Module 2
Module preparation
• Arrange the room so that students (target group) can work in teams of 2-5 members
• Prepare resources: laptop, video projector connected to the Internet, PPT with the information
Sequence 1.
Circular economy in companies
Objective: Awareness of multiple opportunities to address circular economy within a company
Context
The transition to the circular economy is not an easy process. Even though the first steps were taken several years ago, the level of global circularity is decreasing. The ratio of the amount of raw materials extracted to the amount of materials and resources reused increases from year to year. This means that, although we recycle and reuse more, the consumption of extracted natural raw materials increases much faster.
Circular economy action plans must include measures covering the entire life cycle of products – from design and production to consumption and waste management and its reintroduction into the economic circuit as secondary raw materials.
A successful example of collaboration between institutions, economic actors and civil society is the plastics strategy adopted at EU level. There is unprecedented interest and support from citizens, successful cooperation with the private sector has been established through voluntary pledges and other instruments, and close relations are maintained with sectoral NGOs dealing with the circular economy.
This model will only be successful if both economic actors and civil society are directly involved. An important role belongs to each of us, our families who will need to be aware of their role in adopting circularity.
The circular economy requires enormous changes, especially among companies. Companies need to rethink design, sourcing, purchasing, and manufacturing. Embracing the Zero Waste circularity philosophy of reducing, reusing and recycling is easier said than done.
Although this challenge seems extremely difficult to overcome, we must understand that it does not have to happen overnight.
For small businesses or start-ups, it is possible to move directly to a circular model, as they are not burdened by legacy technologies or existing sales-based models. For existing companies – especially the type of massive companies that tend to dominate different sectors – this is not an option, given the time and investment required to develop appropriate technologies and the need to retrain the sales force.
Even for a company like Philips, where the circular economy is a top priority, revenue generated by circular business models accounts for only 15% of total flow.
The scale of change depends on the circular economy business model a company adopts. For a business to become circular there are several circular business models, and companies can implement any combination of them.
- One model covers product reuse, resource recovery, recycling and component refurbishment. As part of their sustainability strategies, many companies are already doing a lot of this.
Renault established in 2008 a specialized subsidiary for the management of copper, steel, aluminium, plastics and other waste and parts from end-of-life vehicles.
- Another model is circular sourcing, where renewable, recyclable or biodegradable resources replace finite resources.
60% of the raw materials used by IKEA now come from renewable sources and a further 10% are recycled materials before or after consumption. The company aims to use only renewable or recyclable materials by 2030.
https://preview.thenewsmarket.com/Previews/IKEA/DocumentAssets/535135.pdf
Health multinational DSM has developed a cellulosic bioethanol fuel based on
- A third circular model refers to the usefulness of the product and includes extending the life of the product. Patagonia says that “the best thing we can do for the planet is to keep our stuff in use longer.”
The European Council for Remanufacturing aims to extend the life of components and products through remanufacturing, which currently accounts for less than 3% of manufacturing activity in Europe.
A good example is the global iFixit repair community.
https://www.ifixit.com/Community?pk_vid=34c81179d55daa151692780780a4f11e
- Another model, which has gained a lot of attention, is product-as-a-service.
Instead of just selling tyres, Michelin has signed contracts with transport companies to offer a “tailor-made tyre management solution” for a set period. Other examples are the hourly car rental company Car2 go or the lighting rental company Signify or the new furniture rental service launched by IKEA.
- The fifth model is sharing platforms.
The handyman site TaskRabbit or Peerby allows people to borrow things from people in their neighborhood. They meet circularity criteria as they result in better use of existing resources and reduced waste.
Product design and packaging offer tremendous opportunities to move from a linear economy to a circular economy.
Today, most packaging is designed to be used once and thrown away. This represents enormous amounts of wasted material and pollution. As landfills reach capacity and microplastics pollute the world’s most remote regions, the need for change is imminent.
Circular packaging solutions incorporate circular economy principles and integrate seamlessly into sustainability efforts.
