What is a Circular Economy? How can you help?
As a fashion girlie it is very easy to get caught in the fast fashion whirlwind of trends. The presence of social media and celebrity influence will have a package of the hottest new thing at our door everyday. While sustainability and conscious efforts have become more of a conversation there is so much work to be done.
What is a circular economy?
A circular economy is a model of production and consumption that aims to keep materials in circulation and regenerate nature. It does this by extending the life cycle of products and materials through processes like reuse, recycling, and remanufacturing. The goal is to minimize waste and pollution, and to use resources efficiently and sustainably.
What does this actually look like?
Many brands are starting to implement new processes for their products to fit within the circular economy framework. An example and one of my favorite designers Eileen Fisher. This name may ring a bell for a number of reason, you can find her brand not only online, at fine retailers but also your neighborhood Homegood/TJ Maxx. I own many EF pieces, particularly blazers(pictured below) They have lasted me years and have many years left in them. In case I felt they didn't, the Eileen Fisher organization has implemented a policy for you to return items to them so their factory may remanufacture the items. This in turn would preserve the life of the raw material and prevent it from showing up in a landfill. While every designer hasn’t implemented this more companies are placing their focus to create circular economy friendly practices.
How can you help?
-Stay educated on the new ways companies are participating
-Shop with those that have thoughtfully implemented CEP
-Buy what you love, need and will continue to use
The way Rome wasn’t built in a day is the same way we will not solve our earth preserving challenges overnight. The idea is to become more thoughtful each day. Reading this article is a great start especially if this is your introduction into the circular economy concept. We can all do a small part to make big changes!
Comments