The Monitor for Circular Fashion tests the circularity of the fashion industry with eight pilot projects

On November 29, the second edition of the Annual Report from the Monitor for Circular Fashion was presented. It is part of SDA Bocconi Sustainability Lab and powered by Enel X, created in 2020 with the aim of offering a continuously updated representation of the state of sustainability and circularity in the Italian fashion system.

For the 2022 edition of the Monitor, two factors in particular were analyzed: the ideal characteristics of a sustainability claim, starting with the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) guidelines, and the key principles of eco-design and their implementation in value chains.

For the first time, this framework of principles was tested and validated by comparing eight circular product pilot projects from companies in the Monitor community.

• Think Leather (Holding Moda/Gab Group/Quid). Scraps from leather processing are transformed into small leather goods.
• Eco-designed Jeans (Kering/Candiani Denim). Example of a supply chain collaboration to create denim jeans made from 100 percent certified organic cotton.
• Trace Me (Vitale Barberis Canonico/Quid). Shopper produced in Italy and made from fabric recovered from traceable wool fibers.
• Repairing T-shirt (Oscalito/Albini Group/CRU LE). T-shirt made of organic cotton and patches made of recycled fabric from reclaimed materials, traceable from the cotton field to the store.
• What if bag (OVS/RadiciGroup/Quid). Made from a single fabric, 100 percent recycled polyamide 6, certified by GRS, fully recyclable due to the material's thermoplasticity.
• Component shoe (Candiani Denim/Vibram). Made using only five components, this shoe can be assembled at home. The upper is made from recycled cotton denim, and the sole is made from FSC-certified natural materials.
• Soul (RadiciGroup/Save the Duck/Vibram). Bimaterial backpack composed of fabric made from 100% recycled polyamide yarn that is GRS-certified and conforms to the Oeko-tex 100 standard for responsible production, and 100% recycled rubber from ISO-compliant factories.
• M-Pocket (Manteco/RadiciGroup). Recyclable tablet cases made from fabric scraps from industrialized processing.

Finally, Temera provided a digital voice for the pilot projects, sharing information accessible through QR codes.

During the event, the Digital Product Passport was also discussed, presenting the results of work with the Monitor for Circular Fashion's partner service providers (Dedagroup Stealth, Temera, and PLM Impianti) and summarizing the main opportunities and challenges.

"Implementing eco-design principles along circular fashion value chains is the real opportunity we have to accelerate the green transition in the coming years," says Francesca Romana Rinaldi, Director of the Monitor for Circular Fashion SDA Bocconi School of Management. “Following the work done in the first two years, the Monitor for Circular Fashion will continue to welcome companies that wish to anticipate and drive sustainable and circular change in the Textile, Apparel, Leather and Footwear value chains, starting with traceability and supply chain transparency."

The Monitor for Circular Fashion Report 2022 can be downloaded at: www.sdabocconi.it/circularfashion

SDA Bocconi School of Management