Challenges faced by companies
- Limited appetite of buyers to pay for circularity;
- Fast, same-day delivery is increasingly appreciated by consumers;
- Low possibility of obtaining high yields;
- Natural raw materials are often cheaper than recycled ones;
- The scale of the transformations required to shift to circularity is daunting for many companies;
- Making circularity viable requires significant innovation. There is a major infrastructure gap that needs to be changed for circularity to become effective.
The trainer will focus on those challenges that are determined by our consumer behavior that do not stimulate companies to become circular.
Sequence 2.
Circularity at home
Objective: to raise awareness among learners to adopt circularity principles in everyday life
Context
Throughout this sequence we want to explore how families can be better integrated into the circular economy.
Adopting a circular lifestyle is one way to ensure that the next generation ends up living on habitable earth. Therefore, as parents, we have a duty to transform our home into a place where our children can practice sustainable living.
The European Commission published a behavioural study on consumer engagement in the circular economy in 2018. It highlighted the role and necessity of involving consumers in the circular economy. Consumers play a key role in the transition to a circular economy.
To reach a circular economy, each of us needs to get involved, to produce a change in the way we buy, in the way we consume.
The model underpinning the circular economy is one that involves repairing and reusing objects, then recycling them to recover materials. Thus, only a small part of the products ends up in landfill.
Many of the products we use today have an artificially shortened lifespan to maximize manufacturers’ profits.
Planned obsolescence is a type of design and/or marketing policy by means of which the lifespan of a product (electrical, electronic, appliance) is artificially shortened or limited to a certain period. The goal of this policy is to maximize profits by replacing products more often. This practice has been known for about 100 years and became popular in the 50s in the American automotive industry. This is not sustainable, nor does it correspond to a functioning circular economy.
It is important to recognize objects with an artificially shortened service life and refuse to purchase these products.
How to recognize planned obsolescence
- Various parts in an expensive product are made of poor-quality materials, resulting in a decrease in the service life of the entire product.
- Expensive or impossible repair. Some companies do not market spare parts, and others use closing or sealing systems that prevent or hinder access to the part that should be replaced. Example: the batteries of some smartphones are attached to the display and their replacement costs about a third of the value of the phone.
- Creating the perception of obsolescence. Many companies release new models at a short time that are described as having superior performance, more attractive design. Many consumers believe that the model they bought shortly before is already outdated and necessarily needs to be replaced with a new one.
- Systemic incompatibility. Some manufacturers decide that new software should not run on models older than several years.
- The disappearance of consumables. Sometimes we are forced to give up some products that are still functional because there are no consumable products for them.
- Fixed service life. Some products have included chips that cause the product to stop permanently after a fixed number of uses. Although the components are functional, consumables exist and the software is current, the product refuses to start because it has reached its factory limit.
As of 1 March 2021, the new energy label entered into force in the EU with the aim of extending the life of electronics and repairing them. This label applies to refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers and televisions. Manufacturers are obliged to keep parts for the repair of products for 7 years after placing the last manufactured product on the market. Thus, consumers can find parts if products deteriorate, even if the products are no longer on the market.
What can you do?
- Search for information about the product life declared by the manufacturer
- Read as many product reviews as possible
- Search for sustainable companies
- Resist the temptation to have the latest gadget permanently
- Check the existence of workshops and what would be the repair costs
- Check for consumables
- Find out if you can buy extended warranty (if you can, chances are the product is quality)
Circular economy principles to implement in the household
- Ditch disposable items. Invest in sustainable products that can be reused over a long period of time and help you save in the long run.
- Try to reduce consumption to items you really need. When you go shopping, you can ask yourself the question: “Do I really need this product?”. In the case of electronics, there is a temptation to buy a model as soon as it appears, but most of the time they are not very different from the previous model. If the electronics are functional but you need something better, you can donate them or sell them. Thus, you give those products a new chance, instead of taking them out of the operating cycle.
- Reuse items you already have. It gives old objects a new use. Jars in which there were various products you can use for storage. Cardboard boxes from online orders can be used for future gifts or storing clothes. By using an object for as long as possible, you manage to avoid producing new packaging or products.
- When objects have reached the end of their lifecycle, recycling is the next step. Through recycling, materials are recovered, thus becoming new products. Recycling reduces the amount of raw materials extracted from nature, saves energy and reduces carbon emissions.
