WCTD 2022 - World Circular Textiles Day

World Circular Textiles Day 2022

Join us for WCTD2022, where we work towards broadening the conversation around textiles circularity, ensuring that it’s an inclusive, global cultural movement.

We recently announced that WCTD2022 will be hosted at The Conduit and we are thrilled to share there are now a handful of in-person tickets available.

You can join the co-founders of World Circular Textiles Day on Friday 7th October 2022, where we will work towards broadening the conversation around textiles circularity, ensuring that it’s an inclusive, global cultural movement.

In collaboration with Lenzing, the programme will feature commentary, speakers and interviews from across the entire circular textiles value chain, with a live link to industry partners in Lenzing’s office in NYC.

Join us at the live event at The Conduit in Covent Garden, London, by signing up here.

And sign up for the online session, all over the world, using our Eventbrite page.

Remember to subscribe to our newsletter to stay in the loop!

Get involved

Get ready for WCTD 2022 and start preparing your Circular Progress Updates.

Announce any new projects, initiatives, case studies, targets, products and upload the stories to the WCTD Knowledge Hub.

Need more information?

mail@worldcirculartextilesday.com

Share your progress via Twitter or Instagram and don’t forget to add the hashtags:

#WorldCircularTextilesDay

#WCTD2022

#countdownto2050

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21.09.21 - World Circular Textiles Day (Partners) - Blue-Purple

Retrievr:

Retrievr makes it easy for people and brands to return value to unwanted clothing, shoes, and electronics. Collection is the entry point into the circular economy, and by coming directly to your door, through a tech-enabled on-demand pickup service, we make apparel and electronics circularity accessible. We envision a world where the items we no longer need perpetually return to their highest and best reuse.

Reformation:

The future of our industry depends on all of us designing with intention and with circularity as the end goal, but also investing in real solutions to close the loop and keep materials recirculating in the fashion system. WCTD is an important call to action for brands and manufacturers to start doing just that, and for consumers to hold us accountable to progress.

Re_fashion:

Refashion (Eco TLC), the French eco-organization for textiles, wishes to support the World Circular Textiles Day.

We also hope that a fully circular textiles industry can be achieved by 2050.

This is our vision and our day-to-day work, bringing all stakeholders of the French textiles industry together to build a 100% circular sector.

Renewcell:

From now until 2030, 1.7 billion additional people eager to express themselves through style will join the global middle class. The only way fashion can serve that fundamental need without a destroying the environment and worsening climate change is by going circular. We fully support World Circular Textiles Day because fashion needs to take better care of the materials it extracts from earth.

Recover:

Recover is a sustainability company, bringing recycled fibre and closed loop solutions to the textiles industry on a global scale.

Our mission is to be an agent of positive change for the textiles industry and accelerate the transition towards circularity.

Recover is proud to support the launch of World Circular Textiles Day in its mission to raise awareness and increase industry engagement around achieving a circular textiles world by 2050.

QSA Partners:

We are committed to helping create customer-centric, commercially attractive circular business models that helps our clients stay relevant, grow market share, open up different markets and build resilience against the impacts and risks of climate change.

The Sustainable Fashion Academy:

The scientific community continues to sound the alarm that the planet is warming way too much and way too fast; that the biodiversity that we humans depend on is in such rapid decline that we are likely on the verge of a mass extinction; that increasing inequality and misinformation is a threat to our democratic institutions. In its current form, the global apparel industry contributes significantly to these problems and therefore, if it is to maintain its relevance and license to operate, must change. And fast. That is why we need bold, smart, and honest leadership. We call on our politicians and government representatives, financial institutions and business leaders, innovators and citizens to advocate for and enact policies and practices that make it too expensive to invest in bad industry practices and outdated linear business models. We call on our leaders to ensure that the only economically viable and profitable choice is to invest in solutions that are truly circular and just. We are in a state of emergency. It is time we start acting like it.

