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It was a shock to the sustainable fashion industry to hear the news of the bankruptcy of Renewcell, a pioneering name in textile recycling. How could a venture that opened the world's first commercial scale 100% textile-to-textile recycling plant just over a year ago collapse so soon? And what does the mean for the future of circular fashion. At its inception, Renewcell's ambition was commendable - tackling the substantial issue of textile waste with ground breaking expertise. Yet the subsequent bankruptcy raises questions central to both the brand and the wider industry. As Drapers reports here, Laura Gibson, a notable voice in ethical and sustainable fashion, outlines, limited support from the fashion industry played a significant role. Despite big names like H&M and Inditex expressing intent to integrate Renewcell's Circulose product into their lines, actual follow-through fell short. Perhaps we should look at the approach to investment in sustainable enterprises. There appears to be a misalignment between the slow-but-steady nature of sustainable innovation and the prevailing demand for quick returns on investment. Sustainability and Profitability don't seem to go hand in hand. Interested to hear your thoughts 👇💬 #Renewcell #CircularFashion #SustainableFashion

It was a shock to the sustainable fashion industry to hear the news of the bankruptcy of Renewcell, a pioneering name in textile recycling. How could a venture that opened the world's first commercial scale 100% textile-to-textile recycling plant just over a year ago collapse so soon? And what does the mean for the future of circular fashion. At its inception, Renewcell's ambition was commendable - tackling the substantial issue of textile waste with ground breaking expertise. Yet the subsequent bankruptcy raises questions central to both the brand and the wider industry. As Drapers reports here, Laura Gibson, a notable voice in ethical and sustainable fashion, outlines, limited support from the fashion industry played a significant role. Despite big names like H&M and Inditex expressing intent to integrate Renewcell's Circulose product into their lines, actual follow-through fell short. Perhaps we should look at the approach to investment in sustainable enterprises. There appears to be a misalignment between the slow-but-steady nature of sustainable innovation and the prevailing demand for quick returns on investment. Sustainability and Profitability don't seem to go hand in hand. Interested to hear your thoughts 👇💬 #Renewcell #CircularFashion #SustainableFashion

Besides customer centricity, its sustainability that brings me incredible energy. Sustainability in Fashion. Really looking forward to meeting likeminded souls to discuss how brands can transform their business models and scale circularity, while assuring commercial success. Is it even possible, and how? Lets chat. It’ll be awesome to connect with Kirsten Siegler among others. #sustainability #fashionindustry #futureofcommerce #greenscene

Carbon Trail is partnering with TrusTrace and Xoriant to host a webinar on managing green claim codes and key regulations in Fashion Retail on June 25th. The webinar will offer practical guidance on ensuring compliance with the green claims in light of the recent landmark agreement secured by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) mandating fashion brands to provide accurate and clear green claims. If you are a sustainability professional in fashion retail, join us in this discussion on building traceability & robust data management, measuring accurate impact, and communicating sustainability information to meet the evolving regulatory landscape in the retail industry. Link to sign up in the comments. Shubham Kulshrestha Shyam Pawar #GreenClaims #DigitalProductPassport #Traceability #LCA #ProductFootprint #EnvironmentalLabel

Over-consumption and waste are the biggest challenges currently facing the apparel industry, according to Gordon Seabury, CEO of Toad&Co, a company that creates socially and environmentally committed clothing. Seabury also emphasised that these challenges can be addressed through more circular options and consumer education. Gordon Seabury #apparelsector #apparelindustry #excessiveconsumption https://lnkd.in/dvwEZ-dt