- Waste is a valuable material, it should not be regarded as garbage to be thrown away. On average, 14 tonnes of raw materials are used annually for an EU citizen and 5 tonnes become waste, which could be reduced, reused, repaired and recycled to feed them back into a new production cycle without using raw materials.
Did you know...
Does recycling aluminum save 90% of the energy needed to produce another product from scratch?
How to reduce waste
- Downcycling is the process of reusing a product and converting it into a product with a lower value than its original value. Carpets, rugs made from scrap T-shirts, bedding or other materials that are usually thrown away are examples of this recycling and reuse process.
- The concept of upcycling involves creating an object with increased value from scrap or other objects already used. In the US, there is a trend among young people who restore items donated or bought from flea markets and then sell them on the Internet. There are people who roam the streets, squares and shops to collect things that people get rid of, especially pieces of furniture that they refurbish and give new life.
When we give new purpose to old clothes or furniture, we help lower carbon emissions, reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. Sometimes these practices can become sources of income.
There are also companies that collect scrap materials resulting from the production of clothes and transform them into creative clothing items or accessories such as bags, necklaces or wallets.
DON'T FORGET
Recycle all waste electrical and electronic equipment that is irreparably broken!
You too can discover a practical and useful hobby for yourself, the community and the planet.
- If you want to be more environmentally friendly by practicing upcyling, here are some tips that will help you:
- Select materials carefully. Choose those items and materials that can be cut, sanded and painted. For starters, I suggest starting with wooden furniture, as it is a lightweight material to work with. Once you feel more confident, you can move on to metal, stone, and plastic items. It is very difficult to recycle chipboard.
- Use the right tools. It is essential to have a good toolkit as this will help you and make your work more enjoyable. Examples of basic materials and tools that any upcycler should have in his arsenal include sandpaper, paint and brushes, drill, hammer, saw, screwdrivers and adhesives.
- Set realistic goals. Start transforming small, simple objects — something you know you can finish. If you try something too ambitious and don’t get to complete it, you run the risk of getting discouraged and giving up. Once you gain a little confidence and experience, you can tackle more complicated projects.
- Be brave and take risks. It’s important to believe in what you want to create and be afraid to try new things. There are no set rules that constrain you. All you have to do is let your creativity come to the surface and have fun. Don’t worry about what others will think of your work.
- Mistakes are not always failures. Sometimes it happens that you do not get what you wanted, but the result is a good one. Every mistake is an opportunity to learn something new, which is why many people enjoy upcycling.
- Seek inspiration by sharing ideas with others enthusiastic about upcycling. Websites like Gumtree and Pinterest are both sources of inspiration and for finding unique items.
- If you are not so skilled at upcycling or downcycling, you can ask for help at a repair shop, tutorials on the internet, or take the item to a repair specialist (perhaps repair costs will be lower than replacing the product).
- Another thing you can do at work, school, or with a group of friends is initiate a system to exchange, share, or borrow items that are rarely used: books, tools, furniture.
- Buy second-hand – sites like Gumtree and e-bay are great for purchasing bargains.
- Donate your old clothes, books, and electrical/electronic work equipment to charity so someone else can reuse them.
- Reuse stationery at work (folders, paper clips, rubber bands, packaging, etc.) and use waste paper for scrap paper/notes.
- For leftovers you don’t know what to do with – get inspired by the Love Your app Leftovers. (https://www.lovefoodhatewaste.nsw.gov.au/love-your-leftovers )
The trainer will open one of the links below and will present to the trainees an example of transforming an object through upcycling. After watching the video, the trainer will send the students the other links as a source of inspiration for upcycling.
Individual task for home
Watch the videos below as inspiration for upcycling
https://www.bosch-diy.com/gb/en/all-about-diy/upcycling-content
https://www.bosch-diy.com/gb/en/all-about-diy/sustainability
https://www.bosch-diy.com/gb/en/all-about-diy/save-money
https://www.wickes.co.uk/ideas-advice/planter-stand
https://www.wickes.co.uk/ideas-advice/quick-upcycling-projects
Transform an object by upcycling and post a video or photos from the activity on the Blog.
