What are the leading trends and innovations in the world of circular fashion, and what will it take to bring these strategies to scale?

It’s no secret that the fashion industry has an environmental problem: The global fashion industry accounts for 10 percent of global carbon emissions, 20 percent of wastewater and relies on 98 million tons of non-renewable resources each year. And this is to say nothing of the dwindling life cycle of clothing and the resulting waste of more than 10 million tons of textile waste each year in U.S. landfills alone. The need for urgent action is clear. 

Fashion is ripe for a redesign, and applying circular principles to every phase of a garment’s lifespan has the power to revitalize and reimagine the industry as we know it. Revised design principles and new business models — like resale, rental, and repair — can extend product life and redefine ownership. Technological breakthroughs can enable new textiles made from recycled materials and biological sources. Redesigned recycling systems, manufacturing processes and supply chain flows can reduce inefficiencies and prioritize sustainable solutions. 

This half-day tutorial will follow a garment’s trajectory from sourcing and design to the business model within which it’s sold to its end of life management, uncovering leading circular solutions along the way. Bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders from across the apparel value chain, together we’ll explore what it will take to redesign the apparel industry of today. 

How can looking to nature unlock circular pathways and financial benefit, and how can your organization tactically leverage biological solutions? 

Harnessing nature's design principles and manufacturing capabilities has the power to unlock $30 trillion of economic activity over the next 30 years. The level of opportunity should come at no surprise, given nature’s regenerative, circular model. Plants, animals (including humans!), and the environment all contribute to the carbon and water cycles, in which basic molecules are continuously repurposed into something more complex, and then returned to their original state. As we continue to learn more about nature and biology, more and more pathways are emerging that are radically changing chemistry, materials, systems, and processes of the future.

In this session, the Biomimicry Institute staff will lead an engaging workshop about how companies large and small can bring biology and nature into their work. We’ll explore Boston Consulting Group's “nature co-design" report; facilitate a hands-on activity to model how to bring nature into internal R&D groups; and share examples and insights about how to work with university groups that are at the leading edge of the field.

How can companies shift consumer behaviors to advance circular outcomes?

What do recycling, reusable packaging and rentals all have in common? They rely on consumer behavior to succeed. From renting a dress to successfully using a blue bin, the consumer plays an active role in returning materials and ensuring circular outcomes.  But when a consumer is unfamiliar or unwilling to participate, circular initiatives and business models can fail. How can you encourage your consumer to change their behavior and ensure circular success? Join this panel to learn from practitioners who are studying and provoking consumer behavior change. 

How can tracking and traceability enable a more circular system, and how should your company leverage these technologies?
There is a growing number of tools and innovations to help companies track materials, goods and services. These technologies include RFID, QR codes, IoT, watermarks and blockchain, and enable a host of benefits: more transparent supply chains; simplified take-back and reverse logistics; a frictionless user experience; and more efficient management of materials and products at the end of their useful life. Is the wide-spread adoption of these technologies key to an effective circular economy, and if so what value can they unlock for your company, customers and the planet? Join this session to hear from practitioners leveraging these technologies to build more circular, sustainable ecosystems for their products.

How can cities reduce Scope 3 emissions? And how can circular strategies help?

A small but growing body of evidence shows that circular economy approaches, including reuse and composting, can help cities reduce Scope 3 emissions. You’ll hear from a forward-thinking NGO that has quantified these benefits and a sustainability leader who is putting these ideas into action in one of America’s major cities.

And what can MRFs teach you about aligning your packaging strategy with recycling infrastructure? 

Materials recovery facilities, known as MRFs, are taken for granted. This critical infrastructure is a cornerstone of a circular economy for packaging, ensuring materials from residential and commercial recycling programs are sorted and sold as commodities — but only if packaging producers, brands, retailers and consumers set them up for success. It’s time to meet your MRF for a behind-the-scenes look at these facilities. 

MRF operators from across the country will share how MRFs work today, including the latest technological innovations in sorting, regional and facility-specific differences; why facilities can and can’t adjust to changes in the packaging landscape; and what other value chain partners need to know about recyclability in residential programs. Come with your questions to better understand the system that your packaging and products are entering into — and what steps you can take to enable your products and packages return back to the economy.

What is the current landscape of recently passed and proposed packaging and recycling legislation, and what is the industry's role in advancing these policies?

When it comes to our nation’s packaging and recycling policy, the time for dramatic change is now: President Biden has made fighting climate change and boosting environmental protection a crucial focus of the new administration. The EPA has set a recycling goal of 50 percent by 2030 and recently appropriated $1.5 million to collecting detailed data on the recycling system nationwide. At the same time, two states – Maine and Oregon – were the first in the country to pass extended producer responsibility laws covering packaging and California passed a labeling law that will change the way recyclability can be communicated to consumers in our largest state. And the legislative efforts are just beginning, with new bills under consideration and debate, the state of packaging and recycling policy at the state and federal levels is in flux. Join this session to uncover the state of national policy, its implications for industry now and how your company can engage in the policymaking process and advance our national recycling system in the future.

