Circular strategies for textile entrepreneur

Seen all of the above in this and other chapters, we can list some circular strategies that a fashion entrepreneur could implement in his/her business:

Design strategies

• design for product durability
• design for standardization and compatibility
• Designs for easy maintenance and repair
• design to increase upgradability and adaptability
• design for disassembly and reassembly
• Design for privacy, trust and customer loyalty

Sourcing Strategies

• introduce economic and environmental costs in contracting
• using the concept of total cost of ownership instead of lowest price only requires an integrated approach to acquisition, maintenance and disposal budgets
• develop a circular sourcing strategy
• find suppliers that deliver products or services as a circular concept

Manufacturing Strategies

• minimize the impact of production on the environment
• look for resources from waste inside and outside the supply chain that can serve as raw material, fuel or energy within the production process
• carry out product life cycle assessments to determine their most important impacts on the supply chain seek to cooperate in those parts of the chain where the impacts are greatest

Waste collection strategies

• analyze the waste streams in the company as well as the supply chain
• collaborate with waste and resource contractors as well as local governments

Also, the above strategies lead us to 3 main new business models that can be found in the circular economy (Value Hill Model), each one focusing on a different phase of the value chain:

–          Circular design models, focusing on the design and manufacturing phase, and where you seek to optimize circularity with the design of clothes with the aim of long-term value retention

–          Value recovery models, focusing on the after-life phase and where you seek to maximize the recovery and recycling of products and materials to reduce waste. It is aimed at capturing value after the user life.

–          Optimal use models, focusing on the use phase and where you seek to increase the use value of the product. This model supports a better usage of the product.

These three circular support models focus on the management and coordination of circular value networks and resource flows and optimization of incentives.