The European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) will take place from 20 to 28 November, and it will offer a space for actions seeking to raise awareness on resource and waste management. This 2021 edition is focused on circular communities, and the COSME CircularInnoBooster project together with its accelerator, CirCoAX, are organising on next Friday 26 November from 16:00 to 18:00 CET the online event called “CircularInnoBoosting: Promoting Sustainable and Circular Fashion & Textile Industries”, to put on the table the problems, opportunities, and solutions regarding the management of textile waste.
Black Friday is also celebrated on Friday 26 November – a date dedicated to consumerism and which marks the starting signal for the Christmas shopping season. Fast Fashion brands reduce the prices of their garments even further, encouraging unnecessary purchases of clothes. On this important date, the CircularInnoBooster project and its accelerator CirCoAX take a stand in favour of responsible consumption and an ethical and sustainable transformation that helps to reduce the environmental and socio-economic effects that the mass production of these industries have on a global level.
Every year, 92 million tonnes of textile waste are generated. This global environmental problem requires legislation and a united commitment. Therefore, the event will be divided into three roundtable debates and discussions showing the different stages of the process towards effective changes within the industry.
Firstly, the impact of textile waste on communities will be addressed, with a special focus on the Global South, followed by experts’ analyses presenting challenges and opportunities to reverse the current situation. Finally, a voice will be given to entrepreneurs and disruptive proposals that are committed to sustainable alternatives and that stand as leaders of sustainable transformation. In this last panel, CirCoAX will be presented as a successful case of collaboration and best practices at a European level.
The CircularInnoBooster project is committed to the ecological transition and emphasises the need to put an end to the culture of waste and fast fashion, which are responsible not only for the climate crisis, but also for the decline of the sector. According to the European Parliament, in Europe we have increased our clothing consumption by 40% since 1996 and 87% of our textiles are landfilled or incinerated and less than 1% are recycled.
We have an environmental, social and economic challenge to face and only through a regenerative and circular perspective will we change the unsustainable model that prevents us from being in balance with the planet. Register for the event at the following link.
About the European Week for Waste Reduction
The European Week for Waste Reduction (EWWR) encourages all Europeans and not only to carry out awareness-raising actions about sustainable resource and waste management during a single week in November.
About COSME
COSME is the programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises by the European Commission’s Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EASME).
This programme assists SMEs to develop their business models, to obtain funds and to internationalise. This scheme also supports public administrations to enhance the entrepreneurial environment and to facilitate the economic growth of the EU. During the funding period of 2014-2020, this programme allocated €2.3 billion to support SMEs.
About IED
Istituto Europeo di Design is an academic institution working in education, training, and the research of fashion, design, visual communication, and management. IED has offices in Spain (Madrid and Barcelona), Italy (Milan, Rome and five other cities) and Brazil (São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro). IED works in several EU and COSME countries through collaborations and arrangements with institutions, business support organisations, teachers, experts, and mentors. IED has an extensive network of connections in the fashion and textile sector (F&T).
For more information, click on https://iedmadrid.com/.
About Finnova
Finnova is a foundation working to promote and to develop innovation and entrepreneurship across the EU. Headquartered in Brussels, it works and engages in partnerships in all EU countries. Finnova’s experience in leading communication activities and disseminating European projects is coupled with an extensive expertise in creating enterprises and entrepreneurial support programmes such as accelerators, incubators, and events.
For more information, click on https://web.finnovaregio.org/.
About Texfor
Texfor is a leading textile association in Spain with roughly 400 members. Founded in 2010 and based in Catalonia, Texfor brings together enterprises from the textile value chain, i.e. from weaving to fabrics as well as accessories, textile finishing, printing, and dyeing for the dressmaking industry, textiles for households and technical and industrial applications. Texfor has an extensive expertise as it has worked in relevant expert committees at an EU level: university and professional training, developing financial capacities, cross-cutting collaboration, fostering RDI, specialised services, and leadership in sustainability focused on the circular economy.
For more information, click on https://www.texfor.es/.
About Circulab
Circulab is a laboratory and design studio specialising in developing transformation methods, tools and programmes to help enterprises adopt circular and sustainable business models.
Circulab has designed a number of tools to implement a circular business model in enterprises. It works in 23 countries – 9 out of them in the EU – and it supports projects via 60 independent entrepreneurial consultants. It applies circular methodologies and tools.
For more information, click on https://circulab.com/.
About The Circular Project co-diseñado con HumanNation
TCP (The Circular Project) favours and promotes a circular and sustainable fashion in different areas, offering the fashion industry a communication strategy based on a cross-cutting and systemic approach of the circular economy. TCP combines social, ethical, environmental and economic aspects, and has a strong presence and connections in the sustainable fashion world.
TCP has promoted the Circular Sustainable Fashion Week Madrid, a one-of-a-kind event, and also serves as HQ for the Spanish Association for the Sustainability, Innovation and Circularity in the Fashion Industry. TCP is also ambassador of Sannas (Triple Bottom Line Business Association) and has collaborated in a wide array of Spanish, European, and Latin American institutions and enterprises.
The Circular Project works with Human Nation to co-design and develop CirCoAX. HumanNation is a consultancy enterprise specialising in the development of transformative and disruptive ecosystems of innovation and companies for the ‘new economy’. It is based on the fourth economic sector, the systemic thinking, and co-creation. It raises awareness in organisations and ecosystems to respect the planetary boundaries and the social fabric, creating resilient local economies with a global perspective.
For more information, click on https://thecircularproject.com/ and https://humannation.earth