Michael Schragger, Founder and Executive Director, The Sustainable Fashion Academy

The Salvation Army:

“The Salvation Army is delighted to celebrate the inaugural World Circular Textiles Day which marks the beginning of a new collaborative and creative initiative to tackle the global impacts associated with textiles production and waste. Representing the Salvation Army’s trading businesses across the world who generate funds for its charitable work, we have been keen advocates and operators in the circular textiles field for many decades. We work with corporate partners and innovators who want to look after the environment and care passionately about its future. Within the towns and cities we operate in across the world, we enable the reuse and recycling of textiles through our network of charity retail stores, textiles recycling banks, donation centres and textiles reprocessing centres. We prevent tens of millions of garments being wasted each week. Today we look forward to working with our partners in the UK and across the world, developing and scaling up circular solutions for clothing and textiles which achieve the collective vision of the signatory organisations of World Circular Textiles Day.“

Bernie Thomas, Circular Economy and Sustainability Manager, Salvation Army Trading Company (SATCoL) and Coordinator of The Salvation Army’s Network of Reuse and Recycling Organisations

Otto Group:

“As it is our goal to transform our business to a more and more circular one, we as Otto Group are pleased to join and fully support the ambition and message of World Circular Textiles Day!”

Tobias Wollermann, Otto Group Vice President Corporate Responsibility

Lindex:

“With a growing population and unsustainable consumption patterns, we as a fashion industry use up more natural resources than our planet can handle. In order for us to enjoy fashion in the future, our industry needs to transform. This transformation can only come from collaboration with one another toward shared goals and a shared vision of a circular industry.”

Susanne Ehnbåge, CEO Lindex

Lenzing:

“The implementation of circularity is one of the most important challenges the textile industry is currently facing. Since the topic is so complex, progress can only be achieved by partnering and starting industry-overlapping initiatives. As Lenzing has a clear commitment towards circularity we appreciate this new initiative and fully support it.”

I:CO:

Our mission at I:CO is to collect, sort and recycle pre as well as post consumer apparel & shoes. By establishing circular supply chains we can preserve valuable resources bound in these products and transform the fashion industry away from the current linear economy.

Global Fashion Agenda:

”At Global Fashion Agenda, we mobilise the industry to turn words into action, accelerating our industry’s transition to a circular fashion system. We believe that global initiatives such as WCTD can play an important role in speeding up this shift through industry-wide awareness-raising about the need for collective action towards a more circular fashion industry.”

Gap Inc:

“At Gap Inc., we do more than sell clothes. We are moving to a regenerative business model through more sustainable and circular practices. The circular economy is not only a future imperative, it is also a business opportunity, and we are excited to be a founding signatory of World Circular Textiles Day.”

Fashion Revolution:

Fashion Revolution is proud to be a Founding Signatory for this important initiative. Acting together to tackle waste is the only way to magnify it’s negative impact, and looking for solutions can only be done by radically collaborating at every step of the supply chain

Fashion for Good:

Fashion for Good is committed to sparking and scaling technologies and business models that have the greatest potential to transform the fashion industry for the better. As such, we stand behind World Circular Textiles Day as a means to raise awareness, encourage further collaboration within the industry and the implementation of sustainable solutions towards a truly circular economy.

Evrnu:

“The circular economy is one of the greatest design challenges of the 21st century and it requires commitment from all stakeholders within the textile and apparel supply chain to become a reality. The process of transforming textile waste into a valuable resource and keeping all materials in circulation is Evrnu’s ultimate vision. We are proud to partner with likeminded collaborators to change the future of our industry, together.”

Stacy Flynn, Evrnu CEO and Co-Founder & Christopher Stanev, Evrnu President and Co-Founder

Eon:

“Eon powers Connected Products to unlock the communication and connectivity between people, products and systems essential to achieve Circular Commerce. We are in support of World Circular Textile Day, as we see it as a way to champion and facilitate the global collaboration essential for a sustainable, equitable and profitable future.”

Natasha Franck, Eon, Founder and CEO

Dibella:

We are very optimistic and see the development of truly sustainable, circular textiles as absolutely essential. As we pursue a holistic approach for our textiles we are convinced that this is crucial for the environment and our future.

