Catch-up on the action from World Circular Textiles Day 2021

The Centre for Circular Design (CCD) was joined by partners, industry and audiences from around the globe for World Circular Textiles Day on 8 October. WCTD2021: Reflect, report, celebrate is now available to watch on demand on YouTube.

Led by Professor Rebecca Earley, Co-Founder of the CCD, the event celebrated the year’s achievements in working towards a fully circular textiles economy by 2050. There were progress updates from international businesses, organisations and initiatives, as well as pledges and directives from presenters and audience members. Over 100 viewers joined online to hear from Caroline Rush, Chief Executive of the British Fashion Council, and representatives from international organisations working towards the collective goal.

Discussions during the event identified several goals for the industry over the next year. These include stakeholders joining the dots between new regenerative technologies, supply chains and waste streams; developing metrics to evaluate the impact of emerging rental and resale business models; and brands, entrepreneurs and designers creating circular supply chains that enable people and communities to flourish.

In her closing remarks, Professor Rebecca Earley said: “We all want to see change in the industry. We all have different ways of expressing the change or coming at it through a particular lens. The backlash is [people saying] ‘that’s not circularity, that’s just recycling, that’s not going to change anything.’ This is the discourse in the media and elsewhere. What we’re trying to do is show that it’s about charting progress; it’s about starting somewhere. It’s about understanding how things change. Yes, some brands might be just dipping a toe in, but we know they have to dip a toe before they can make the next move. Our frustration is that it’s all happening too slowly.”

World Circular Textiles Day is an annual event taking place on 8 October every year until 2050. In the run-up to next year’s event, the team will be focusing on raising awareness of circularity among businesses and the public, as well as growing a digital Knowledge Hub featuring case studies, organisations, strategies and policies to chart the industry’s momentum towards full circularity.

Visit the Centre for Circular Design website.