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2024-04-11

How To Implement The Digital Product Passport?One of the most important objectives that the European Union is seeking involves a circular economy. Based on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG), which focus on achieving circular business models to reduce human climate fingerprint, the EU is regulating several industries, such as the textile industry, and developed the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation or ESPR, which one of its most relevant points is the Digital Product Passport or DPP.What is the EU Digital Product Passport?According to the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the EU DPP is:“The DPP is a tool to create transparency and unlock circularity proposed by the European Commission (EC) that will share product information across the entire value chain, including data on raw material extraction, production, recycling, etc.”WORLD BUSINESS COUNCIL FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, 2023The motivations for the European Commission Digital Passport are:- Ensure products’ transparency and traceability and share their essential information about circularity and sustainability.- Creating new business opportunities for circular economic business models.- Empower society’s decision choices with information about what they consume.- Allowing authorities to verify compliance with legal requirements.- Ensure the repair rights of consumers.The European Commission’s Digital Product Passport is expected to be implemented by 2026 per product group, with consumer electronics and fashion as the first ones to require the DPP.As the textile industry will be one of the first product groups that will require this tool to distribute their products within the European market, fashion brands must implement circular solutions such as Recovo’s marketplace for deadstock fabrics to achieve this objective of turning this industry to a circular model that is necessary to preserve our planet.What the Digital Product Passport must include?EU DPP is going to be shared with consumers by QR codes that will label the following information:- Raw material sources: Many consumers need to be made aware of the environmental impact associated with raw material extraction and management. Exploitative practices, deforestation, and high levels of carbon sequestration often occur in the undeveloped countries where these materials are sourced, highlighting the need for increased transparency through DPP.- Design: Ecodesign plays a critical role in lengthening product lifecycles and minimizing raw material extraction and manufacturing environmental footprint. It goes beyond aesthetics, considering durability, modularity, repairability, and end-of-life disassembly for recycling as key points.- Manufacturing: Manufacturing processes can significantly impact a product’s environmental footprint, contributing to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Consumers deserve transparency throughout the supply chain, and therefore manufacturers should be required to declare both their waste management practices and the carbon footprint generated during the manufacturing stage. A good stock and waste management can even reduce costs to companies, adopting SaaS such as Recovo’s option for textile companies reduces manufacturers’ waste production and optimizes manufacturing processes.- Distribution: Europe relies on imports from various parts of the world which leads to significant carbon emissions associated with transportation. The DPP could play a valuable role in addressing this issue, providing transparency and quantifying the embedded carbon footprint of imported goods.- Circularity: While many consumers have become accustomed to a ‘buy and discard’ mentality, promoting circular practices like repair and reuse through DPP is key to reducing society’s environmental impact. This responsibility lies with consumers and companies, that must provide data about how to extend their products’ lifecycle.Benefits of the Digital Product PassportEU DPP and ESPR are not just taught to safeguard the environment. Companies from all over the world can also benefit from this upcoming regulation. The most important ones are:- Developing new business models: The adoption of this new Digital Product Passport creates and modifies different business models and offers the possibility to grow to those companies whose capabilities adapt better and faster to this new regulation.Circularity creates new opportunities for repairing companies or enriching marketing and sales operations due to customer experiences related to repairing or reusing, among others.- Increase consumer trust: Everything related to companies and product transparency is positive for consumers. Giving extra information to a company’s consumers is positive for them, empowering the reasons why they choose a brand.- Validate green claims: As greenwashing is a trend for some industry that develops non-ethical marketing strategies, DPP is going to validate those circular claims.- Consumer Protection: The information given by DPP will ensure quality and sustainability standards. This information can be used by consumers to validate their quality requirements.- Ensure Compliance: With the newest regulations, the obligation for companies to communicate this information, is going to legitimate and monitor their compliance, and this data will be easily tracked and accessed by authorities.[banner-standard-module title="The Ultimate Guide for Fashion Regulation" buttonTitle="Learn More" description="Discover the current landscape of the European Fashion Regulation related to Circularity and Sustainability." lang="es" backgroundImage="https://store.recovo.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Portadas-Blog-3.jpg" buttonUrl="https://store.recovo.co/assets/the-ultimate-guide-for-fashion-regulation/"]How to adapt to Digital Product Passport1. Adopt the newest circular regulations: Adopting the different requirements that the future regulations will require.2. Evaluate data: Checking the data required for the DPP, their identification, and which ones are actually missing to organize data compilation processes.3. Company organization: Involucrate and align every department involved in the Digital Product Passport, such as production, IT, marketing, etc., and prepare them for future changes.4. Plan for the changes in technology: Communicate, prepare, and verify how our technology can assume DPP’s technological requirements changes.ConclusionsThe newest EU circular regulations are going to land in the next months, so companies must adapt to them. Digital Product Passport is one of the most visible changes that industries such as textiles must adopt to ensure consumers’ knowledge to develop new circular behaviors in society.Companies have ethical and legal obligations to adopt newer ways to develop their operations that drive different ways of producing, manufacturing, and consuming.The circular economy business model is the future of the European Union model and organizations that operate there must transform the way we have been producing during the last years, where mass production was the main objective and sustainability was forgotten.Digital Product Passport and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation landscape is going to land in the next years, aiming for a greener future for European society. DO YOU WANT TO BE UPDATED WITH ALL THE NEWS ABOUT CIRCULARITY IN FASHION? Subscribe to Newsletter

