Businesses in India and around the world are adopting the circular economy as a new production paradigm. However, while the economic and environmental dimensions of the circular economy have been explored, its social impact (decent pay, gender equality, labour conditions) has been overlooked.
By surveying 100 workers and interviewing 40 managers in India, the authors developed an inventory of circular jobs with the respective demographic. They found that circular jobs in India are of low quality due to relatively low wage and job security indicators (especially for female workers). Informal migrant women in resale, repair and recycling are most vulnerable. Resale and rental based on internet platform models have the highest earning quality for men and women.
The apparel value chain is essential for the livelihood of millions of workers around the globe, but working conditions in this sector are far from satisfactory. The circular economy has been used by businesses as a framework for achieving sustainability but there is a lack of knowledge about its social impact.
This paper explores the social impact of the different circular strategies implemented in the Netherlands, Spain and India. It assesses social impacts related to the quality of jobs, workers’ sustainable livelihood and gender equality and inclusion.
It finds that the social ambition of the circular economy is low, and that current circular strategies follow the same feminisation and precariousness of working conditions found in the linear apparel value chain.
CIMPA (A CIrcular Multilayer Plastic Approach for value retention of end-of-life multilayer films) is an EU-funded H2020 project working on developing a recycling value chain for post-industrial and post-consumer multilayer films (from food and agricultural applications).
The project will shortly be holding its final event where it will showcase its key findings. There will also be information on clustering initiatives on circular plastics and recommendations from policy makers, industry leaders, researchers and NGOs on unlocking the potential of plastic film recycling. The event will conclude with an opportunity for networking and a poster session highlighting new technologies which can enhance plastics recycling.
SUSTAINair was an H2020-funded project developing circular economy principles for the aviation and aerospace design, manufacturing, operations and end-of-life phases.
This paper examines the socio-environmental justice aspects of 11 key EU policies guiding the textile industry's journey towards circularity.
It found that action is needed to tackle overproduction and overconsumption in the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. Steps must be taken to address the impacts of EU circular economy textile policies on the Global South so as to ensure positive social and environmental outcomes.
The paper also concluded that efforts are needed to make just transition policies globally accountable and alleviation mechanisms integral to the Textile Strategy rather than supplementary corrective measures. Meaningful participatory mechanisms are needed that ensure the democratic inclusion of different views and actors.
If your role requires you to lead change, then this conference is for you. It's intended for executives responsible for managing organisational transformation.
Change makers from around the globe will present cutting-edge technologies and strategies to help you deliver better results and generate more value. In her session, Ladeja Godina Košir, founder and Executive Director of Circular Change and Co-Chair of ECESP, will explore three strategies for integrating industries, policies and international partnerships in order to create a circular economy.
Transformative circular futures in the textile and apparel value chain: Guiding policy and business recommendations in the Netherlands, Spain, and India
Circular economy practices are gaining importance in the global textile and apparel value chain. However, the circular economy's social dimension is often overlooked.
To address this problem, this study develops transformative circular futures (TCFs), co-created circular economy scenarios that are diverse and systemic and embed social impact considerations. The aim is to inform policy and business decision making in the textile and apparel value chains of India, the Netherlands and Spain.
The study recommends normalising living wages for direct, indirect and informal workers, implementing regulations challenging the patriarchy, eliminating gender pay and establishing permanent global committees of social actors.
Walking the circular talk: Analyzing the soft and hard aspects of circular economy implementation of ten business cases within the textile and apparel value chain
Companies in the textile and apparel value chain have been increasingly implementing circular economy practices. However, implementation has focused on the techno-environmental (hard) dimension, and partly overlooked the (soft) social dimension. There is a lack of empirical knowledge about how businesses in this value chain simultaneously manage soft and hard aspects of circularity and what kind of socio-environmental impact they generate.
This research analysed the soft and hard aspects of ten circular business cases from three countries. It demonstrates that both aspects are integral components of a comprehensive transformative circular transition framework that facilitates the adoption of more inclusive and circular practices while improving sustainability performance.
Join the PACCT webinar on 7 November 2024, from 11:00 to 12:00 CET, to discover the white paper on Product-as-a-Service titled "Business Model Innovation for Sustainable Impact in Europe."
They will talk also about PACCT 2025 and you will be able to ask them any questions.
The transition to zero emission and energy positive buildings, neighbourhoods and communities is key to unlocking the EU's climate and energy ambitions by transforming both new and existing buildings into drivers of decarbonisation.
This policy recommendation paper puts forward 10 key policy recommendations for national and regional policy makers for overcoming financial barriers for building renovation and transforming existing buildings into zero emission or positive energy neighbourhoods by 2050.
The recommendations are based on experiences and learnings from 8 research and innovations projects in Europe, including 33 demonstration sites around Europe.
