3.2 Key take-aways from webinars and workshops

• Three webinars with six presentations held in the fall 2023 to prepare participants, ensuring a shared understanding of key concepts, such as the basic ideas of circular economy and circular business models (see sub-section 3.2.1), as well as introducing key figures about current textile consumption patterns in the Nordics (see sub-section 3.2.2).
• Three webinars with six presentations were held during the six-month challenge (January–June 2024), focusing on selected circular business models, including repair, redesign and product care (see sub-section 3.2.3), reuse and resale (see sub-section 3.2.4) as well as rentals and styling (see sub-section 3.2.5). After each webinar, online workshops were hosted where participants discussed barriers and identified solutions to the different circular business models. 

3.2.1 Pre-challenge webinars about circular business models

Webinar presentations about circular business models

Take-aways from “Circular business models in the Nordics” 

Take-ways from “Textile consumption trends: Mind the gap(s)”

Take-aways from “The Circular Toolbox”

1. Getting started: Getting your team on the same page as to why a circular business model is needed, knowing the individual skills of your team and establishing goals and success criteria.
2. Understanding the customer and the market: Kicking off the work by identifying your target customer and market and translating and generating insights to develop a concept.
3. Prototyping your concept: Getting knowledge on how to design and test a prototype. The goal of this step is to generate as much data and information as possible from the customer and the market to develop and make improvements.
4. Fine-tuning your business model: Creating the business model blueprint, selecting the right partners and building the business case.
5. Piloting your business model: Identifying a core-messaging hook and translating it into a concept, knowing how to create the right momentum and scaling the plan.

3.2.2 Pre-challenge webinars about textile consumption

Webinar presentations about textile consumption in the Nordics

Take-aways from “Consumption cultures: Findings from citizen surveys”

• Men: 15%
• Women: 23%
• Average all clothing: 20%

Take-aways from “Together against waste of textile - Results from a study on clothing consumption in Denmark”

1. Give the consumer more options to reduce waste of textile
2. Rediscover old virtues and combine them with individual needs and frameworks
3. Create clothes that create value for the consumer (90% doesn’t fit)

4. Review existing legislation
5. Branch code with industry to reduce waste of textiles
6. Call for a national action plan
7. Ban on destroying unsold clothes

8. Take advantage of a wide range of players with different expertise
9. Use experiences from other sectors and countries
10. Co-operate on uniform guidance for consumers based on reliable knowledge and safe reasons

Take-aways from “F/ACT Movement”

3.2.3 The six-month challenge: Webinar and workshop about repair, redesign and product care

Webinar about repair, redesign and product care, January 24, 2024

Take-aways from “Long live our clothes! Repair and redesign”

1. Fixing a zipper when it is splitting because of too much pressure on the zipper (if your bag is too full) or if it is old and worn out.
2. Fixing a zipper if it is too tight and hard to close.
3. Fixing a zipper if a tooth is broken.

Take-aways from “Care for clothing – Care for planet”

• broken or damaged (not of satisfactory quality)
• unusable (not fit for purpose)
• not what was advertised or doesn’t match the seller’s description
• shelf-life/​longevity is less than to be expected when purchasing such an item  

Workshop findings regarding repair, redesign and product care

Barriers to using repair and redesign and making it more widely accessible and appealing 

• Limited overview of repair and redesign services and their availability. Mainly lacking the knowledge about which repair and redesign services exist, where they are and what they cost, as well as the physical distance to repair and redesign services, and limited opening hours.
• Lack of skills, equipment and materials. Knowledge and skills to do repairs and redesign are limited and access to equipment and materials for do-it-yourself (DIY) solutions are lacking.
• Concerns about costs and time. Both DIY and professional help are perceived to be too expensive (time and money-wise) and take too much time compared to buying a new item. Also, participants were unsure whether the result would be worth the effort, time or money.
• Lack of use of warranty. This is both due to missing knowledge of consumer rights and because it requires too much effort and time to make a claim. Kirsi also highlighted this issue.
• Human factors. Habits are hard to change, and repair and redesign practices are not part of one’s repertoire. At the same time, people lack an emotional connection with their clothes, preventing them from taking proper care of them. Shame was also mentioned as a barrier to taking one’s clothes to a professional for repair or redesign, as it is perceived to be embarrassing to take cheap and worn clothes to the tailor.