2024-04-11

How To Prepare For The Ecolabel LawOne of the European Commission’s main objectives in dealing with the actual climate emergency that the planet is experiencing is related to transparency. As environmental education and consumer awareness grow, companies have taken advantage of it by communicating green claims or properties from their products or services whose integrity has yet to be demonstrated.This type of practice, also known as Greenwashing is being faced by the EU through different legislations whose objective is to enhance transparency and give information to consumers, and initiatives such as the Ecolabel have arrived to add extra value to environmentally efficient products.What is the Ecolabel?The ecolabel emerged 30 years ago, known as the “Community Eco-label” which tried to influence consumers to greener choices, providing a reliable guide towards environmental care. The former ecolabel has evolved and, nowadays, it is an award to products and services which have a lower environmental impact than their competence consumed in the EU market. we can find a wide range of products under these regulations:- Cleaning products- Clothes and textiles- Coverings- Do-it-yourself materials- Electronic equipment- Furniture and mattresses- Gardening- Vacation accommodation- Lubricants- Paper- Personal and animal care productsAll the products included in this list have the most environmental performance over the whole life cycle, and just 10-20% of the total products available on the European market fit its requirements.Every sector has its special requirements and solutions to reduce its climate footprint and achieve the European Ecolabel. For example, the textile industry can bet on more innovative materials which reduces the industry climate impact, or can resort to deadstock fabrics marketplaces.EU Ecolabel criteriaThere is not just one single list of requirements that covers all the product categories included on the Ecolabel. Every category has its characteristics and climate impact, so its requirements are adapted to them.Even if it is not possible to define a unique list of requirements, the criteria for them are common for all the products, following ethical and circular economy motivations, all of them devised using scientific data on the whole of a product’s life cycle, from product development to disposal. They cover environmental and climate impact, health, safety, social, and ethical aspects and promote durability, recyclability, and recycled materials used on them.The regulation for the textile industryThe textile industry become one the principles polluting reasons of the world, so promoting environmentally respectful practices on it is very important to reduce its climate footprint. The European Ecolabel has defined two separate directives, one that covers textile products and another one that covers footwear, whose validity will be from the 31st of December of 2025. That means that textile industry companies have almost 2 years to prepare and adopt circular economy solutions to achieve the Ecolabel for their products.For the textile industry, the European Ecolabel guarantees:- Natural-origin raw materials are sustainably managed- Reduced pollution in production processes- Minimised use of hazardous substances- Tested for durabilityOn the other hand, the requirements for them are related with:- Manufacturing   - Materials used during the production process   - Water consumption and emissions   - Hazardous substances   - Corporate social responsibility   - Components and accessories   - How energy-efficient is the production process- Usability   - Packaging   - User information   - Durability   - Fitness for use[banner-standard-module title="The Ultimate Guide for Fashion Regulation" buttonTitle="Learn More" description="Discover the current landscape of the European Fashion Regulation related to Circularity and Sustainability." lang="es" backgroundImage="https://store.recovo.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Portadas-Blog-3.jpg" buttonUrl="https://store.recovo.co/assets/the-ultimate-guide-for-fashion-regulation/"] How Recovo can help you with Ecolabel To ensure transparency and obtain for the ecolabel or to communicate to your consumers, data is essential. The data must contain information about the different parts that involve the whole product lifecycle, it is more than its composition. At Recovo, we consider it, so we add information about fabric composition and other information related to its impact on the environment and traceability, such as water, CO2, and chemical emissions in every order at Recovo’s deadstock fabrics marketplace. This information is not only useful for the ecolabel but also for the Digital Product Passport, which will also be introduced in 2025. This valuable extra information aims to materialize what we are achieving for the environment, adding realistic data about how this type of service can reduce the textile industry’s climate footprint personalized for any order. Another Recovo service for the circular economy is the software to manage warehouse stocks to reduce waste and production costs CiMS. Reducing overconsumption is one of the easiest ways for companies to reduce their waste and production costs, reducing raw material extraction and manufacturing environmental emissions.