What makes a product circular can have a different meaning depending on the product category and the geographical opportunities for end-of-life management, but what is constant across all definitions is the need to reduce and eliminate waste. From materials to components to packaging, design decisions directly impact a product's circularity. Join this discussion to discuss the trade-off decisions companies and designers need to consider when incorporating circularity into their products, and where standards and validations can help.

Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Choosing a sustainable, alternative material is more than calculating a carbon footprint. Many clients ask us how to select more circular or sustainable materials. The answer: It depends. Is your criteria chemicals of concern, the material’s carbon footprint, whether it’s animal welfare-certified, does it have functional requirements: sterile, water proof, food safe, etc.? The criteria for sustainability must also be weighed against considerations of cost, supply chain availability or limitations, and other trade-offs. Participants of this roundtable will learn key tactics for a more robust approach to sustainable material selection, while ensuring that material serves the functional purpose of the product.

This roundtable is sponsored by Anthesis. Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Is it really bio-based and sustainable? These are questions that will be increasingly important in a circular economy for polymers, building on bio-based or renewable sources. Credibility and transparency become key success factors in the industry’s transformation. There is an urgent need to trace and track material flows — from input through different processes to product. Digitization will play a major role in securing this traceability. Isabella Tonaco, vice president of strategy execution and marketing at Neste Renewable Polymers and Chemicals, and Phil Brown, vice president of business development and strategy at Circularise, will host this discussion. They will share lessons from Neste’s business of replacing fossil resources with renewable and recycled ones, and Circularise’s solution to facilitate the shift to circularity via blockchain-based technologies. You will hear about solutions already available today as well as future technologies — and the challenges that lay ahead and how to solve them.

This roundtable is sponsored by Neste. Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Join this roundtable lunch to discuss creating a circular food economy. Key topics will include the role of public policy (landfill bans); government and private sector financing for infrastructure; the power of upcycling and acceleration of value creation; and the intersection of plastics both as a contaminant and as a compostable in recycling and upcycling systems.

Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Companies like yours are setting ambitious goals to address climate change and create more sustainable packaging — but how do you navigate current system challenges and evolving policy requirements? The Recycling Partnership is bringing the industry together to both accelerate a circular economy and transform the U.S. recycling system.  Sarah Dearman, vice president of circular ventures, will share resources and recently developed tools that can help your organization take action, and would like to hear from you about where the organization can plug into in order to build the system of the future together. Bring your favorite tips and tools to share.

Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Consumers and policymakers alike are demanding more sustainable packaging options, but many companies cite that the largest barrier to change has been the cost of switching. Join this discussion about how increasing efficiencies across the supply chain — through automation, responsible sourcing and other innovations — can make alternatives, such as fiber-based packaging, the best choice for businesses and consumers.

This roundtable is sponsored by WestRock. Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Employees are your most important and valuable asset, but are they engaged in your circularity and sustainability strategy? This session will offer the opportunity to share and hear from organizations that are effectively and frequently leveraging their human capital to be advocates for circularity and ESG initiatives.

This roundtable is sponsored by Cox Enterprises. Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Circular business models in the apparel sector represent an opportunity for companies to make more revenue without making new clothes. Join this roundtable to discuss opportunities and barriers to unlocking new economic and environmental benefits.

Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Let's chat about all aspects of repair: service networks, parts forecasting and distribution, DIY repairs, and Right to Repair.

Roundtable Lunches are interactive lunch discussions, moderated by an expert or thought leader, held at roundtables of up to 10 participants. These are freeform discussions, so bring your own challenges, questions, and ideas to talk through and get to know your fellow conference participants. All roundtable lunches are first-come, first-served.

Where are we on the path to a global treaty for plastics? What is the business case for advancing one, and how should the business community engage in this historic moment? 

Early March 2022 marked a historic moment at the United Nations Environmental Assembly. With the fall of a gavel, 175 countries passed a resolution to pursue a legally binding plastics treaty, that will tackle all phases of the plastic life cycle. Now comes the hard part: ironing out the details of the treaty, slated to be finalized by the end of 2024. Such a global initiative could catalyze a comprehensive effort to address the plastic problem at scale, and offer significant opportunity on the path towards a circular economy for plastics. But what will it take to align nearly 200 hundred countries and thousands of stakeholders on the terms and conditions of such a treaty? How should businesses be participating in the advancement of this historic piece of legislation? Join this session to explore the state of the U.N. treaty on plastics pollution, and understand the business case for advancing it.