Solutions to make repair and redesign more widely accessible and appealing 

• Getting an overview of options by, for example, establishing maps and platforms showing which repair and redesign services exist, where they are, when they are open, what they cost, etc., and solving challenges in regard to availability by promoting remote tailoring services and after-hours services.
• Developing or reinventing skills by, for example, including repair and redesign skills in educational systems and promoting repair and redesign hacks and tricks on social media and in the public sphere to inspire change. This could also include promoting local sewing groups and workshops that, for instance, experiment with repair and redesign on second-hand clothes in order to gain experience with so-called “low-stakes” clothing. Moreover, developing and reinventing the required skills will make people aware of the value of clothes and textiles and, over time, hopefully, make people proud, rather than ashamed, when it comes to repairing and redesigning old and worn wardrobe staples.
• Acknowledging and promoting that time and costs are relative. Consider, for instance, time and money spent on repair vs. time and money spent on impulse shopping. Another aspect points towards government subsidy and government aid to cover costs and to kick-start the change (as seen from the energy sector).
• Ensure access to equipment and materials by establishing and promoting a (second-hand) market for equipment and materials for DIY solutions.
• Promote and raise awareness of warranty on clothes.

3.2.4 The six-month challenge: Webinar and workshop about reuse and resale

Webinar about reuse and resale, 13 March 2024

Take-aways from “Fashion Worth Circulating: Why resale is a preferred circular strategy, how it (doesn’t) work(s) and what we can learn from it”

Take-aways from “Reuse and resale of textiles – how we do it at Kierrätyskeskus Oy”

Workshop findings

Barriers to making physical second-hand sales widely accessible and appealing 

• Concerns about costs. The citizens pointed to concerns about costs and emphasized that second-hand is sometimes too expensive compared to buying a new item.
• Time is limited. It takes time to find what you are searching for when shopping second-hand. Many experiences limited selections, making it difficult to find specific garments, materials or colors, which makes it difficult to buy an entire outfit in the same store.
• Limited overview of options and availability challenges. This includes lacking knowledge about which second-hand shops exist, where they are, and what they sell. Secondhand shops might also be far away and have limited opening hours. Moreover, it can be an unpleasant shopping experience, as second-hand stores are too cluttered, and products are in poor condition or are not presented nicely. It may also be difficult to find second-hand clothes if you do not wear a standard size, and the availability of second-hand clothing for men is limited.
• Lacking skills to access quality. Lacking the knowledge and skills to assess quality and fit.
• No return option. Items are often not eligible for returns, which can be challenging when determining whether something matches the rest of your wardrobe.
• Human factors. As with repair and redesign, participants mentioned that habits are hard to change, and shopping second-hand is not necessarily part of one’s shopping habits. Participants also highlighted that shopping second-hand with a fast-fashion mindset can be a challenge with regard to extending the lifespan of textiles; this includes buying multiple items or buying more than you need, just because prices are low or because you do not have time to consider whether you actually need or will use them.

The price can make you buy it, more than the intention of wearing it or needing it. It’s good that we resell but that is still accelerating the momentum of fashion. This is also overconsumption in a way.

Post-it quote from Active Textile Society workshop March 13, 2024.

