What design criteria must be considered and prioritized when designing apparel for reuse, repair, rental or recycling?

Innovators in the apparel industry are taking on the more than 13 million tons of textile waste produced globally by folding circular principles into the design process. From sustainable material selection — including recycled or bio-based fibers — to designing for disassembly, repair or reuse, there are thousands of intentional decisions in the design of each piece of circular apparel. Join this session to break down the considerations and guidelines needed to design apparel for next life and new models, and learn what it takes to implement these strategies in your own design process.

What design criteria must be considered and prioritized when designing electronics for reuse, repair, rental or recycling?

Innovators in the electronics industry are taking on the fastest growing waste stream: the more than 50 million tons of e-waste generated globally each year. Built for disassembly, repair, durability and reuse, circular electronics with an extended product life span can help reclaim the more than $57 billion in raw materials currently disposed of annually. To create these innovative products requires numerous intentional design choices that work within new business models and existing infrastructure. Join this session to break down the considerations and guidelines needed to design electronics for next life and new models.

How can your company establish ambitious, holistic packaging goals?

Packaging goals have been making headlines, but not all companies have signed on to 100 percent reusable, recyclable or compostable packaging by 2025. With a need for collective action across industry, the time for ambitious commitments is now. What does it take to establish and launch a holistic packaging strategy that is not just financially viable, but environmentally impactful? What considerations must be balanced to meet the needs of both your customers and internal stakeholders? Which packaging solution is right for your company, and what strategic implications should you deliberate when establishing your goals? Join this session to hear from brands and practitioners who have navigated these complex decisions.

What will it take to achieve your company’s 2025 packaging commitments?

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 session to learn about the newest tools, research reports and roadmaps that can help keep your company on target for 2025. 

How can biomimicry help your company design more efficient, sustainable and circular products?

A perfectly circular system — one without waste, non-renewable inputs or inefficiencies — already exists in nature. Of course, it’s not that simple for humans. With capital flows on top of material flows, industry on top of ecosystems, our system isn’t quite as perfectly designed. But why start a design from scratch when you can learn from the 3.8 billion years of evolution that has taken place on Earth? Biomimicry, the practice of looking to nature for inspired ideas, can speed up the circular design process by borrowing from the elegance and efficiency of nature to solve complex human problems. Join this session to learn about the practice of biomimetic design, and how it can help unlock more sustainable outcomes.

What are the strategic incentives for product life extension, and how can your company deliver durable, repairable products at a premium?

In an era of single-use disposables and planned obsolescence, durability and repairability may just be the new luxury. From the quality-conscious to eco-friendly to the value-seeker, product longevity is a desirable attribute, often worth the premium of a higher upfront or repair service cost. But when competing with lower production costs and repeat purchase revenue, durable and repairable may not add up to the financial value of disposable. How can you make a financial case for designing better products that are more durable and easily repairable? What design and service considerations should be considered when offering repair services and repairable products? How will your customer relationship evolve? This session will explore these questions as it builds the case for designing more durable, repairable products.