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. 

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.

Confusion and chaos often define today’s recycling infrastructure. But a collaborative approach across the value chain—from ensuring a product can be recycled and educating consumers to proper sorting support and identifying end-use markets—can make a difference.

 Join this session to learn how stakeholders in the food and beverage carton industry came together and increased recycling access rates by nearly 240 percent since 2009. In this discussion, you’ll hear how nuts and bolts solutions were identified and how stakeholders worked together to remove recycling barriers, build consumer knowledge, change consumer habits, and more.

This session is sponsored by Tetra Pak. 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.

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?