Freitag is a name that most people admire and vouch for. Its sturdy, cool-looking bags of all shapes and sizes have been some of people’s go-to fashion choice.
But as we know, the brand is not a new fad. Ever since the early 1990s, it has changed the fashion industry. It has produced bags or accessories from repurposed truck tarps and other materials.
They have a mantra which reflects their commitment to circular business practices: “We think and act in cycles.”
Freitag’s journey began back in Zurich in 1993. Graphic designers Markus and Daniel Freitag wanted to have a durable, weather-resistant bag for their creative work.
They got the inspiration from the vibrant traffic of trucks passing by their flat. Then, they began repurposing discarded truck tarps, bicycle inner tubes, and car seat belts to create their first messenger bag.
Freitag prioritizes minimizing waste and maximizing resource efficiency.
The brand’s goal is to keep products and materials in circulation for as long as possible. It aims to transition away from the linear economy model.
To do that, the company uses many strategies to integrate circular principles into the designs. For example, they designed products with reparability and durability in mind.
The visible stitching and repurposed materials might not seem appealing at that time.
However, the brand has shown that there’s a certain aesthetics shown from those. And, the designs ensure longevity meanwhile.
Furthermore, Freitag provides spare parts for free. This allows and encourages customers to repair bags easily.
Circular economy and sustainable fashion
So now, truck tarps, once discarded, find new life as stylish accessories.
Freitag collaborates with trucking companies across Europe. This ensures a steady supply of used tarps in a myriad of colors and prints.
While this decentralized approach may pose scalability challenges, it aligns with Freitag’s ethos of organic growth and authenticity as a niche brand.
Looking ahead, Freitag is pioneering circular innovations, including the development of circular truck tarps.
These prototypes are being rigorously tested to ensure a seamless transition back into the cycle. And eventually, the prototypes are tested to further close the loop in their production process.
The brand is aware that recycled PET materials have their limitations. So, it’s actively exploring alternative solutions.
The company’s latest endeavor, the Mono[PA6] backpack, embodies their circular vision by utilizing a single material—polyamide 6. Focusing on repairability and a takeback process, the brand plans to launch the first batch in spring 2024.
As mentioned, Freitag offers a range of circular services, including repair, take-back, customization, bag exchange, and a lending program.
Their dedicated team at the Freitag Laboratory of Progress (F.L.O.P.) keeps on innovating new circular solutions and business models. That aligns with their mission of “intelligent design for a circular future.”
This Swiss Tarpaulin Bag brand sets a concrete example that there is a transformative power of sustainable fashion.
By turning waste or potential waste into a valuable resource, and embracing circularity, brands like Freitag have become pioneers.
They help pave the way towards a more sustainable and resilient future for the fashion industry.
Retailers repurchasing their old stock
Thrift stores have been the usual choice for eco-conscious or thrifty people to buy their items.
But now, some retailers have noticed the popularity of reselling pre-loved items—as consumers face tighter budgets nowadays.
The increasing circular economy adoption is of course inspired by the rising demand from consumers and businesses to reduce carbon footprint.
Sasha Titchkosky, founder of furniture and homewares brand Koskela, said, “We’ve been tracking our carbon emissions for four years and noticed that every successful year led to higher scope three emissions.”
The Sydney-based company specializes in furnishing offices and schools, a sector known for generating excessive waste.
“To tackle this, we aim to become fully circular by 2027, offering our commercial clients a subscription service where we retain ownership of the items,” Titchkosky explained.
This initiative encourages the creation of durable products. It also streamlines the maintenance process for clients, reducing long-term costs.
Furthermore, Koskela has introduced a buyback program, allowing customers to trade in their used items for refurbished ones at a reduced price.
“This makes our products more accessible to a wider audience,” Titchkosky added.
Second-hand market expected to thrive
As the cost of living rises, more people are turning to the second-hand market. According to research firm Fifth Dimension, the market is expected to grow by 25% annually.
Outdoor and sporting retailer Decathlon has joined the circular movement by launching its Second Life program in Australian stores.
The Second Life program offers ex-display or returned items at up to half their original price, across a range of equipment from tents to kayaks.
“We’ve rescued 2.3 million products from ending up in landfills overseas, and now we’re bringing this initiative to Australia,” said Decathlon Australia’s communications leader, Erin Eedy.
Moreover, Decathlon’s kid’s bike buyback program has been popular. It allows customers to trade in old bikes for store credit for new purchases.
Nowadays, embracing the circular economy promotes sustainability and it also keeps customers engaged and spending within the store.
But let’s also not forget about the increasing AI trend. Can these two go hand in hand? Can AI help with a more circular economy?
AI enhancing circular economy
We all know by now that AI models like ChatGPT or OpenAI are used everywhere. However, their application in sustainability efforts, more specifically the circular economy, remains relatively unexplored.
According to experts, AI has the potential to provide valuable insights for both researchers and policymakers.
Particularly, those who want to monitor circular economy activities and their impacts on resource use.
Understanding the demand for specific skills in businesses embracing circular strategies is important for policymakers aiming to drive impactful change.
For instance, let’s take a look at the textiles and clothing sector, a significant contributor to CO2 emissions. The sector could benefit from identifying skill needs for circular practices such as repair or circular design.
In a report titled “Putting Circular Textiles to Work,” the AI was given a task to analyze job listings and identify the demand for circular skills within the Dutch textile industry.
This method, adaptable across sectors, offers a dynamic way to monitor the evolving demand for circular versus linear skills in the job market.
With AI, researchers face a common challenge: the access to comprehensive and reliable data to evaluate circular activities accurately.
Traditional sector codes often fail to capture circular initiatives within industries like construction or manufacturing.
Therefore, to address this gap, organizations like the Flemish Institute for Technical Research (VITO) have collaborated with AI-based companies. This way, they can analyze companies’ online content and assess their circular activities.
By employing AI to analyze textual data from company websites, researchers can identify themes related to circularity. Then, they can assign scores to measure the extent of a business’s engagement with circular practices.
These insights enable policymakers to develop targeted policies supporting industries transitioning to circular models.
More opportunities to come
AI integration in circular economy research is still underway. But, there are still vast opportunities to explore using natural language models.
With copious amounts of text available across various platforms, AI can help fill data gaps and offer fresh perspectives on the circular economy’s evolution.
While climate change poses a complex challenge, AI-based research offers a pathway to innovative solutions.
So, by leveraging AI’s capabilities, policymakers and researchers can navigate the intricate landscape of sustainability and contribute to addressing the pressing climate crisis.
Source:
https://www.greenbiz.com/article/swiss-shoulder-bag-maker-shares-secrets-30-years-circularity
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-12-29/cost-of-living-circular-economy-retailers-consumers/103143598
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