2024-04-11

What Is Extended Producer Responsibility And How Does It Affect Textile And Fashion Brands?Nowadays, due to climate change and the environmental awareness that our society is facing, authorities and governments around the world have started their shift to other business models that involve a circular economy. The Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, is one of the most important regulations that the European Commission is going to implement by the end of 2024.What is the EU Extended Producer Responsibility?“The Extended Producer Responsibility, or EPR, is an environmental policy approach in which a product’s responsibility for a product is extended to the post-consumer stage of a lifecycle.”OECD (ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT)This policy was made by the European Commission in 2023, and the first taxes will be introduced by the end of 2024. Its motivation is related to encouraging companies to elevate their waste recycling levels and to promote innovation and research for sustainable solutions. Some of them, avoid these waste management methods because of their costs, so EPR will incentive them to recycle or reuse.This new regulation affects especially how companies will collect and recycle packaging.The EPR is characterised by:- Shifting responsibility towards producers when designing their products, both physically or economically, and fully or partially.- Provisioning of incentives to producers to take into account environmental considerations when designing their products.EPR for textiles in EuropeThe textile and fashion industries are one of the most important and polluting industries in the world. As Recovo’s circularity report for the fashion industry introduced, 43% of the Spanish fashion brands recycle their textile waste, for example. This situation created dumps in the middle of the environment of countries that are not prepared to manage them, such as the Atacama desert textile dump increasing the industry’s footprint, which is already one of the biggest in the world, so the Extended Producers Regulation forces companies to reduce it.The EPR defines clearly what is and what is not textile waste, which should prevent waste from being exported under the pretext of reusing. Other regulation under this landscape involves how and where the non-reusable waste is exported. This will only be allowed if it is guaranteed correct and green environmental management, so it will be important for brands to implement circular solutions such as recycling services for textile waste or selling their deadstock fabrics, within others.Currently, some European countries are applying or starting to apply this policy:EPR in FranceFrance has EPR systems for textiles running in the industry. French manufacturers are responsible for the recycling and final disposal of their products.EPR in the NetherlandsThe Netherlands introduced Extended Producers’ Responsibility in 2023. Manufacturers, importers, and even online fashion shops are responsible for financing, collecting, and recycling or reusing clothing and household textile waste.EPR in ItalyThe Italian government presented a project law in 2023 which established the design, production, elimination, and recycling of textile waste. The system proposed makes producers responsible for assuming the costs for waste separate collection.The designing process also is in this project law, requiring manufacturers to design products that can be reused, repaired, or recycled in the future.EPR in SwedenSweden has also defined a project law related to the EPR, which is going to be implemented in 2024, and some of the Swedish biggest fashion brands, such as H&M, have already created textile collection systems for recycling them.[banner-standard-module title="The Ultimate Guide for Fashion Regulation" buttonTitle="Learn More" description="Discover the current landscape of the European Fashion Regulation related to Circularity and Sustainability." lang="es" backgroundImage="https://store.recovo.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Portadas-Blog-3.jpg" buttonUrl="https://store.recovo.co/assets/the-ultimate-guide-for-fashion-regulation/"]EPR’s objectivesSeparate CollectionOne of the biggest challenges for EPR is the optimization of the separate collection methods. It is important to make it effortless to motivate companies to separate their waste. This is the starting point for other circular economy techniques such as reusing, recycling, or upcycling, among others.Another challenge for a correct separate collection method is to measure it properly. The Extended Producer Responsibility requires a lot of data to understand how the textile industry’s efforts are to reduce its climate footprint and to define future rates to achieve for the sector. Companies must collect data about how are they separating their waste to define the next steps for this waste, how it be treated in the future, and to incentivize or penalize companies depending on their compliance.Reuse and RecycleThis objective is related to the Waste Framework Directive. The EPR framework will provide objectives for reusing and recycling textile waste by the end of 2024. Waste management is one of the most important goals for our society, especially for industries such as textile, where zero waste manufacturing is now the target of many authorities and organizations as one of the most important goals for reducing the huge fashion industry climate footprint.Repair and remanufactureGuarantee to repair and remanufacturing is one of the most important objectives to achieve a circular economy, so the EPR introduces its costs into it to develop its taxes to incentivize good practices, always prioritizing textile-to-textile recycling.ConclusionsEPR is one of the policies or directives that are going to change European textile production and consumption forever. Brands all around the content must be prepared to comply with them and begin the introduce circular solutions into their processes, not only because the law is demanding it, but also because the environment and the society are also demanding.The textile and fashion industry is the most important focus for this type of regulation, and we have already seen how many of the biggest brands in the market are introducing new collections or other circular services to comply with this new European Regulation. 2024 and 2025 will be one of the most important years for circularity when the Extended Producers Responsibility is going to be implemented, so the industry must prepare for everything that is coming.

