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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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Business case

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

Providing repair services or maintenance services for products or parts

Product maintenance, repair

Providing DIY repair kits or spare part programmes for enabling self-repair

Self-repair, spare part service

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

Design for physical durability

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

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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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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  130,000 to 140,000 Waxed jackets made each year in South Shields
600/2,000 Number of UK/global stockists
60 to 90 Minutes it takes to make one jacket
25 Jackets each machinist makes every week

The day before Drapers’ trip to Barbour’s factory in South Shields, a far more interesting guest had paid a visit: local Geordie Robson Green. The actor was searching for a jacket to wear on his Extreme Fishing TV show on Channel 5. Aside from getting the largely female workforce excited - he spent the entire afternoon happily signing autographs and posing for pictures - the actor’s choice says a lot about his loyalty to local manufacturing; he has proudly supported the Northeast throughout his career. In fact, Barbour’s link to the region is so strong that on the way to the factory, Drapers’ taxi driver asked in astonishment: “Do they have Barbour in London?” believing the lifestyle brand to be worn only by local farmers or fishermen and not giving a second thought to its strong fashion credentials across the UK and the rest of the world.
But “they” do indeed have Barbour in London and it is precisely this combination of traditional, home-grown craftsmanship (Barbour was founded in 1894) and a strong product that makes the brand so successful. It is, therefore, hard to imagine Barbour’s jackets being so popular with both the fashion and functional crowds if they were made outside the UK. Sales rose 20% to £89.8m in the year to December 31, 2010, with the UK market “exploding since 2008 and now making up more than 50% of total sales, up from one-third”, says managing director Steve Buck.
Proving popular
Buck admits that the recent trend in menswear for heritage brands has played into the hands of Barbour and contributed to that sales surge. He worries about what would happen if the popularity of the trend were to fade, but says: “We have the opportunity to maintain [the 50%]. And we’re pretty good at managing the business to go with trends.”
He adds that there is still “huge opportunity” for the lifestyle part of the business, which includes knitwear.
Almost 15% of total sales come from product made at the factory in South Shields, which manufactures Barbour’s waxed jackets. And about 75% of its waxed cotton is sourced from supplier British Millerain in Rochdale and 25% from Halley Stevensons in Dundee. Despite the rest of the collection being made in the Far East and Europe, where production is cheaper, Buck is adamant that the “fundamentals” of the brand continue to be manufactured in the UK.
“It’s very important from a brand point of view, but also from a company point of view,” he says. “It means we have skills within the business that we wouldn’t otherwise have. We look at things differently and have the skills to operate at a slightly higher level with our CMT partners because we know how many standard units it takes to make a garment - and how you cost it.”
Next generation
But while Buck is supportive of UK manufacturing, he is also realistic about its limitations in the current climate. “Some 15 years ago, there used to be about 40 stitching factories in the area, but there’s no manufacturing base anymore. We’ve missed a generation [of workers]. It’s hard to justify investment,” he says. “But if there is support for it, it’s good for us and for the industry.”
Down on the factory floor, operations manager Dennis Ebdon tells Drapers about his succession planning structure, as a result of a common problem facing UK manufacturers: an ageing workforce. “At least the Government has helped by extending the retirement age to 107,” he jokes. “In the past 15 months, about 10 people have retired and it took us six months to replace them, but then only eight stayed on. The average age of our staff is 48.”
Ebdon firmly believes that vocational training should be funded by the Government, but in the meantime, Barbour trains many of its staff, the majority of which are its 116 machinists. “But it’s important that they understand the whole process of making a garment - cutting, sewing, designing it,” Ebdon adds, explaining that this is exactly what Barbour has done for its staff. “In a production line of 20 people, for example, if one is off sick, we need others to be able to do that job. Upskilling is key.”
So skilled is Barbour’s workforce that the company produces its jackets “right first time” 98% of the time. “If one stitch goes in incorrectly, you can’t do anything with it,” says Ebdon.
That skill is valued by loyal customers, who insist on bringing jackets they bought more than 20 years ago to Barbour’s customer service department to be repaired, instead of buying new ones, because they can’t part with the quality and fit of the garment. Some 13,000 items are handed over each year, sometimes with a repair price tag of £150. Drapers was surprised at the amount of jackets returned for repair regardless of their condition. “One woman sent us her husband’s jacket to be repaired as a 50th birthday present because he refused to throw it away,” says Jean Kershaw, customer services manager.
The repair service is not a profit-maker; Barbour breaks even on it, but says it is important for the ethos of the brand. Still, with the growth it is experiencing, it is wise to invest in and maintain the brand’s values. “Business has been incredible, the forward-order books for this autumn have been incredible. By the end of this year we will have grown between 50% and 60% in three years,” says Buck. 

