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About

Circular Economy

CIRCULAR ECONOMY
DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Sustainable use of resources

The production of textiles has a significant impact on people and the environment. Awareness of the urgent need to use resources responsibly is growing, but change has yet to occur at the scale and pace required. Global fiber production per person has increased from 8.4 kilograms in 1975 to 14.3 kilograms in 2021. Without rethink growth, the industry will not reach the 1.5-degree path and may even exceed the 2-degree mark.
Cancel
throwaway
society
The fashion industry is one of the least sustainable industries on the planet, accounting for about 10% of global carbon emissions. Over 65% of a product's environmental impact occurs before you see it - during manufacturing and sourcing. The production of materials occupies the most significant position. This is reason enough for us to place the main focus of our efforts on this.
CO2 EMISSIONS OF THE PROCESSES
IN THE FASHION INDUSTRY

Material
production

35%

Yarn preparation/
dyeing process

30%

Product
assembly

5%

Trade/
Consumption

25%

End-of-Use

5%

From linear production to the circular economy

Every second, somewhere on earth, a truckload of textiles is dumped in landfills or incinerated. This throwaway mentality must be a thing of the past. Nowadays, only about 0.6% of discarded textiles worldwide are recycled into new fibers. The textile industry must move away from linear production and establish a textile circular economy.
The textile circular economy refers to the closed life cycle of textiles in which materials, water, energy and chemicals are used as efficiently as possible to minimize environmental impact and conserve resources. This includes measures such as recycling textiles, using sustainable materials and extending the life of fabrics through repair and reuse. The aim is to promote the sustainable use of textiles and move away from a throwaway society toward a circular economy.
Lineare
Textile Produktion
99,4% der globalen Textilproduktion in 2021
Zirkuläre
Textile Produktion
0,6% der globalen Textilproduktion in 2021
GLOBAL TEXTILE PRODUCTION
in 2021
99,4%

LINEAR PRODUCTION

0,6%

CIRCULAR PRODUCTION

How can we cancel the throwaway society for textiles?

So far we live in a linear textile economy, which is based on a take-make-use-throwaway pattern. We need to take massive steps into a circular textile economy.

What is a circular textile economy?

When a textile product reaches the end of its life, its materials and energy are kept as long as possible within the economy wherever possible and at the “highest value” potential. This is called the end-of-life option.

Do your products have an end-of-life option?

The materials we establish throughout our product range are made from the highest rate of recycled textiles possible. We always prefer to make mono-materials to increase recycling rates at end-of-life.

The goal is to create products from 100% recycled mono-materials from our own industry. Numerous of our products would meet the criteria of "recyclable" or "circular"; however, there is still no uniform take-back system for textiles.

Can I return my old product to be recycled?

Our innovative measures have already achieved high rates of over 85% recycled textiles per product by weight (depending on the series). This means numerous products would meet the "recyclable" or "circular" criteria.

There is not yet a uniform, household-based return system for textiles. We support the procedure that the European Union wants to introduce. Returning products to us would cause additional emissions.

What is a circular product?

Currently, there is no industry standard for recyclable products. We can use no agreed definition or criteria as a basis. What is clear, however, is that we need to manufacture products that

- can be used for longer
- are created to be created from scratch
- are made from safe and recycled raw materials
Think circular,
carry responsibility

Design criteria for circular economy

We consider the impact of production with every new product and the entire life cycle. We thoroughly research materials, processes and emerging technologies to understand and reduce the environmental footprint of each product.

However, designing circular products requires not just an extra step in the process, but an entirely new approach. Every design decision affects the circularity of a product. In the shift from a linear to a circular economy, all components - from materials to fabric treatment - must undergo a review based on the following criteria:
1

Reduced environmental impact

2

Longevity

3

Recyclability

Challenges in circular design

Durability and recyclability are not always compatible, which often leads to trade-offs between making products that last and those that are easy to recycle at the end of their life. Durable products often require additional reinforcements that are more complicated to disassemble and recycle later. Recyclable products require mono-fibers that do not always offer the same performance, functionality or durability.

Our design developments focus on durability, as bags and backpacks are meant to be used daily and intensively for years. Minimalist design is also timeless design and, in the best case, also extends the useful life. Next comes environmental sustainability, which minimizes the most significant emissions in producing materials.

We live in times that require new approaches. Times in which we have to free ourselves from outdated views. As a value-driven company, we share common beliefs and want to lead the circular economy in our field.
MORE INFORMATION
Interested in our materials?
TEXTILE RECYCLING
How do old textiles become new yarns again?
MATERIALS
What makes our materials special?
DYEING PROCESS
How to dye fabrics in a resource-saving way?