2024-04-11

What Is Zero Waste Manufacturing?Manufacturing processes generate tons of waste annually, which normally are not managed properly. Developing sustainable business models based on circularity and zero waste manufacturing must be one of the most important sustainable objectives for all industries.Zero waste manufacturing is closely related to the different circular economy solutions that the fashion industry is aiming for reducing its huge amount of waste produced as one of the biggest polluting industries.Definition of zero waste manufacturingOne of the best ways to manage waste is by adopting zero waste policies in your business model. If a company does not generate any type of waste, less effort and resources are needed to manage them. But for the best part of manufacturers, it is not possible to avoid waste production. Using circular solutions such as Recovo’s deadstock fabrics marketplace are some of the solutions to become zero waste.According to Zero Waste International Alliance (ZWIA), zero waste follows the next definition:“The conservation of all resources by means of responsible production, consumption, reuse, and recovery of products, packaging, and materials without burning and with no discharges to land, water, or air that threaten the environment or human health.”ZERO WASTE INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE, 2020How to reduce manufacturing waste?There are several ways to reduce manufacturing waste, most of them related to how the materials are treated and how efficient the production process is. Depending on the industry, there will be different ways to optimize those processes to reduce waste production or be more responsible about them.Zero Waste through machinery optimizationNowadays, most of the manufacturing processes come from machinery, and so manufacturing waste also. Automatization and on-demand machinery have been some of the most successful advances for zero waste manufacturing, designing them according to product characteristics and making them more efficient.Zero Waste through process changesThis is one of the cheapest ways to reduce waste production. Acquiring the most advanced and personalized machinery could be unachievable for some companies because of their high cost. However, some processes can be modified to reduce considerably the waste produced by a company. For example, a good stock management system such as Recovo’s SaaS for fashion companies makes them reduce their raw material consumption, reuse other deadstock, and minimize product inventory.Zero Waste through the choice of materialsScience is constantly discovering new sustainable materials that can be used by several industries derived from recycled or bio-based materials, for example. Exploring different ways to build products excluding plastics and other petrol-based materials is one of the most important points that governments are focusing their attention on. New legislation that promotes sustainable materials and society’s increasing demand for more sustainable products, zero waste manufacturing is also a purchase reason for a growing part of society.Zero Waste through ManufacturingFor some industries, reducing their waste production by changing manufacturing processes is one of the most difficult ways to completely cut their waste production.Some of the most common ways to change manufacturing processes to reduce waste production are reusing, recycling, recovering, or repurposing the products and materials involved in manufacturing processes.[banner-standard-module title="The Ultimate Guide for Fashion Regulation" buttonTitle="Learn More" description="Discover the current landscape of the European Fashion Regulation related to Circularity and Sustainability." lang="es" backgroundImage="https://store.recovo.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Portadas-Blog-3.jpg" buttonUrl="https://store.recovo.co/assets/the-ultimate-guide-for-fashion-regulation/"]Zero Waste FashionAs fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world, zero waste manufacturing policies and practices, such as Recovo’s recycling service, must be adopted by companies and transform this industry into a more sustainable one. Zero waste manufacturing lands into the fashion world as zero waste fashion, which is defined by the use of sustainable materials, methods of manimal fabric cutting, upcycling existing garments, and incorporating recycled materials into manufacturing processes.RecyclingEveryone knows what is recycling and most of the population is trying to do it at their own homes. These techniques are also transferable to industry, where old products or deadstock materials can be transformed into new ones. The textile industry technology has been working into new ways to recycle textile material. Recycled and recyclable content is more affordable and accessible nowadays, which encourages new collections launched by some of the most popular brands in the world. You can discover many recycled and recyclable fabrics at Recovo’s online store.UpcyclingUpcycling for Recovo involves a good stock management. It is important to define good practices relative to stocks, before adquiring or producing new ones, use the ones you own. This practice enlarges materials’ lifecycle which can also reduce production costs for brands. Recovo’s upcycling software manages internal deadstock fabrics and other textile materials, optimizing processes that help companies make smarter decisions related to their stock management, production, and purchasing, reducing waste by reusing companies’ owned fabrics and yarns.Slow FashionIn this society where everything must be fast, fashion has been dominated by brands that offer trendy apparel at low prices, bad qualities, and pretend to be easily old-fashioned.This business model generates enormous quantities of waste and it is important to turn to slower fashion models where garments are produced to be durable over time, increasing qualities and designing clothes with a more minimal style.Vintage FashionSecondhand fashion markets are trendy. You can find many stores where it is possible to buy used clothes at very low prices. Nowadays, we have seen how mobile apps have landed on the vintage fashion market, popularing vintage clothes, where individuals can sell their old apparel and buy old clothes from other users.RepurposingTextile waste is not only usable for the fashion industry, it can also be used for consumers who transform their old apparel into newer ones.ConclusionsThe important climate urgency our planet is currently facing is forcing society to change some of the bad habits that we have been doing for years. Over-production and waste management are some of the biggest problems that we must focus on to develop more sustainable consumption habits that respect the environment.Zero waste manufacturing in fashion is one of the bases of that circular economy that many governmental organizations are trying to achieve for its sustainable benefits, which also achieve high levels of performance and big revenues for companies adopting circular practices to their business model. DO YOU WANT TO BE UPDATED WITH ALL THE NEWS ABOUT CIRCULARITY IN FASHION? Subscribe to Newsletter