Dhana Inc:

“Circularity is the primary ethos for Dhana as a company and we follow the mission to educate and impact future generations with responsible actions – from design to delivery, reuse to recovery, idea to innovation. To embrace circularity is to value people and the planet every step of the way.”

Shamini Dhana, Founder and CEO of Dhana Inc.

circular.fashion:

“To transform the industry towards circularity, responsible, clever and creative decisions need to be taken in every aspect of a garment’s life – from choosing the right materials, design and construction, retail and use, to finally ensure infrastructures and a partner network for reuse and recycling. With our circular design software and full cycle services, circular.fashion is committed and offers concrete solutions to support brands on every step of their journey towards circularity!”

UAL: Centre for Circular Design:

“At Centre for Circular Design we believe in the potential of creativity, innovation and collaboration. Connecting design with the material and social sciences, industry and citizens to lay solid foundations for the circular industries of the future. The willingness of all actors in this complex system to co-create a shared vision is absolutely key. World Circular Textiles Day will be the catalyst to achieving this ambition.”

H&M Group:

The way we produce and consume fashion needs to change and we are fully committed to change the way we do business to become fully circular and climate positive. The fashion industry must take responsibility of its future together when addressing the most pressing issues of our times – climate change, waste pollution and unsustainable use of resources. Progress has been made, but there is still lots to do. Inspiring and collaborating with others will remain fundamental to unlock some of the biggest challenges we face, such as the innovation needed to make the textile recycling fully scalable. We are very happy to be part of the World Circular Textiles Day and engage with other players in our way towards a more sustainable fashion future.

Cecilia Strömblad Brännsten
Environmental Sustainability Manager H&M Group

British Fashion Council:

The British Fashion Council (BFC) and the Institute of Positive Fashion (IPF) are delighted to become a Founding Signatory of World Circular Textiles Day and to join forces on the path to a fully circular 2050.

The BFC strengthens British Fashion in the global economy as a leader in responsible, creative businesses. It does this through championing diversity, building and inviting the industry to actively participate in a network to accelerate a successful circular fashion economy.

The BFC launched the IPF earlier this year. The IPF helps the British Fashion Industry lead in the goal to be more resilient and circular through global collaboration and local action. Leveraging global expertise and resources, the IPF adopts standards, develops and establishes frameworks to reset and create a new blueprint for the industry. Through identifying common challenges, the IPF calls for collective action and investment in innovation to make a difference. The IPF aims to bring the industry in tune with the needs of the planet by taking a holistic approach across environment, people, community & craftsmanship.

GEETANJALI WOOLLENS PVT LTD:

We are Recycling post consumer used textiles and making new yarns, fabrics and blankets from such recycled materials. We have been doing this since the last 40 years. Our current recycling capacity is 20Tons per day and our goal is to increase this to 40Tons per day over the next 5 years and to continue to divert used textiles from landfill as much as possible.

Artisans Collection:

We are involved in making products with all fiber, threads, sample knits, fabrics that we have now in the workshop and in the future, and we make alliances with organizations, enterprises, artisans to get their waste materials which in turn, continue to make our products. Also, we will only buy a low percentage of alpaca, wool and organic cotton.

Apparel Impact:

At Aii, we wholeheartedly support World Circular Textiles Day to further accelerate the transition to a circularity economy. Our organization was founded to scale impact with the industry, and we proudly endorse the adoption of circular materials and the acceleration of new business models to achieve the industry’s environmental targets.

AltrEco:

AltrEco is a sustainable packaging company providing Eco friendly packaging solutions to startups and scale-ups. To ensure that the loop is closed, we are collaborating with recyclers and composting facilities. Moreover, we are working towards introducing packaging-as-a-service rather than something that is used only once.