Workshop participant

Solutions to making physical second-hand sales widely accessible and appealing 

• Behavioral changes and investing time in second-hand shopping. This could include visiting second-hand stores often to practice second-hand shopping “skills”. You need to have a pragmatic mindset rather than going with a specific garment in mind. Be proactive and think ahead; for instance, start to search for replacement items before a current item is worn out. At the same time, communicating the consequences of unsold second-hand garments going to waste could provide an incentive to shift to second-hand shopping.
• Government-supported marketing in the second-hand sector, as well as VAT exemption on second-hand items and compensation for volunteer staff are also potential solutions moving forward.
• Providing an overview and ensuring availability could be facilitated through second-hand shopping tours, a second-hand fashion map or app of cities, supported by SoMe profiles. At the same time, making store layouts more appealing and sorting them by color and size would make it easier to find what you are looking for. Ultimately, this means setting up second-hand stores like stores selling new clothes and making them attractive by ensuring that they have their own style and niche. However, Anu Hakala stressed that this requires many resources. Self-service opening hours in secondhand stores might help ensure availability. Some participants also pointed out that selling second-hand clothes in the same stores as new clothes would make them more aware of the benefits of buying second-hand.
• Second-hand stores should include a “free area” where textiles have a last chance of finding a new home. This is, among others, a practice at Kierrätyskeskus, which also offers a handicraft service where fabrics, yarn, etc. are handed out for free for schools and other institutions.
• You could bring your own clothes to the store to see if new items match your existing wardrobe, in order to mitigate the challenge of not having the right to return purchases.
• To ensure that you do not use second-hand shopping with a fast-fashion mindset, it was suggested that people should build personal resistance towards buying a garment, to be picky and ensure that the garment fits them in both size and style.

Barriers to using online second-hand platforms and making them widely accessible and appealing

• Limited selection. Brands selling second-hand alongside new items often do not have a lot to offer.
• Fear of being scammed or receiving faulty items. Several participants emphasized the fear of being scammed when they don’t know who they are buying from on peer-to-peer platforms. They fear purchasing counterfeits, and emphasized that poor item descriptions and blurry images, especially on peer-to-peer platforms, make it difficult to determine whether an item will fit, both in terms of size and their need for that specific piece of clothing in general.
• Time and money. It requires time and effort to find the right items, and some brands are overpriced when sold second-hand. Additional costs are also common when shopping online, transaction costs, shipping costs, hidden costs. Ultimately, the shipping costs can end up being higher than the cost of the item bought. 
• Online second-hand platforms can be unmanageable, as there are varying systems across platforms, including different ways of managing and performing transactions.
• Return policies were yet again highlighted, as it is often not possible to return second-hand items bought online. 
• Environmental concerns: Citizens prioritize local options as they wish to help reduce the increasing amount of transportation of clothes around the globe. Furthermore, participants discussed how they preferred not to buy second-hand clothing from companies who also sell newly produced fast fashion, which could indirectly support fast-fashion business models.
• Human factors. People miss the atmosphere and experience of shopping in a physical store or savor the memory of going somewhere special.
  

Solutions to making online second-hand sales widely accessible and appealing 

• Develop and share skills among resellers in displaying second-hand clothes well and setting accurate prices across different resale platforms.
• Establish an online directory of online stores. This also includes developing different ways of encouraging recirculation, rather than only buying.

3.2.5 The six-month challenge: Webinar and workshop about rentals and styling

Webinar about rentals and styling, May 15, 2024

Take-aways from “When are rental services relevant and to whom?”

• Confidence that the product is ready for use when you need it
• No need to care for the product after or during use
• Flexibility when needs change – if you need something more or less, or need something different
• No need to invest in the product

• Moving away from ownership of the project (changing mindset)
• Sharing the product with other customers (e.g., hygienic concerns)
• Arranging logistics and product maintenance (if not provided as a service)
• Requirements for planning (e.g., timing of product use)
• Incompatibility of the product selection with specific customer needs

Take-aways from “Rediscover your wardrobe: The 3 items (everyone already has) to provide endless outfits”

• Outerwear for example jacket, coat, blazer, sweater, cardigan, sweatshirt and waistcoat 
• Top wear for example t-shirt, shirt, blouse, and tank top 
• Bottom wear for example jeans, trousers, skirt, and shorts
• Full body garments for example dresses, and suits

Workshop findings

Barriers for using rental services and making them widely accessible and appealing