Is your company ready for the new sustainability policy changes that will reshape the fashion industry in 2024? From Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) by the EU, requiring brands to pay for end-of-life waste treatment to Digital Product Passports to provide detailed sustainability information to consumers, the “Fashion Retail Industry” is facing new regulations aimed at holding companies accountable for their environmental and social impacts - whether it is clothing ending up in landfills, accusations of modern slavery, rivers choked with pollutants and clothing soaked with chemicals. Measures like the UK’s Green Claims Code and the EU’s Green Claims Directive aim to prevent greenwashing. Legislation such as the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D) and the New York Fashion Act (NYFA) requires companies to be accountable for transparency throughout their supply chains. Compliance is the key, requiring brands to understand what they need to report, disclose, adjust and implement in their sustainability strategy. Now more than ever, embracing sustainability isn’t just about meeting regulations - it’s also about earning consumer trust and driving positive change in the fashion industry. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dtkHn4bf #Sustainability #FashionRetail #PolicyChanges2024 #ExtendedProducerResponsibility #fashionbrands

🌱 Exciting News for Conscious Shoppers! 🛍️✨ Higg Co's Open Data Portal is set to revolutionize sustainable fashion. Launching next year, this platform empowers you to verify social and environmental claims by brands. Developed in partnership with the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, it provides real data behind product impact, aligning shopping choices with values. 🌎👚 Powered by the Higg Index, this tool measures sustainability scores and integrates data providers for a comprehensive view of product impact. Whether you're a consumer, NGO, or data scientist, this transparency drive invites you to explore, engage, and drive industry change. 💪📊 "Meaningful data is essential for better choices and industry accountability," explains CEO Jason Kibbey. Amina Razvi, Executive Director of the SAC, emphasizes Higg's role as a signal of commitment to sustainability. Partnering with giants like Zalando, H&M, and PHV, Higg Co is propelling transparency forward. The journey doesn't end at launch – continuous evolution will ensure user needs shape this game-changing portal. Join us in transforming fashion with data-driven transparency. Let's make informed choices and accelerate positive change together! 🌟👗 https://hubs.la/Q020GnxD0 #SustainableFashion #Transparency #HiggIndex #ConsciousConsumption #FashionRevolution #DataDrivenFashion

🌱 Stay ahead of the sustainability trend! As the fashion retail sector braces for a wave of policy adjustments in 2024, it's vital to remain up-to-date. George Harding-Rolls, Eco-Age's Director of Policy and Advocacy, sheds light on pivotal changes in sustainability regulations shaping the industry's trajectory. From Extended Producer Responsibility to combatting misleading eco-friendly claims, here's a breakdown: 🔄 Reduce Waste: Fresh regulations, like the EU's Waste Framework Directive, compel brands to manage end-of-life garment waste. Keep an eye out for updates on California's Responsible Textile Recovery Act. 🌊 Tackling Microplastics: Amid mounting concerns about microplastic pollution, expect legislation addressing textile shedding and unintentional microplastics. 💚 Honest Green Claims: Scrutiny on eco-friendly claims intensifies with the UK's Green Claims Code and the EU's Green Claims Directive. Authenticity in sustainability messaging is crucial. 🌍 Sustainable Design: The Eco-design for Sustainable Products Regulation introduces Digital Product Passports and prohibits the destruction of unsold goods by 2028, fostering circularity. 📊 Transparent Reporting: The EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and California's Climate Corporate Data Accountability Act mandate thorough reporting, increasing the pressure on companies to measure environmental and social impact. 🔍 Supply Chain Responsibility: Due diligence legislation like the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive and US initiatives such as the New York Fashion Act aim to uncover human rights and environmental issues within supply chains. 2024 brings substantial regulatory changes, necessitating both compliance and proactive advocacy for systemic sustainability. Stay informed, stay compliant, and champion sustainability! #SustainableFashion #PolicyChanges #CircularEconomy #GreenClaims #SupplyChainTransparency #EcoDesign #MicroplasticRegulation#SustainabilityPolicy #FashionRegulations #EnvironmentalLegislation #GreenInitiatives #CorporateResponsibility #EthicalFashion #ClimateAction #CircularFashion #SustainableBusiness #TransparencyInFashion #EcoFriendlyPractices #HumanRightsInFashion #SocialImpact #EcoAdvocacy #SustainableDevelopment #FashionEthics #EcoLegislation #ClimatePolicy #GreenStandards https://lnkd.in/efsGuz6c