AG Textiles Studio:

AG Textiles Studio is the only fully sustainable fashion and textile agency based between London and Devon, UK. After years of travelling the world, we have found the most innovative, beautifully crafted, planet friendly fabrics and trims. From sourcing material to ethical production processes and radical transparency, our ethics are Fair Trade certified collections and Environmental Sustainability. We are proudly working with the British Fashion Council on mentoring designers on sustainable sourcing. Also a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Textiles and Fashion (UK), we show our collections at all the international textiles fairs, including PV Paris and NYC, Munich Fabric Start , Pitti Florence, Future fabrics Expo from the sustainable angle and Milano Unica. Our mills certification and advanced technology includes: The Global Organic Textile Standard – GOTS The Better Cotton Initiative – BCI STANDARD 100 by OEKO-TEX® Global Recycle Standard – GRS ECOTEC® SEAQUAL® RECOVER® Fairtrade Certified Business Social Compliance Initiative – BSCI A8000 PETA APPROVED VEGAN Bluesign® EU Eco Label DAKKS UN Global Compact USDA organic miDori® bio finishes from Switzerland SDA certified bio based product Lenzing Reach Bluesign Seaqual Seacell Fair Wear Foundation Fair Labor Association Repreve Econyl® Biobased Sustainable and Certified Fabrics, DESSERTO bio-based vegan leather, plant based and organic denim, eco/organic trims , craddle to craddle packaging, and more from: Italy, Portugal, UK, Turkey , Germany, Switzerland, Mexico and Japan. Working with womenswear, mens, outwear, athleisure, technical garments, underwear, accessories.. I am launching 2 brands in 2021: 1 fully up-cycled collection with dead stock hangers and fabrics from mills , made in London, UK 2 bio based vegan leather brand of accessories and shoes, made in Italy I am also co founder at RoundRack , in proof of concept stage working with stakeholders across the industry, academia and brands in the UK and Europe. Excited to be a part of this!

Association for Farmers Rights Defense:

We are implementing the Mapping Project of the Circular Economy in Georgia with the International Donor Organizations.

Alante Capital

We are committed to investing in the critical innovation needed to support brands and shoppers to participate in a truly circular economy for the apparel industry. We are thrilled to be a part of this incredibly important initiative and to help coordinate the many solutions required across the value chain, that together will enable this systemic change for the industry.

Ngaire Takano:

“Commitment to ensuring brands and designers are aware of what measures they need to integrate within their future sourcing, design, production and end life of garments, accessories and household items. Create opportunities for waste during production and also recycling are used and love. Fabric has a soul, fashion has a conscience.”

Amey Padma:

“Circularity means sustainability in textiles supply chain towards : wastage, carbon footprints, social, ethical and environmental practices. Ultimately the aim must be zero raw material requirements for future 2050 for any apparel or any textile products. All to be made out of waste or the product itself so the world will be free from all textile wastage”

Tamsin Lejeune:

“True circularity means slowing fashion down, so that we produce less and value it more. Circularity can only be impactful if it is aligned with fundamental change to the current status quo, in which low cost, throwaway fashion is sold in high volumes. Aligned with a reset to the volume fashion business model, circularity has the potential to transform our industry, curbing its current devastating impact on the planet and driving value for all stakeholders in the supply chain”

Stefaan Cognie:

“Offering recyclable products, even with a certain percentage of recycled content is far from enough. These products will at end of life follow the same road to the incinerator… ONLY TRULY circular products will lead to CBF reduction and avoid raw materials from being destroyed. The footprint of rPET (to take an example) is 70% less than virgin material. By reusing raw materials, we will by defintion reduce the footprint. A lot of companies are working on recyclable product but that does lead us nowhere. The only way to preserve our raw materials is by making them truly circular; digitizationwillhelp.“

Mecki Naschke:

“We must respect our planetary boundaries and its carrying capacity, and therefore must urgently decouple economic growth and resources consumption. True circulariy would avoid all those problems that do not exist in the natural world. Circularity, particularly low carbon circularity is not only the future, it is the only future.“

Rachael Wickenden:

“I want to work for a world where we are not exhausting the planet’s precious resources, exploiting people in the process and making increasing portions of the world uninhabitable through climate change and loss of natural habits.“

AMC Newton:

“It’s part of care for our common home, planet earth. After being part of the fashion & textiles ‘industry’ for many years, and being a part of an extractive culture, I really want to be a part of the change for the better this business is undergoing! Circularity is a mindset shift!“

Isabel Willshaw:

“I refashion donated clothes and am committed to mending and reusing items that are otherwise destined for landfill. Humanity has no choice but to limit our consumption and find good ways to conserve and value what we have. We owe this to future generations.“

Sharon Silbermann:

“I returned to grad school for an MS in Sustainability after years in fashion design. I’m now on a mission to create a circular textile recycling and innovation industry from residential municipal solid apparel and textile waste in New York City. Everything needed is here; I want to design my industry’s circular future!“

Dario Diaz:

“I have both a professional and personal interest on CE. I have worked on the sustainability arena for several years, both on key corporations and most recently on consultancy. From a personal viewpoint, I’m deeply concerned on the current state of affairs in regards to planetary boundaries and the traditional way of doing business.”

Minna Nurmisalo:

“I have been enthusiastic about clothes since I lived in Milan as a child and later became a fashion designer from the UK. I continued my Master’s in Tech in Finland and went for an exchange year in Chile. I believe you have the magic key to a sustainable future, which will impact the industry – globally. It will be a privilege to be a part of this all.”

Imran Asghar:

“As an Textile professional i feel we must act as much as responsible utilization of Nature resources and reduce environmental impact. Hence very important to promote product that can reuse, recycle, and have full circularity. By doing this not only we can protect environment & save natural resources which ultimate beneficial for next generation.”

Laurent Fang:

“Being in the textile industry for 10 years makes me understand we must change how we do business right now. Otherwise, our children will suffer and may not be able to live on Earth with clean water, trees, and oceans. I will keep putting my effort in changing the industry.”

Jan Merckx:

“This world has passed its limits and if we intend to stay on it, we better start transitioning in an accelerated pace to a circular economy, reusing our materials in an energy neutral way advancing wellbeing of all people. And textiles touch each and every one of us.”

Ludmila Haring:

“We should change how our products are designed, produced and used. In last months I learned a lot about sustainability, read many reports or publications. I feel the need to become a part of the story towards better and more sustainable future. and also help other fashion professionals in transit to circular economy.”

Garvit Sahdev:

“I have spent 8 years studying textiles and working in the industry. I know how bad it is for the environment. Trying to find a solution I did my dissertation in Implications of CE on Indian Textile Industry and ended up founding Infinite X – India’s Circular Fashion Platform.”

Shamini Dhana:

“Circularity embodies the essence of how our natural ecosystems operate – designed without waste and pollution. In the same vein, humans coexist with nature and need to mirror our own creations as reflected in the principles of circularity to honor ourselves, people and planet.”

Traci Kinden:

“Circularity makes humans and our planet just as important as profit. We cannot accept anything less. This is the only way forward.”

Daniel Cornish:

“Circularity is important because it changes the conversation of a linear economy and could potentially close the loop on waste – in a fashion context this is important to me.”

Bukra Kalaycı:

“It is what life is. Instead of living against life itself, we should change our way of living in order to adapt the natural cycle, including the fashion sector which I am working for.”

Bettina Hobson:

“As a supply chain professional and recent graduate in the business of fashion, I have observed waste in many different ways. Sustainable Supply chains and waste management are the foundations of circularity. We must educate the end consumer and push brands to fix their product development processes.”

Angelo Gagliardi:

“We have continually designed systems to have hard boundaries, where outside these boundaries things are simply not our problem. It’s time we look outside our convenient box and start doing things correctly, efficiently, and effectively. In this day and age we have all the visibility, technology and collective interest to do better.”

Lynn Wilson:

“In 1765, Glasgow, Scotland, James Watt invented new mechanisms for the steam engine accelerating the industrial revolution. As a citizen of Scotland, it is my duty to work towards reversing the industrial system that Watt inadvertently enabled and change the current linear system to a circular neo-animist citizen culture.”

Margot Chevalier:

“We need to set in place a circular supply chain management throughout Europe, look at all the different amounts of industrial, leftovers and post-consumer textile waste. I am researching the improvement of mechanical recycling processes for mixed post-consumer textile waste (thereafter chemical recycling is needed for the remaining textile waste)”

Dr Kate Goldsworthy:

‘Quite simply, without Circularity, there is no sustainability. Our planetary resources are finite and the only way we can conceivably provide for ourselves in the future is to make better use of what we have in circulation already. We are finally seeing real technological progress that can get us there – a future with renewable and abundant resources for all’.