2024-04-11

How Does Blockchain Help To The Circular Economy?One of the most popular topics in recent years has been blockchain technology. Blockchain has influenced several industries and also promoted other innovations such as cryptocurrency or the Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs).What is the Blockchain?Blockchain definitionBlockchain is a technology that enables the secure sharing of information. Data is stored in a database. Transactions are recorded in an account book called a ledger. A blockchain is a type of distributed database or ledger—one of today’s top tech trends—which means the power to update a blockchain is distributed between the nodes, or participants, of a public or private computer network. This is known as distributed ledger technology, or DLT. Nodes are incentivized with digital tokens or currency to make updates to blockchains.MCKINSEY & COMPANY, 2022Blockchain characteristics- Decentralization: Networks created with this technology are distributed among all its participants. This means thatno participant could hack these networks.- Integrity: Blockchain networks’ participants have the right to make decisions, due to its P2P, or peer-to-peer, nature.- Cryptography: One of the most important characteristics of this is its high level of security and authenticity to the user.- Security: As a distributed network, no person can damage the entire chain. The damage because of any user hack of the password is limited to this single user.- Inclusive: Anyone can participate as an independent without any discrimination in the global economy.- Privacy: Its strong cryptography ensures users’ privacy, and it will never be revealed in a transaction using the blockchain P2P network.Blockchain applications- Cryptocurrency: Its best-known application due to Bitcoin, among others. They do not depend on other entities, as current banks do, so cryptocurrency decentralizes and secures financial transactions.- Smart contracts: These types of contracts are integrated into this networks and are executed automatically when different accorded conditions are met.- Supply chain: Blockchain upgrades traceability, transparency, and efficiency of the data collected, and optimization. It localizes every data in a small amount of time, simplifying many procedures from the supply chain.- Online voting: Its objective is to upgrade the security, transparency, and confidence of the electoral procedures because the blockchain cannot be modified.- Identity management: Every information collected with blockchain will be on it, so it does not matter the platform, the user will get more control over his information.Blockchain and circular economyAs this article about circular economy shows, one of the most important targets is to reduce waste production and pollution, giving new life to old materials to minimize their environmental footprint. Traceability is very important for the circular economy, so the blockchain can be used to track materials through their supply chain to reuse, upcycle, or recycle them according to their condition. Data is where the circular economy and this new technology meet. There are no industries, including the textile and fashion industry, that do not require data to increase their performance and reduce their impact on the environment, so blockchain and other technologies that collect, store, and secure protecting users’ privacy, are going to be on the focus for many years to come.However, there are several future challenges to implementing blockchain systems properly in supply chains. This technology creates networks and, to create a valuable network, companies need to collaborate among them. The fashion industry is one of the most agnostic industries to develop these systems of open data. DO YOU WANT TO BE UPDATED WITH ALL THE NEWS ABOUT CIRCULARITY IN FASHION? Subscribe to Newsletter [banner-standard-module title="The Ultimate Guide for Fashion Regulation" buttonTitle="Learn More" description="Discover the current landscape of the European Fashion Regulation related to Circularity and Sustainability." lang="es" backgroundImage="https://store.recovo.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Portadas-Blog-3.jpg" buttonUrl="https://store.recovo.co/assets/the-ultimate-guide-for-fashion-regulation/"]How can companies take advantage of blockchain technology?It is possible to guess which advantages will interest businesses in blockchain technology. Transparency and security lead to the most attractive benefits this technology uses for companies but, there is more to know about it.This technology will also save time and cost for those companies that will introduce it into their processes. Digitalization and automatization are also involved in this technology. One example would be that transaction time can be reduced from 10 days to just 4 hours.Another advantage of blockchain technology is related to trust. As it is not centralized, transactions made between different parts will not depend on one, both will have the same power in the transaction.It is also important to tell that, as blockchain technology has recently landed, the innovation on it opens a huge number of opportunities for companies to take advantage of it. Be aware of the latest news about this technology and be able to implement it before your competitors can make a difference in the market.ConclusionsThe future of our society is every day more oriented to circularity and better coexistence with the environment, so the circular economy is embracing new technologies to make this transition to a more sustainable business models more effective and profitable. During the last few years, one of the most popular technologies has been the blockchain, and circularity has taken advantage of their characteristics and applications to reduce waste and societies’ climate footprint.Discover more about how blockchain technology is helping the circular economy in this former Recovo Asset.