How do you tackle the returns conundrum? Last week we hosted fashion and textile business leaders at our offices in The Form Rooms. We wanted to dive into the issue of returns and what solutions are out there to lower returns rates. - Clothing return rates are higher than any other category - 35% - Only 25% of unsellable returns are recycled, 50% end up in landfill and 25% incinerated - For a £20 purchase, the average return cost is £10-12 so there is a benefit to reducing this before you even consider the environmental impact, waste & transport emission reductions as well as the benefits of encouraging customers to keep purchases – and wear them for longer The prize is big - for a £1bn turnover business 1ppt reduction in returns rate could bring £1-5m to the P&L. What was clear is that interventions are needed at all stages of the sales (sizing being the biggest issue) and returns cycles and when it comes to circular solutions, there's lots of innovative tech out there, but no silver bullet, so you must experiment to find out what works best for your business and your customer! Glad I'm not a retailer! Its tough!! Big thanks to our speakers, Archie Mason and Aarthi Thangavel at True., Siobhán Géhin at Roland Berger and retailer insights from Peter D. at hush. The BRC is here to support the industry on its journey to Net Zero and beyond through our active working groups and flagship initiative, the BRC Climate Action Roadmap – find out more here: https://lnkd.in/eFbm963M. And we continue to work with British Fashion Council and WRAP (as part of Textiles 2030 and more widely) to join many of these initiatives together. #retail #circulareconomy #sustainabilty #fashion

There are few topics in supply chain as important and challenging as #Circularity. Across the fashion industry a truckload of used textiles is either buried or incinerated globally every second [1]. So it is good to see major contributors to this waste taking steps to extend the life of the clothes that they sell. Many who read this article will cry 'greenwashing' [2] but, assuming this is a serious effort, there are still a number of major challenges: - repair and reuse flies in the face of a business model built around selling as many clothes as possible at as low a price as possible; - balancing the supply and demand for repairers will be tough; and - making repair a profit center so that is is economically viable and can scale will be a challenge. How can these challenges be overcome in fast fashion and other industries [3]? We will need more third party repair services like The Seam that can build the economies of scale and ecosystems needed to make 'repair' an economically sustainable model and online tutorials to help us fix our own possessions... ...but long term success requires systemic change. It requires fundamental shifts in: - Consumer behavior. Repair and reuse must become mainstream and not a cool fad for a few. - Business models (and product design) must move towards a model that benefits from long term ownership (or rental) and repair by multiple parties; - and reverse logistics models will need to incorporate repair and reuse. ...and this will take government support to bridge the gap between this future state and today's systems. A few examples to get the conversation going... - representatives from France, Austria and Germany recently described lessons learned from government programs here: https://lnkd.in/eFmZh-5V - legislation and incentives around 'The Right to Repair' are described here: https://lnkd.in/eFmZh-5V. What else can and is being done? (comments welcome) 1. Data from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. 2. Perhaps not by coincidence, embedded in this article is a WSJ 'explainer' video on #Greenwashing. Here: https://lnkd.in/eSK9F4FD. 3. For example, 53 million tonnes of e-waste are produced each year the equivalent weight of 350 cruise ships’ worth of electronics. #supplychain #circulareconomy #circularfashion #esg #sustainability #sustainablefashion Daniel Stanton Radu Palamariu Rushit Shah Brian Laung Aoaeh, CFA Dr. Marcell Vollmer Koray Köse Alan Amling Marian Temmen Scott Luton Sheri R. Hinish Chris Peters Gary S. Lynch Greg Schlegel CPIM, CSP, Jonah Isaac Stone Fish Tom Raftery Chris Rezendes Kenneth Scott Zuckerberg, AIF® Marina Mayer Kathy Fulton Sarah Watt Jennifer Santiago, MBA, RIMS-CRMP, ARM Jason Miller Rodney Apple Rob Handfield Francisco Betti Wolfgang Lehmacher Jay Koh Kevin O'Meara Knut Alicke Margi Van Gogh Dr. Larry Wigger Amit Nagar Sime Curkovic Adrian Gonzalez Niall Murphy Alison Taylor Tim Cross