Circular economy

Only a few years ago did the ‘cradle –cradle’ concept gain grounds in the fashion industry, and since addressing and endorsing the concept theories behind a circular economy they were shocked and hadnt realise the amount of resources that are needed and the environmental impacts that are generated during the various stages of textile production.

Using the cradle – to - cradle concept would be a way to spot what key areas should be targeted for the companies in – house sustainability work. 

Ellen MacArthur promoted the circular economy concept. She has her own Foundation for the concept and to implicate a positive economic society.

The previous long-distance sailor realized how much we rely on earths finite natural resources and how everything is somehow interconnected. Ellen wants to divide the natural and man-made materials for a more circular economy globally.

“The linear ‘take, make, dispose’ model relies on large quantities of easily accessible resources and energy, and as such is increasingly unfit for the reality in which it operates. Working towards efficiency—a reduction of resources and fossil energy consumed per unit of manufacturing output—will not alter the finite nature of their stocks but can only delay the inevitable. A change of the entire operating system seems necessary.”

Bibliography:

Foundation, E.M. (2015) Building blocks of A circular economy - circular economy design & circular economy business models. Available at: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/building-blocks (Accessed: 21 February 2017).

In-line Citation:

(Foundation, 2015)

The aim of this major concept is to mainly rely on renewable energy, from renewable sources and to design and promote products that would minimize waste. The distinction between biological nutrients and technical nutrients would be circulated separately to identify which objects should be circulated in the natural process or the man-made process.

The fashion industry would be able to use a rental system, which would shift direct implications for the development of efficient and effective take-back processes.

The butterfly diagram illustrates the processes in which we can create a flow of technical and biological materials through the ‘value circle’. The diagram also explains how consumers are the most important part of the flow of this cradle-cradle concept, they decide how long they keep an object or garment but it is to also explain how we need to slow down the fast fashion.

Prolonging or donating clothing has become a slight problem and is not the most ideal situation to support when trying to be “eco-friendly” because redistributing unwanted items would have to use more energy which encourages even more Co2 emissions and the need of fossil fuels – therefore it is not as sustainable as it sounds. Ellen Macarthur has designed a process in which consumers can lease or rent garments to prevent the need of continually buying a certain garment and then throwing away the unwanted item – which would then be taken to landfill or people in need but this becomes a unsustainable circular process because it would need transportation which supports Co2 emissions and fossil fuels. 

Bibliography:user, F. (2012) Circular economy case study - in depth - washing machines. Available at: https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/interactive-diagram/in-depth-washing-machines (Accessed: 21 February 2017).