing, bleaching and surface treatments.
Applying traditional, robust manufacturing methods and mass customisation strategies to products.
Educating consumers about the unique characteristics of denim and how to care for it and repair, re-use or repurpose it.
Creating emotional attachment through ethical sourcing and production, no waste and craft design approaches.


Sportswear
Sportswear includes garments used for physical activity, from low-impact activities such as jogging, yoga, golf and walking to high-impact activities such as tennis, running, football and gym activities. It does not include swimwear.
Top 5 tips for sportswear:

Using durable material, with reinforced seams and areas where rubbing or chafing occurs.
Providing care instructions that encourage airing clothes or washing promptly after use.
Encouraging longer attachment to items through the use of wearable technology or personalisation.
Adding soil-resistant or antibacterial finishes to reduce problems from body perspiration and odour.
Selecting warp-knitted fabrics with open fabric structures (e.g. nets and mesh) to help the transport of moisture.

 Casualwear includes t-shirts, leggings, sweat tops, skirts, trousers, shorts, blouses and shirts.
Top 5 tips for casualwear:

Selecting high-quality fabric and testing rigorously for performance, including colourfastness and pilling.
Providing clear and simple care and laundry instructions.
Designing-in adjustable features to accommodate fluctuations in body shape.
Where appropriate, designing garments with detachable parts which can be replaced when they become soiled or worn.
Providing styling guidance for the consumer to encourage longer use and potential re-use.


Underwear
Underwear includes bras, briefs, boxers, vests, slips, shapewear and thermals.
Top 5 tips for underwear:

Using more durable fabrics, trims and construction methods.
Removing seams where possible, and recognising that comfort is crucially important for prolonged daily wear.
Scheduling in time for multiple fittings during the design process to ensure that underwear fits well and supports where necessary.
Providing expert advice on fit on product packaging and at point of sale.
Designing underwear to be easy to launder.


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The ‘unbreakable’ pantyhose are powered by Sheertex knit. © Sheertex  

Sheertex, the brand formerly known as Sheerly Genius, has created “the world’s first pair of unbreakable sheer pantyhose”. Named one of Time’s Best Inventions of 2018, Sheertex pantyhose are made with Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibres that are up to ten times stronger than steel and used in ballistic products, like bulletproof vests.

“Creating the strongest sheer pantyhose in the world was no easy feat,” the company reports. “All of the fibres on the market today are either strong or sheer, not both.”

After a year of R&D, Sheertex developed a proprietary fibre, the patent pending Sheertex knit, that is strong, flexible and sheer – but it was almost too strong. Regular machinery couldn’t handle the fibre, so the Sheertex team developed a manufacturing process built to withstand the strength of the material without compromising the wearability of the end product.



Sheertex pantyhose are crafted with reinforced seams. © Sheertex

The sheers are designed to last 10x longer than a typical designer pair. Before “Sheertex, women had two options when it came to pantyhose: thick tights that may last but are made for the temperatures you’d find in the North Pole or a disposable pair of sheers that typically lasts one to two wears,” the brand explains.

“You don’t have to trade function for fashion anymore. The proprietary fibre is stain, odour and moisture resistant; it’s cool to the touch while still allowing for complete comfort and support.”



The sheers are designed to last 10x longer than a typical designer pair. © Sheertex  

Sheertex pantyhose are crafted with reinforced seams, an invisible waistband and a control top. They flatter and hug the curves of all body types. In addition, the Sheertex knit is self-healing, meaning that in most cases when the knit gets pulled out of place it can be manipulated back into place without any fear of rips or runs, according to the brand.
 Sheertex’s sheers come in a wide range of sizes from S-2/3XLL with short and tall options available.

www.sheertex.com

     
   
 
  How to participate    It’s simple. We want to clean up the hosiery industry and provide a better alternative to the way we create and dispose of modern pantyhose. Help us out and you’ll get a 10% discount for your contribution to cleaning up the industry.   
 
    
   
 
    MAIL-IN POINTS  SWEDISH STOCKINGSATT: RECYCLING CLUBORRTORP, 73198KÖPING, SWEDEN   Please make sure to include your email address in order toreceive your discount code. Discount codes are only givento mail-in packages. At this time, Swedish Stockings cannotcover any shipping or customs charges. All post-paid,recommended or packages withheld at customs willunfortunately be returned to the sender.    
 
  how we recycle    We want to close the loop and eventually be able to recycleold hosiery into new. In order to make that possible we needto be able to separate the fibres, the polyamide from the elastane,and at this time the technology isn’t commercially available.However, we have an interim solution!   
 
          
 
    We collect and grind down old pantyhose to be used as filler material in fibreglass tanks. These tanks are used in the commercial industry to separate grease from water, such as at gas stations, at restaurants, etc. They are extremely hardwearing, lasting decades, and now contain your old pantyhose in them! Glamorous? No. Sustainable? yes! As long as old pantyhose does not end up in a landfill, we are committed to cleaning up the whole industry.   
  