      We offer a very special service that allows our customers to take their beloved Barbour jacket at any time to be re-waxed, repaired or altered. We recommend that you re-wax your jacket annually depending on wear and use a small re-wax for accessories which include waxed cotton hoods, belts and dog coats. We work with authorised partners around the world, find your nearest available service in the list below or scroll down for our easy how-to guide on how to re-wax your own jacket at home.    Our authorized service partners offer you a comprehensive repair & reproofing service for Barbour wax garments. Benelux:  For further information about Barbour's repairs & re-waxing services please visit the website of our authorized service partner, Witra. Italy:  For further information about Barbour's repairs & re-waxing services please email [email protected] France: Les Ateliers du Grand Bégué1965 Route d'Arengosse40630 LUGLONFranceEmail :[email protected] TéléphoneDepuis la France 06 12 58 44 01Depuis l'étranger + 33 6 12 58 44 01Ouvert du lundi au vendredi de 9h à 17h CLEMENTE GOMEZ DE ZAMORA, S.A.Barbour Customer ServiceEmail: [email protected]Tel.: 00 34 913933300Cantabria, 2 Planta 1Alcobendas 28108MadridSpain Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania only:  Fourfield Scandinavia Distribution AB  (Barbour)  Lästmakargatan 20, 1TRN  SE-111 44 Stockholm  +46 (0) 8 505 720 05  [email protected] Republic of Ireland and Eastern Europe:  UK Customer Services  Telephone:  0044 (0) 800 917 3000  [email protected] Switzerland:  RE-WAX  Fritz Allenbach  Bergblumenstrasse 42  8408 Winterthur  +41 79 736 58 13 [email protected]  RE-WAX YOUR OWN BARBOUR JACKET 

  Barbour waxed jackets are made to last. Renowned for their durability, weather resistance and a patina that only improves with age, they allow people to enjoy the great outdoors, whatever the weather. If looked after, your trusty Barbour waxed jacket will provide you with many years of faithful service. The renewable and sustainable nature of waxed cotton, which remains one of the toughest and most durable fabrics available, is important to us at Barbour. This is why we are proud to offer an expert repair and re-wax service, to help your waxed jacket last the test of time.    The Nature of Waxed Cotton Waxed cotton is widely-known for being robust, but it is natural for the wax to gradually dry out in areas that are in constant use. Wear tends to occur in the shoulders, seams and areas subject to friction like your pockets and sleeve creases. This is unavoidable, but not irreparable. Looking after your waxed jacket will ensure that it lasts for all the adventures down the road. This should always involve a good re-wax. If you want to learn more about taking care of waxed cotton, be sure to explore Wax For Life.    Barbour Re-waxing Here at Barbour, we recommend you re-wax your waxed jacket at least once a year (with regular use of your jacket). Re-waxing consists of reapplying a wax coating all over the jacket to ensure it remains resilient and weather-resistant, so you can rely on your jacket for the very best protection. We proudly offer our repairs and re-waxing service from our South Shields factory. Here, your jacket will be lovingly restored in what has been the home of Barbour for over 125 years. Each jacket is looked after by our experienced customer services team, who can re-wax, repair or make alterations to your beloved jacket. Whatever your needs are, there are many options suitable for helping your waxed jacket last for years and years. Read more about these services here and discover our waxed jackets here.  

   Celebrating 100 Years of Re-waxing and Sustainability  At Barbour we have been encouraging our customers to extend the life of their wax jackets for over 100 years through our re-wax and repair services.  As we honour this remarkable milestone for sustainability, join us and TV presenter Angellica Bell at our South Shields factory  to discover the re-waxing process that has revived countless jackets over the past century.  #BarbourWaxForLife   Barbour waxed cotton is perfect for modern life and when properly looked after can last for many many years. Wax for Life brings together three unique services. Our Barbour Repair & Re-wax service allows you to re-wax your jacket every year to keep the rain away and mend any wear and tear that might occur. MyBarbour gives you the opportunity to customise and build your very own Barbour Bedale, Beaufort or Beadnell jacket that is completely individual to you. Then, when the time comes for a new one, you can hand in your old wax jacket in exchange for a £50 voucher with our Barbour Re-Loved programme (available at participating stores for a limited time). 
 RE-WAX YOUR OWN BARBOUR JACKET  DISCOVER OUR VIRTUAL CENTENARY EXPERIENCE In Celebration of a century of re-waxing, we have curated a series of virtual rooms, that allow you to explore the journey of re-waxing over the past 100 years  and visit a wax and repair shop from the comfort of your own home.   ENTER OUR BARBOUR x BRITISH VOGUE COMPETITION  Be sure to discover our Barbour x British Vogue Competition by finding out more here...   

United Kingdom

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<p>British outdoor/lifestyle wear brand Barbour has been repairing and re-waxing their trademark jackets for over 100 years. The repair service is part of their Wax for Life campaign, encouraging customers to make sustainable choices through personalisation, repair, and responsible in house recycling.</p>