Conclusions
By simplifying shopping, choosing the products we really need, by changing the perspective on consumerism we can have sustainable buying habits. The power of community is important for a circular culture, by creating programs in communities through which goods are shared. For example, community gardens, access to local producers, but also composting facilities in a small community.
FASHION INDUSTRY
Case Study
Environmental impact of textile production and waste
Globally, the 1.3 trillion dolars apparel industry employs more than 300 million people along the value chain. Cotton production alone accounts for nearly 7% of total employment in some low-income countries.
The amount of clothes bought by an individual in the European Union has increased by 40% in just a few decades, driven by falling prices and the increased speed with which fashion is delivered to consumers. Clothing has the fourth highest environmental impact of all consumer categories in the EU. This impact is often felt in non-EU countries, where most production takes place. Producing raw materials, turning them into fibres weaving fabrics and dyeing requires enormous amounts of water and chemicals, including pesticides for growing textile plants like cotton. The use of clothes also has a large environmental footprint, caused by the consumption of water, energy and chemicals used in washing, drying laundry and ironing, as well as microplastics poured into the environment.
Apparel accounts for more than 60% of all textiles used, and over the past 15 years, apparel production has roughly doubled, thanks to growing middle-class populations across the globe and increased per capita sales in mature economies. At the same time, clothing use decreased by almost 40%. Both developments are mainly due to the phenomenon of “fast fashion”, with a faster change of new styles, an increased number of collections offered per year, and often lower prices.
Fast fashion is the constant supply of new styles at very low prices.
By moving to a circular system, the textile industry can unlock a $560 billion economic opportunity. Realizing this opportunity requires new business models and collaboration along the value chain (e.g. production, marketing and after-sales care) to keep materials safe to use.
Problems facing the textile industry
- Clothing is massively underused. Globally, customers lose $460 billion each year, throwing away clothes they could continue to wear, and some garments are estimated to be thrown away after just seven to ten wears.
- A huge footprint. The textile industry relies heavily on non-renewable resources – 98 million tonnes in total per year – including oil to produce synthetic fibres, fertilisers to grow cotton, and chemicals to produce, dye and finish fibres and textiles. With its low utilization rates and low recycling levels, the current linear and wasteful system is the root cause of this massive and ever-expanding pressure on resources. The industry’s huge footprint extends beyond the use of raw materials.
- Potentially catastrophic. If the fashion industry continues on its current path, by 2050 it could use more than 26% of the carbon budget associated with a global warming limit of 2C. Moving away from the current linear and wasteful system is therefore crucial to maintain the average global warming limit of 2°C.
- Overconsumption of natural resources. To produce textiles requires very large amounts of water, but also land on which flat textiles are grown. To make a single cotton T-shirt, an estimated 2,700 liters of fresh water are needed, enough to meet a person’s drinking needs for 2.5 years. In 2020, an average of nine cubic metres of water, 400 square metres of land and 391 kilograms (kg) of raw materials were needed to provide clothes and shoes for every EU citizen.
- Water pollution. The textile industry is responsible for about 20% of global clean water pollution. Washing synthetic clothes accounts for 35% of primary microplastics released into the environment. A single load of polyester laundry can unload 700,000 microplastic fibers that can end up in the food chain. Most microplastics in textiles are released during the first washes. Fast fashion is based on mass production, low prices and high sales volumes that generate the first washes.
- Greenhouse gas emissions. The fashion industry is estimated to be responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions – more than international flights and shipping
Textile waste in landfills and low recycling rates
People get rid of unwanted clothes by throwing them in the trash and less by donating them. Less than half of used clothes are collected for reuse or recycling, and only 1% of used clothes are recycled into new clothes, as technologies that would allow clothes to be recycled into virgin fibers are only just beginning to emerge.
Europeans use almost 26 kilograms of textiles and throw away about 11 kilograms of them every year. Used clothes can be exported outside the EU, but are mostly (87%) incinerated or landfilled.
The emergence of fast fashion has been crucial in consumer growth, driven in part by social media and industry, which has brought fashion trends to more consumers at a faster pace than in the past.