2024-04-11

What Is Water Depletion? Why Should Fashion And Textile Companies Be Aware Of It?Our planet is facing a climate crisis due to a non-sustainable human impact on it. Our climate footprint has modified the environment completely, generating several issues that are hurting and damaging our planet and those who are living on it.Water depletion and raw materials scarcity is one of the most impacting activities that humans are creating. Obtaining water, wood, food, fossil fuels, and many more resources to feed human industries is destroying and polluting the natural environment.Water depletionThe water depletion is currently affecting non-desertic areas of our planet. We normally connect this problem to the Sahara desert, among others, but nowadays, water scarcity is affecting also other areas such as the South of Europe. According to the EEA (European Environment Agency) and its WEI+ index, which compares water use against renewable resources in a country, in 2019, the first 7 countries that lead their WEI+ index were located in the South of Europe, overcoming >40%.2019 Water scarcity conditions for European countries measured in WEI+, EEASome of the most important reasons for the water scarcity are:- Pollution: There are many different causes of pollution that increase water depletion. Some of the most important ones are the pesticides and the fertilizers used in farming or the non-treated industrial waste. These toxic substances make fresh water toxic, filling it with bacteria that damage ecosystems.- Agriculture: Agriculture is currently using 70% of the world’s fresh water and, most of them, could be saved by optimizing irrigation systems. Most of the food producers’ countries are being affected by global warming, which reduces rain and their rivers, lakes, or lagoons are drying, so investing in better systems of irrigation will be a must for them in the future.- Population Growth: During the last 50 years, the human population has increased by more than 50%, accompanied by economic and industrial development, aggravating the human footprint in freshwater ecosystems. Water depletion in the fashion and textile industryWater is needed in different production chains of textile products. According to the European Union data, a single t-shirt production requires 2.700 liters of water, which equals what a human drinks for more than 2 years. This huge amount of water that the textile industry requires for just 1 garment, multiplied by the overconsumption demand that the market is asking for and other industries’ water consumption has produced a situation where several countries are limiting water access to companies and individuals.The textile industry is, by far, one of the biggest water-demanding industries in the world. Reports from 2020 assume that the fashion industry is the third largest source of water depletion, just before the food industry and recreation and culture. One of the biggest issues that the industry faces is water pollution. Plastic-based materials, such as Polyester, can discharge up to 700.000 microplastic fibers that end up into the water. If this water is not correctly treated, this polluted water arrives in animals and, finally, into the human food chain.The future of the textile industry involves circularity to preserve our water ecosystems and reduce its climate footprint. Solutions such as deadstock marketplaces or recycled and recyclable fabrics will grow in the following years. According to 2023 Recovo’s Circularity Report for the Fashion Industry in Spain, more than 50% of the Spanish fashion brands’ objectives for 2024 is increasing their use of recycled fabrics in their collections. Incorporating these types of materials into a brand’s supply chain saves several liters of water from production and manufacturing by the usage of leftover fabrics, reducing the industry’s water consumption and its climate footprint.[banner-standard-module title="The Ultimate Guide for Fashion Regulation" buttonTitle="Learn More" description="Discover the current landscape of the European Fashion Regulation related to Circularity and Sustainability." lang="es" backgroundImage="https://store.recovo.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Portadas-Blog-3.jpg" buttonUrl="https://store.recovo.co/assets/the-ultimate-guide-for-fashion-regulation/"]How can circularity reduce the textile industry's water consumption?- Promoting recycled materials: Producing and manufacturing fibers, fabrics, and other textile-related materials is, by far, the most water-demanding for the industry. Recycled and recyclable quality have increased during the last years, making them even more attractive than other traditional and non-circular fabrics.- Improving stock management: Textile waste is one of the biggest environmental threats that the fashion industry produces. Improving internal stock management and reusing existing leftover fabrics with solutions such as Recovo’s CiMS will reduce a company’s textile waste and consumption, reducing its production costs and environmental impact.- Use of organic plant-based fiber fabrics: Synthetic and plastic-based fibers pollute water while producing and even washing them, diluting microplastics into water. Avoiding them and choosing plant-based alternatives is going to make the garments eco-friendlier reducing this microplastic production.- Improving production processes: Technology has provided new methodologies and machinery that reduce its impact, increasing its efficiency and resource utilization. Fast fashion and other low-price fashion alternatives often choose some of the cheapest manufacturing solutions, which are normally less efficient and demanding than other alternatives.- Educating consumers: Consumers have one of the important responsibilities to change the fashion industry, so circularity brands must promote and educate their consumers to acquire circular behaviors such as valuing sustainable alternatives, to reducing consumption, among others.ConclusionsWater is probably the most important resource for humanity, what makes us evolve and appear on this planet, but the last industrial revolutions have boosted non-sustainable practices that polluted this precious resource and its environment. We have seen how lagoons are drying or even disappearing and how humans and their manufacturing waste have polluted some of the biggest rivers in the world at the same time when global temperatures are increasing and rains-days are reducing all around the world.We are facing one of the most water-demanding decades of the entire humanity, so taking care of this resource is one of our priorities for us. Fortunately, society’s increasing commitment to the environment has motivated new solutions, behaviors, and even technological improvements with the main objective is to saving water and preserving its sources.