• Limited overview of rental services and their availability. Several participants highlighted the lack of awareness of existing rental possibilities and emphasized that long distances to the closest rental place is a logistical challenge. Furthermore, not knowing what rental services offer and what they cost restricted many of the participants from seeking rental services.
• Concern about costs and liability. The participants perceived rental services as expensive and found it cheaper to own their clothes. Participants likewise emphasized concerns about liability if they ruined a garment during rental, such as by staining it.
• Inconvenient and time consuming. Participants find renting clothes to be cumbersome, especially with online services, where you have to send and receive rented clothes and are not able to try on or feel them. There is a fear of clothes not fitting, as it is hard to find the right size, especially if subscribing to a service. Bringing back the rented item also seems like a chore and is time consuming, as it takes time to plan when and how to use the rental service, and you will probably have to wait a few days to receive the piece – inconvenient if there is a sudden need for it.
• Hygienic concerns. Perception that rental clothes are dirty. 
• Limited need for new clothes. Several participants also highlighted that they did not find rental services attractive, as they only owned and needed clothes that they love and use. When owning clothing, the participants emphasized that they know what quality and care is involved and could use the clothes for their entire lifespan. Most participants also emphasized that they find rental services relevant for workwear and clothes for special occasions, but not everyday wear. 

Solutions to making rental services widely accessible and appealing 

• Providing incentives. The participants agreed that making it easy and providing incentives for using the service were key for making rental services an appealing option. One of the participants rented her wedding dress, but because she was the third person to rent the dress, she got the opportunity to keep it: this was a strong incentive for her to rent. Based on this, one idea was to establish that if the clothes have been rented out x times and it is "worn out", you could allow the last customer to keep them. Participants also emphasized the incentive of telling the story of how rentals reduce the environmental impact of textile consumption. Pregnancy wardrobe and children’s clothes were mentioned as ideal categories of clothes for a rental service, as these types of garments are often used for a limited period of time.
• Raise awareness of rental services. The participants emphasized a need to make citizens aware that rental services are an option for everyone.
• Making rental services convenient. It is important to ensure ease of access to physical rental stores and that they are close to stores selling new garments or combining selling and renting in the same store. In case of an online rental service, it requires a user-friendly website showing the services on offer. Returns should also be made easy and convenient, for instance, by offering a pickup service. 
• Promoting an app that can help you with sizing would be useful; for example, by taking your measurements so that the tailor can prepare a perfect fit.
• Making it affordable. Providers should ensure a proper level of cost and explain how the cost is actually not higher than buying new garments every time. Also, they should emphasize that the citizen gains time by not having to do product care, washing, etc.
• Legislation: The government could introduce legislation requiring the offering of rental services and tax reduction on rental companies.

Barriers for using styling methods and making it widely accessible and appealing

• Limited styling skills. Several participants pointed to the issue of repeating outfits and not having imagination to see what things would fit together, but always going for the old, tried, safe combinations. Consequently, the participants usually started to fall out of love with their old clothes and wanted to buy new.
• Time constraints. It was not always possible to take the time needed to study and reorganize your wardrobe based on Laura Lavas methods.
• Concern that professional stylist services are costly. 

Solutions to make styling methods widely accessible and appealing 

• Overview. Owning fewer items. Participants also suggested keeping winter and summer clothes separated and storing out-of-season clothes in boxes.
• Time. Take the time needed to pick out your outfit.
• Focus on accessories, such as a belt, to update your outfit and mitigate "outfit repeating".
• Getting styling tips and help from friends and family. Make it a social event, just like a shopping trip, which is cozy to do with friends. Consider helping each other with styling the clothes already in the wardrobe.
• Learn more about styling and get help through styling courses and tutorials or a personal virtual helper or digital wardrobe, but with solutions that are not expensive and at the same time easy to use and need limited time. Investing in a session with a professional stylist could also be seen as a one-time investment in knowing your preferred shape or fit, and ultimately save money in the longer run by limiting mistakes when shopping.
• Own a full-length mirror to be able to see your full outfit.
• Make a shopping list for clothes and only buy what is on the list. Remember to balance the list depending on what kind of clothes you have and do not, for example, buy tons of tops.