This year will mark the realization of the first fully circular supply chain in the history of textiles. Dutch aWEARness, a new innovative partner in the textile industry, operates according to the principles of the circular economy. Its fashionable garments and work wear made of the 100% recyclable fabric Returnity® are designed to be reused. On 4, 5 and 6 March 2014, Dutch aWEARness will share its knowledge of circular textiles. From stand R3130 at Resource, a major conference and exhibition for the circular economy in ExCel London, Dutch aWEARness will offer advice on closed loop business strategies and showcase fashion and work wear made of fully recyclable materials.
As originator of the circular economy in the textile industry, Dutch aWEARness has designed a fully circular supply chain for textiles. Raw materials are no longer defined as something you buy, use and discard, but as valuable assets that you use, and then return for reuse. This creates a new economy around sustainable management of resources.
Within innovation project EcoProFabrics, project leaders Dutch aWEARness and Royal HaskoningDHV and their partners work to scale up the production, distribution and exploitation of the revolutionary fabric Returnity®. EcoProFabrics is a pilot project in the Eco Innovation Programme of the European Commission. Compared to cotton, Returnity® fabrics reduce CO2impact by 73%, waste management by 100% and water usage by 95%. EcoProFabrics is scheduled to launch new work wear collections with nine key customers in five European Union countries and aims to produce more than 30,000 garments across the EU by 2017. Companies including Desso and Royal HaskoningDHV have already committed to become launching customers.
On behalf of the European Commission, the consortium invites leading innovative companies and the press to attend an interactive symposium with key speakers during Resource on March 5, and to become acquainted with this innovative project. To give our project a running start, we have reserved a runway to showcase Returnity©, our sustainable fabric for corporate wear.