Mike McGrory:

‘I view circularity as an opportunity for the global economy to shift to a local living economy.  By using regenerative, repurposed, and natural bio-degradable input materials textile manufacturers have a great opportunity to be more aligned with the natural world and help to solve our resource depletion and climate issues’.

Apparel Xchange

We are a Glasgow-based social enterprise dedicated to reuse, repair & recycling for childrenswear, ages 4-18. We were founded in 2017 by Izzie Eriksen, a passionate climate activist and mother, who recognised the urgent need for circular solutions within young people’s fashion.

Families can shop secondhand with us, donate clothing to us & receive free clothing from us when times are challenging. Schools can get support from us, share education opportunities with us and grow greener alongside us.

We are meeting our mission by providing sustainable clothing services, while also influencing consumer behaviour through knowledge and empowerment.

https://www.apparelxchange.co.uk/

Accelerating Circularity

Accelerating Circularity’s mission is: To establish systems that will use the embedded value and resources in existing textiles for new products, reducing the millions of tons of textile waste annually going into landfills and thereby supporting the reduction of the industry’s GHG emissions.

Karla Magruder, Founder of Accelerating Circularity

Anthesis

At Anthesis, we support textiles and apparel brands to reduce their negative environmental impact, from understanding more about circular design and production practices, to minimising the end-of-life impacts. During the decisive decade and beyond, Anthesis aims to amplify our impact through our clients, equipping them with the sustainability knowledge and ambition they need to drive forward sustainable performance.

We have world-leading expertise in waste and resources, including lifecycle assessments and footprinting, benchmarking, baseline assessments, and data collection, combined with cutting edge capabilities in the new and growing field of circular economy, circular business models, and recycling.

We believe that creating a circular economy for the textiles and apparel value chain by 2050 is crucial and are excited to see the action and support for World Circular Textiles Day to catalyse change within the industry.

Canopy

“Fashion’s transition to a circular economy is already underway. Now it’s about accelerating and scaling these game-changing technologies to ensure that fashion no longer degrades the planet’s natural systems including Ancient and Endangered Forests. Canopy is committed to working creatively with brand partners, producers, innovators and investors to make Next Generation Solutions the norm as quickly as possible.”

Nicole Rycroft, Founder and Executive Director of Canopy

Orsola de Castro:

‘Circularity is an innate system that needs to be re-designed into the lives of consumers who have been swindled by brands’ overproduction. We must look at our heritage, and at each other, for knowledge, inspiration and solidarity. Circularity and longevity should be default, not something to look forward to’.

Nicholas Brown:

“Saving the planet is the number 1 priority.“

Craig Cohon:

“It’s the only hope we have for a future commercial society that works”

Tom Keaveney:

“Without it, we will leave less for future generations.”

Cyndi Rhoades:

“The world needs it more than ever!”

CiLab:

CiLAB ensured a continuous flow of circular projects from making upcycled collections as well as repair services for major brands and start-ups while working in a social entrepreneurship philosophy.

Challenge

Scale-up of the workforce

Need

A non-competitive but collaborative, risk-sharing approach.

CiLab:

CiLAB ensured a continuous flow of circular projects from making upcycled collections as well as repair services for major brands and start-ups while working in a social entrepreneurship philosophy.

Challenge

Scale-up of the workforce

Need

A non-competitive but collaborative, risk-sharing approach.

Apparel Impact:

We launched the Fashion Climate Fund in 2022 - a $250 million ambition to unlock a total of $2 billion in sustainable finance towards the mission of decarbonizing the supply chain by 2040. As part of this fund, we will apply resources to identify, fund, scale and measure solutions for material efficiency, preferred materials and next generation materials. Many of these solutions will focus on upcycled and recycled content in fashion products.

Challenge

We are still building our approach with increased resources, so today the challenge is to build the function internally to establish the criteria for funding and scaling solutions, leveraging our Climate Solutions Portfolio.

Need

Collaboration