Today’s fashion industry is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and landfill waste. According UNEP and the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, the fashion industry is responsible for 10 % of annual global carbon emissions, more than all international flights and maritime shipping combined. Based on current growth rates, the fashion industry’s greenhouse gas emissions will surge more than 50 % by 2030. Nearly three-fifths of all clothing produced ends up in incinerators or landfills within a couple years of being made. Additionally, the manufacturing processes destroy local water systems due to the use of toxic dyes and chemicals. These issues are without mention of the incredible human toll on low-wage workers.This model is environmentally and more recently economically unsustainable, as evidenced by the recent bankruptcy of Forever21, a fast fashion icon.At ArcTern Ventures, we are investing in breakthrough technology startups solving climate change and sustainability, which includes solutions for sustainable fashion. We are evaluating many exciting investments in the space, including: emerging clothing sharing, rental, subscription, and logistical models; technologies for recycling and circularity; advanced materials for longer-lasting more durable products; biomaterials that can be easily composted; and other radical innovations.Recently, we led a USD$10 million Series A investment in Sheertex, a Canadian startup that has developed ultra-durable, unbreakable-in-human-hands, rip and snag proof sheer pantyhose using proprietary fiber that is 10X stronger than steel, lightweight, anti-microbial, water-resistant, and cool to the touch. Its first time use in apparel — a significant departure from typical bulletproof vest and climbing equipment applications — has been enabled by the company’s textile technology and proprietary manufacturing process innovations.Shertex CEO, Katherine Homuth, demonstrates indestructibilityEvery year, 2 billion pairs of pantyhose are manufactured, with an average wear life of less than twice (some tear before their first wear) and disposed in a landfill, where they take a century or more to decompose. Now, thanks to Sheertex, pantyhose can last as long as pair of jeans and be easily recycled at their end of life, allowing the transition of this disposable good into a significantly more durable apparel staple.Fashion must become more sustainable and we at ArcTern plan to boldly invest in this rapidly changing sector.

        
        Humans have walked on the moon—so why did tights still break at the first sign of bad luck? Founder Katherine Homuth was fed up with old-fashioned, disposable hosiery, so she set out to make the toughest, luckiest tights in the world.   Shop All             With a lot of hard work and innovation, Katherine and her team created a miracle fiber, a proprietary manufacturing process, and took over the largest hosiery factory in Montreal, Canada, where the entire team is based today.           Our Sheertex knit is the foundation of all of our products, and we’re finding more and more ways to create stylish, ultra-durable uses for it.      KATHERINE HOMUTH, FOUNDER & CEO   
 
 See Sheertex Labs 
               
   Shop All 
           Over 2 billion pairs of pantyhose are thrown away each year. Tights shouldn’t be trash, so we’re replacing them with a strong and long-lasting knit that can be reworn, again and again.             We use the extra material from our production process to make new products like masks, headbands, scrunchies, and underwear. This collection is still growing—so stay tuned for more upcycled products to come.   Shop Accessories       
            We're the first hosiery company to be using fiber this strong to make tights. This fiber is traditionally used for climbing equipment and in other more heavy duty ways, and getting it thin enough for pantyhose doesn't come easy. Our prices reflect the cost of our materials directly — no scams or crazy markups.  
          “You can stretch and twist the Sheertex as much as you like and they won't break. You'd have to be the Hulk to tear a hole through these things.”   Read More →      Named One of TIME's Best Inventions   Read More →         “These super pantyhose have been tested and proven to be wearable up to 50 times. Regular brands usually give you two or three wears before you are forced to toss 'em.”   Read More →     
         
  

          What we care about A committed relationship between you, Sheertex, and the planet.              The pantyhose industry has historically been a purposefully disposable industry, creating enormous waste. Each year, over 2 billion pairs of tights are produced, and because of their intentionally flimsy composition, most of them are sent straight into the landfill after just one use. We believe that this waste is unacceptable, and we set out to make the change we wanted to see in the industry. We pride ourselves on creating the most durable sheers around -- 10x stronger than the other guys and built to last. Made from super-strong polymer, we created a knit blend able to withstand the elements, while still being lightweight and comfortable. By investing in high-quality products that are designed to last a long time, we’re actively fighting against the disposability of the hosiery industry. We’re also working hard on developing our recycling program, and implementing ethical strategies to reduce waste.    
        We recognize that although Sheertex is revolutionary in the industry, we’re not perfect. We devote ourselves to ensuring that you get the best pantyhose possible. When a near-flawless pair pantyhose doesn’t pass the quality assurance test, we turn them into something new. We transform every pair of slightly imperfect pantyhose into our Jumbo Scrunchies, which are hand-sewn by our production team with love. This is just one of the ways we make sure we’re sending you the high-quality products you deserve, without sending any pantyhose to the landfill.    
        Our commitment to ethical practices also includes ensuring that our employees are paid a fair and living wage. We offer equitable salaries, health benefits, and dedicate ourselves to ensuring that each member of our team has the opportunity to grow, expand their skills, and develop their career with us. We believe that happy people make happy sheers, so we aim to foster a work environment that empowers the people who make our world go ‘round. We believe that 10 years from now, no one will buy pantyhose that rips. We have developed the technology to create a durable and high-quality product that is kind to the environment, to our employees, and to you, the consumer. We are changing the way the world sees pantyhose, one pair at a time.    
   

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 Founder Katherine Homuth was fed up with old-fashioned, disposable hosiery, so she set out to make the toughest, luckiest tights in the world.

SheerTex

<p>SheerTex tights are designed to last ten times longer than a typical designer pair, using fibres often found in bullet-proof vests.</p>