27 - 04 -2023 | Using Purchasing Power to Unlock Circular Workwear
Date: 27th of April 2023
Time: 11.00 - 12.00 CEST
Audience: Open to public and private organisations that procure professional clothing.
Registration: Please register here
Over the last five months, Business in the Community, as part of the Interreg ProCirc Project, has been convening a group of procurers to create a Joint Statement of Demand (JSD) for Circular Professional Clothing.
A JSD presents a shared set of commitments relating to the procurement process, along with a set of circular asks relating to the product or service that is being bought, which will be included in future tenders. By agreeing on these commitments and asks, signatory organisations can use their collective purchasing power to drive innovation and accelerate a shift to a sustainable future. By becoming a signatory to the JSD you can help to increase the impact of the project, as well as be able to use the JSD as a framework for your circular furniture procurement.
Following the launch of the Joint Statements of Demand, we invite you to join Using Purchasing Power to Unlock Circular Workwear on 27th April to find out more about the project and how you can get involved.
Why Join?
- Learn about significant environmental impacts of professional clothing.
- Hear about the challenges of and opportunities for procuring circular clothing.
- Understand the Joint Statement of Demands and their commitments and asks.
- Find out how becoming a signatory to the Joint Statement of Demand can help overcome challenges and enable the procurement of circular clothing.
Background
To buyers of professional clothing (such as corporate uniforms and PPE), waste is the most visible sustainability challenge. An analysis from WRAP, a climate NGO estimates that in the UK 90% of used professional clothing is sent to landfill or incineration after use – a higher proportion than for clothing as a whole*. However, the environmental impact is much greater, extending the whole way through the value chain and includes issues such as scope 3 carbon emissions, water consumption, microfibre pollution, and modern slavery risk. Taking a circular economy approach can reduce harm in these areas. However, only a small proportion of clothing on the market is designed with the circular economy in mind.
A circular economy is where products, services, and infrastructure is designed, used, and operated to maximise value and minimise waste, reducing demand for primary resources, lowering carbon emissions, and allowing the regeneration of natural systems. To put it simply, it’s about reducing the consumption of materials to lower environmental impact.