2024-04-11

What Is Greenwashing?As society’s preferences have been modified by climate emergency, some brands are involving claims related to circularity and sustainability to collect and engage their potential consumers.It is a good practice to use green claims as a value proposition, communicating good environmental practices to consumers. However, in some cases, the brands are not as green as they communicate, misleading or making false statements about their environmental credentials.Definition of GreenwashingGreenwashing is the act of making false or misleading statements about the environmental benefits of a product or practice. It can be a way for companies to continue or expand their polluting as well as related harmful behaviors, all while gaming the system or profiting off well-intentioned, sustainably-minded consumers.NATURAL RESOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL (NRDC), 2023Why is it important to fight against it?There is no doubt that climate change is due to human activities, such as overconsuming or bad manufacturing habits. Reducing human activities’ carbon footprint is a worldwide emergency, and the first step to change it is communication and education.The whole society must be aware of the real problem we are facing and would have to be educated about good practices, especially in industries such as fashion, some of the most polluting of the world. The extraction of raw materials instead of repairing, reusing, or upcycling them are some of the main problems that manufacturers have. Deadstock fabric marketplaces or softwares to improve stock management to reduce waste, are some of the best solutions that the textile industry must adopt to change that solution.Greenwashing confuses consumers and modifies their purchasing decisions, making them choose brands whose activities are not aligned with their environmental values, undermining real efforts to reduce emissions.[banner-standard-module title="The Ultimate Guide for Fashion Regulation" buttonTitle="Learn More" description="Discover the current landscape of the European Fashion Regulation related to Circularity and Sustainability." lang="es" backgroundImage="https://store.recovo.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Portadas-Blog-3.jpg" buttonUrl="https://store.recovo.co/assets/the-ultimate-guide-for-fashion-regulation/"]EU Greenwashing RegulationsFebruary 2024, the president of the European Union and the president of the European Council have signed the new directive to enhance the former Unfair Commercial Practices (UCPD) and the Consumer Rights Directive (CRD). This directive includes the following:- Consumers would have to be informed about more durable, reparable, durability, and their Environmental and social impact, adding this information to the list of product characteristics (UCPD).- Comparison methods of comparing the sustainability of products would be required.- New commercial practices would be added to the list of commercial practices banned in all circumstances:    - Displaying a sustainability label not based on a certification scheme or not established by public authorities.- Generic environmental claims.- Presenting requirements imposed by law on all products as a distinctive feature of a trader’s offer.- Omitting information to the consumer about features of a product that limits its durability.- False claims about a product’s durability.- False claims about a product’s repairability.- Persuading consumers to replace a product earlier than necessary for technical reasons.- Consumers would have to be informed about longer legal guarantees (2 years) when buying products. Consumers would also have to be informed about the repairability score if this repairability score is already established for the product under EU law, or information about the availability of spare parts and user and repair manual if the producer has made such information available.What can brands and fashion do to fight against GreenwashingIn today’s crowded marketplace, where consumers are bombarded with information, brands must stand out with authenticity. Greenwashing tactics can backfire, confusing customers and eroding trust. To combat this, fashion companies should prioritize transparency throughout their supply chain.Here are some key actions brands can take:- Educate yourselves: Stay up-to-date on the latest greenwashing tactics used by others, identifying them, avoiding misleading claims in your own marketing efforts, and trying to educate their consumers about this issue.- Focus on circularity and sustainability: Integrate circularity practices into your core operations. Don’t rely solely on marketing messages to portray an eco-friendly image. Certifications like Bluesign or other kinds of information generate transparency and confidence in your consumers and demonstrate your commitment to the environment.- Promote life cycle assessment: Consider the environmental impact of your products throughout their entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to disposal. Explore ecodesign to extend product lifespans. You can learn more about ecodesign in our asset about the EU regulation Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation.- Embrace transparency: Communicate your sustainability efforts and goals. Partner with credible third-party organizations for verification and suppliers such as Recovo, which brings you information about the real impact of the products you are acquiring. Due to the newest regulations and consumer awareness, transparency is no longer optional; it’s essential for building trust and brand loyalty.ConclusionsAs circular promotion and circularity play an important role in the companies’ marketing strategies, some companies did some bad practices and started to communicate data and information that did not adjust to what their environmental impact effort really is, taking advantage of this growing circular consumer awareness that society is developing.As organizations commit to reducing their carbon footprint and authorities regulations to avoid these practices, it is important to fight and detect those greenwashing tactics and educate our consumers to detect and avoid them. DO YOU WANT TO BE UPDATED WITH ALL THE NEWS ABOUT CIRCULARITY IN FASHION? Subscribe to Newsletter

2024-04-11

EU’s Textile Legislation Landscape Guide For 2024In 2015, United Nations member states defined the 17 climate objectives for Sustainable Development, the famous 2030 Agenda. These compromises are becoming a reality through some regulations from different authorities such as the European Commission, that promote circular economy as the solution for developing new business models that are more sustainable for our planet and society.The textile industry is also into this change as one of the most polluting industries in the world. This article will sum up the different regulations that the EU will launch in the textile industry landscape.EU regulations stateEuropean Commission is making efforts to adopt a circular economy and it is visible through their latest regulations. Several regulations related to these objectives in different stages cover different stages of the lifecycle of products. We can resume them in the following table:How to adapt to EU’s regulationsAs we have seen, the UE is developing a lot of legislation related to the new circular economy landscape that aims to achieve due to the United Nation’s SDG, trying to change how European society produces and consumes. Some of them are currently approved or in implementation, such as the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), the EU Taxonomy for Sustainable Activities, or the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR).Companies must be ready to adapt their operations to comply with this new legislation if they want to survive and grow. Nowadays, it is possible to find different complying solutions, such as Recovo’s CiMS software, which digitalizes warehouse management, or other recycling solutions for companies’ waste that cannot be reused.Another aspect that companies must focus on if they want to use these changes as an opportunity is related to marketing and communication. It is a fact that society is more conscious about its climate footprint and both existing and new businesses use this type of good practices as a competitive advantage. As every landscape changes, new opportunities come up.[banner-standard-module title="The Ultimate Guide for Fashion Regulation" buttonTitle="Learn More" description="Discover the current landscape of the European Fashion Regulation related to Circularity and Sustainability." lang="es" backgroundImage="https://store.recovo.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Portadas-Blog-3.jpg" buttonUrl="https://store.recovo.co/assets/the-ultimate-guide-for-fashion-regulation/"]EU’s regulations objectivesTransparencyOne of the most important objectives that the newest regulations focus on is transparency. Greenwashing practices have been common during the last years to take advantage of society’s climate consciousness.The European Commission will control and ban Green Claims practices, both on environmental and human rights claims, introducing regulations such as the Substantiating Green Claims directive which requires to companies more information about their real sustainable effortsIn the textile sector, information about the garment’s fiber composition, care instructions, and origin country must be provided on their labels (Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011), verifying compliance with environmental and ethical EU standards.One of the easiest solutions for complying with transparency requirements is deadstock fabrics marketplaces such as Recovo’s, which provides information about the fabrics’ origin and labels water CO2 emissions and chemicals saved due to this type of service.Product and services practicesTo extend the lifespan of materials and promote a circular economy. This will ensure that products can be repaired, reused, and upcycled by both businesses and consumers. Right to Repair legislation aims to force brands to ensure repairing options to their consumers and other solutions that enlarge the product’s lifecycle.Shifting consumer behaviourThis emerging landscape fosters a shift towards circular choices by making sustainable products more attractive options for consumers.Empowering through informationAs information is one of humanity’s most powerful tools, these new regulations empower brands and consumers by providing clear certifications and robust guidelines to validate green claims and identify non-compliant practices.Brand reputation influenceWhile non-compliant brands risk reputational damage and operational challenges due to lost consumer trust, environmentally responsible brands stand to gain market share as consumers increasingly favor carbon-neutral options.ConclusionsEuropean regulations are changing following the European Commission’s aim to turn to a circular economy. We have seen how new regulations related to the environment and an ethical society are becoming a reality and also how consumers are changing their behavior, valuing brands whose principles are aligned with the circular economy.This new paradigm shift will create new opportunities for many brands and can also sink others whose practices are not responsible for our environment. It is very important to be aware of when regulations are going to be implemented and how this regulations landscape is evolving during the next years.