What financial, regenerative, and sourcing opportunities lie in a bio-based economy, and how can your company support a sustainable transition?

Transitioning to a renewable, circular, bioeconomy is crucial. This transformation could help address climate change and biodiversity loss, avoid reliance on harmful and non-renewable materials, divert financial risk and create economic opportunity, with a market for bio-based products projected to grow to $7.7 trillion by 2030. But shifting from finite and often petroleum-derived materials to a renewable, biobased economy brings not just new solutions, but also new challenges. With competing biomass demand between food, fuel, fiber and other applications, finding the right balance to sustainably manage natural capital while remaining within planetary boundaries will be key. Join this session to explore the opportunities and limitations of biobased solutions across sectors, and how your company can support a sustainable, regenerative transition. 

The plastics industry is making changes for a better tomorrow. America’s plastic makers have set goals to reuse, recycle or recover 100 percent of plastic packaging by 2040. To accomplish this, we're investing in mechanical and advanced recycling technologies, creating products that are made to be remade and collaborating across the entire plastics value chain to build a circular economy. But we can’t do it alone. Recently, we announced "5 Actions for Sustainable Change" that the U.S. Congress can take to help accelerate a circular economy for plastics. Come learn from leaders across the value chain who are already using advanced recycling technologies to change the way plastics are made, recycled and remade, and what policies are required to help recycle and reuse more plastic.

This session is sponsored by American Chemistry Council Plastic Division. Sponsored sessions are sponsor-created and hosted breakouts, created independently by the sponsor without input from GreenBiz. Please note that attendee contact information will be shared with the sponsoring company.

How can your company think holistically and prioritize reduction and elimination when setting packaging goals?

Compostable, recyclable, renewable, reusable or made from recycled content. From fashion to F&B to CPG and beyond, diverse sectors have announced 2025 packaging goals with these commitments front and center. Now comes the hard part. Many of these commitments require significant internal action not to mention functioning external circular systems, like reliable sources of recycled content or composting and recycling infrastructure at scale. What will it take to accomplish your company’s goals? Join this breakout to hear how players across the packaging value chain have navigated trade-offs, generated buy-in, developed new partnerships and made progress towards 2025 packaging goals.

How should compostable packaging feature in your 2025 packaging strategy, and what will it take to make packaging compostability a viable option in the United States? 

The demand for compostable packaging is on the rise — particularly amongst sustainably minded consumers — poised to grow at 17 percent annually over the next five years. Yet as organizations race to achieve recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging commitments, the conversation often begins and ends with recyclability. 

Given the complex, nascent nature of the compostable packaging industry, this disconnect makes sense. There are untold considerations at play: What does it take to sustainably source compostable packaging? How effectively can it protect the product it contains? What infrastructure must be in place to ensure packaging is indeed composted? When composted, what does it take to avoid contamination? Join this session as we explore how compostable packaging should feature in your 2025 packaging strategy, and what it will take to make compostable packaging a successful, viable option in the United States. 

What role do waste collectors play in your company’s supply chain, and how can you ensure dignity and equity when procuring recycled materials?

The demand for post consumer recycled plastics is outpacing supply. To source this high-demand feedstock companies across industries have partnered with waste collector communities to identify, sort and sell plastics to be recycled. Beyond aiding recycled-content goals, these partnerships prevent waste in the environment and open up the potential for more socially responsible sourcing. But what will it take to build a meaningful engagement with waste collectors beyond one-off partnerships? How can your company do so with equity, dignity and respect for the work of these individuals? What human rights considerations should be top of mind when engaging with workers down the supply chain? Explore these questions with representatives of waste collector communities and the companies effectively partnering with them. 

How can circular systems and services enable inclusion and what does it take to design them with all communities in mind?

What innovations and trends will advance circular packaging beyond 2025 commitments and goals?

In the race towards compostable, recyclable, renewable, reusable and recycled content packaging, 2025 looms large. What innovations and trends in the packaging world will help us achieve these ambitious goals, and where will they take us as we look beyond 2025? Hear from packaging providers and industry leaders as we explore the next big thing in circular packaging.

What will it take to scale the implementation of reusable packaging both within your organization and across industries, cities and systems?  

Recent business model innovations have seen a resurgence of reusable packaging services. Yet these operations often struggle to move beyond a pilot and into a scaled solution across industries and systems. There are dozens of relationships and tools to reconsider: partnering with retailers, consumers and logistics providers, engaging consumers, calculating a life cycle assessment, redesigning packaging for different products and digitizing tracking systems, just to name a few. What are the challenges of launching and scaling reusable packaging systems? What are the newest, innovative models being launched across the value chain? What standards and processes are needed to ensure their success? Join this long-form session to learn from practitioners providing and scaling reusable packaging solutions.