New strategies to address this issue include developing new business models for clothing rentals, designing products in a way that facilitates reuse and recycling (circular fashion), convincing consumers to buy better quality clothes that last longer (slow fashion), and more generally steering consumer behaviour towards more sustainable options.
Creating business models that are restorative and regenerative
The global vision of a circular economy for fashion is one that is restorative and regenerative by design and offers benefits for business, society and the environment. In such a system, clothes, textiles and fibres are kept at their highest value during use and re-enter the economy after use, never being waste. A circular economy for fashion is an attractive vision of a system that works.
The realization of this vision of a new global textile system is based on three focus areas:
- New business models that increase the use of clothing
- Safe and renewable inputs
- Solutions for used clothes to be transformed into new
Traditionally, textile waste recycling refers to the reprocessing of textile waste (mechanically or chemically) for use in both new and non-textile textile products.
Upcycling is a design-based circular fashion approach where pre- or post-consumer textile waste is reused to create new garments.
Upcycling is a growing trend among fashion designers, helping to save resources and keep tons of textile waste in the waste stream. More and more brands and fashion houses are waking up to the method and applying it while looking for solutions to the industry’s impact on the environment and to provide their customers with socially and environmentally conscious choices. Some of the best-known upcycling designers who use pre-consumer textile waste and scrap are, for example, Estonia’s Reet Aus, British designer Christopher Raeburn, and New York-based Zero Waste Daniel.
Until recently, however, upcycling was mostly used on a small scale, sold as single pieces or items added to some collections, and not on an industrial scale.
One of the main obstacles to the use (and recycling) of the remaining material in the fashion and textile industry is the lack of data on textile waste generated in garment manufacturing.
10 ways to reduce fashion waste
1) Reuse. Studies have shown that the most impactful action we can take to reduce our environmental footprint in the fashion world is to wear our clothes until they are worn.
Researchers have found that an item of clothing usually lasts between 100-200 wears, but only a small amount of clothing is used. On average, people buy 56 new pieces of clothing each year, but some pieces will only be worn a few times. We need to limit our willingness to spend and make the most of the existing clothes we have.
Our advice? Go through your wardrobe and pick those pieces you haven’t worn in a while and give them a little attention!
2) Repair. Of course, you can get creative and add the ability to sew to your skill set! Or watch a YouTube tutorial on how to fix your damaged clothes and give them a new life. A great option is to take your clothes to a tailor for modifications and repairs, and a good old-fashioned shoemaker can do magic with your shoes.
3) Take care of your clothes. Reduce the amount of clothes you buy by taking care of existing clothes to use them more. Reduce washing, wash laundry at a low temperature (30° max) and, where possible, use the old air drying method so it lasts longer!
4) Buy quality, NOT quantity. Buy fewer items, but invest in quality basic parts that will stand the test of time. Avoid buying “trendy” – resist the urge to buy an endless amount of clothes and look for classic, high-quality pieces that you love and will wear again and again.
5) Rental. If you have to attend an event and you need a special outfit, you can rent it.
6) Vintage stores. Buying vintage means you can get really creative with your individual style and think outside the box when planning outfits. It allows you to build your wardrobe to order, at a fraction of the cost, and fill it with items, which are unique and interesting and cannot be found in a shopping center, on the street or online.
7) Change. Changing clothes is a smart and economical way to refresh your wardrobe, save money and help fight textile waste. Look for an exchange – or organise one with a group of friends or colleagues.
8) Sell your clothes. Facebook Marketplace, Depop, and eBay are good places to start. Be sure to wash and iron clothes thoroughly before putting them in your hand!
9) Upcycle. Turn items or things you already have into new ones, whether it’s by reupholstering a chair with denim jeans or turning a dress into a pillow or a jumper into a rug for a pet.
10) Donate. Many retailers now offer donation services. Also, instead of throwing away clothes you no longer need, you can join groups to donate on social media. There are many people here who need these. You are doing good to both needy people and the planet.
According to a report by the European Environment Agency, donated clothes are initially sorted and distributed to people in need and charity shops, but a significant proportion of used textiles are exported from the European Union to other continents, particularly Africa and Asia.
Family activity
Make at least one product from an old textile item. Share your achievement with friends, colleagues, using social networks or the TD&AD project blog
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