2024-01-24

How To Apply Eco-Design Techniques To Your CollectionsTo create a sustainable collection, it is very important to take eco-design into account. Ecodesign allows you to plan a series of strategies, from product conceptualization to end-of-life, to create environmentally conscious pieces. In this article we explain everything you need to know about ecodesign and what techniques you can use to achieve your sustainability goals.What is ecodesign?Ecodesign is a set of strategies whose main objective is to help prevent, reduce and/or minimize the environmental impact of a product. These strategies focus on different levels within the development cycle of a product, which are conceptualization, manufacturing, use and end-of-life.Why is eco-design important?Ecodesign has many advantages. The most important, perhaps, is that it allows you to reduce the ecological footprint of your production. But beyond the environmental benefits, ecodesign will help you comply with current and future legislation, respond to the growing demand for sustainable products, and at the same time make your brand more innovative, more competitive and better perceived.Eco-design techniques1. Planning is vital; optimize the supply chain in advance.The product ideation stage is very important. Here, you will have to reflect on the amount of resources consumed by the production system and the characteristics of the garments in question. You will have to decide on the key actions that will allow you to dematerialize (reduce the amount of materials needed to produce your collection and thus reduce the consumption of natural resources), the composition and durability of the garments (using quality materials that do not deteriorate will prolong the life of the product and reduce the need for overproduction).2. Use reduced impact materialsEnsure that the composition of your garments is optimal. Reuse and recycle materials as much as possible, and in the event that a new production is necessary, opt for non-synthetic fabrics, free of hazardous substances (think carefully about the type of dyes you will use) and avoid producing different materials. Above all, when it comes to manufacturing, the best option lies in the materials of the future, which are innovative and manufactured differently from the traditional way to reduce the carbon footprint of the products and the ecological footprint of the end consumer.3. Optimize the production chainAlready in the manufacturing phase of the product life cycle, think about how to reduce the impact of its associated processes. Reduce the number of production steps, use cleaner production techniques, minimize water and energy consumption and/or use renewable energies, and reduce the amount of waste or encourage internal waste recycling.4. Optimize distributionOnce you have your collection done, it’s time to think about the impact of packaging and transportation. Minimize the amount of packaging in mass or volume, use reusable or lower impact packaging, optimize the volume of production to reduce the number of transports and opt for efficient, low-impact vehicles/fuels.5. Reduce impact in useIn the product use phase, aim to reduce the impact produced by the use or maintenance of the product. This consists of minimizing the need for maintenance: reducing the resources and number of operations needed to maintain the product, that it can be maintained with low impact products, and that it requires the minimum of energy/water consumption in use.6. Optimize the lifetime of your collectionIncrease the useful life of your garments to reduce overproduction of materials. We have talked about producing with quality materials, but it is also important to consider repairability and availability of spare parts. Reduce waste, minimize expenses and speed up the fashion production process, accesing real-time data on your internal stock with the Upcycling Saas by Recovo.7. End-of-life optimizationInevitably, there will come a point in time when a garment will cease to have value or be used. This is where strategies to reduce the impact of product waste management come in. The most important, undoubtedly, is to follow a circular economy model so that the closing of one garment cycle is the beginning of the cycle for another. Therefore, it is necessary to plan how, once the useful life of a material is over, it can be reused or recycled to create another product without wasting resources. It is also necessary to think about the ease of disassembly and separation of materials to facilitate correct final management and increase their recyclability. If your company has surplus materials like textiles, yarns or trimmings, clear some space and earn money by selling it to other brands with Recovo.[banner-standard-module title="The Ultimate Guide for Fashion Regulation" buttonTitle="Learn More" description="Discover the current landscape of the European Fashion Regulation related to Circularity and Sustainability." lang="es" backgroundImage="https://store.recovo.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Portadas-Blog-3.jpg" buttonUrl="https://store.recovo.co/assets/the-ultimate-guide-for-fashion-regulation/"]Reuse, the key strategy in ecodesignWe have seen that, before starting to produce, you should think about reuse as one of the best tools of ecodesign when selecting materials and extending their useful life. From Recovo we help you to make your collection reusing excess fabrics from big and small brands so you can make sustainable garments with low environmental impact. In our catalog you can find all kinds of fabrics and even materials of the future so you can contribute to a circular fashion model. DO YOU WANT TO BE UPDATED WITH ALL THE NEWS ABOUT CIRCULARITY IN FASHION? Subscribe to Newsletter