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Project

SizeZeroWaste (SZW)

The European Commission is laying the foundation for the transition to a circular economy with the European Green Deal and the linked Circular Economy Action Plan. The action plan formulates the ambition to make sustainable products, services and business models the norm and to avoid waste production as much as possible and identifies textiles as one of the important value chains for action. The Flemish government is also setting the goal of making Flanders a circular leader in Europe by 2030. Several actions are being rolled out regionally, including the creation of the circular manufacturing industry work agenda (olv OVAM and VLAIO), focusing on consumer textiles. The consumer textile sector is receiving extra attention because of the negative environmental impact and the extensive value chain with a lot of employment and turnover (there is a strong economic profit margin). In addition, the corona crisis has shuffled the cards and people are looking for innovation and new ways to engage their customers. Companies that incorporate circular services into their business model experience a competitive advantage. But for a circular business model to succeed, a good understanding of that consumer is crucial. After all, without a motivated customer, no sales or use of the circular product or business model takes place and it will remain difficult for the circular economy to have a definitive take-off. Within the sector we see a lot of innovation uncertainty regarding circular business models: companies are encouraged to invest in loan systems (Product-as-a-Service), but see too few good examples that succeed in this. One gets the impression that "the customer is not asking for it" and that circular innovation is consequently rarely successful. It is clear that there is a strong need for knowledge translation on circular entrepreneurship within the sector, coupled with more knowledge and insights into the 'demand-side' of consumers and effective communication strategies as a means to convince consumers of the added value of these circular business models and to retain them. All in all, this knowledge transfer will allow them to innovate more successfully and increase the chances of success in the transition to a circular business model.

General objective With this project, Thomas More Mechelen-Antwerp (TMMA) and the University of Antwerp (UA) want to realize a transfer of available knowledge about 'the sustainable mentality' of the Flemish consumer and the market acceptance of circular business models in the consumer textile sector (in short: fashion). We convert this knowledge into an (online) decision support toolbox (abbreviated as DST) with which we want to support Flemish fashion SMEs and sole traders in the implementation of circular principles and business models. Companies are assisted in the following questions: what are the costs and benefits and the feasibility of circular actions (cost model and other determining factors), which target group do you attract, who leaves (segmentation), how do you communicate successfully and how can you increase consumer engagement?

Concrete objectives 1) Knowledge gathering: gathering and combining knowledge about innovative circular business models, the mentality of Flemish consumers towards these circular business models in fashion (consumer profiles) and sustainability communication. Already available research results from Thomas More on consumer profiles and acceptance of circular business models in fashion (abbreviated as CBMM), sustainability communication and development of cost models take a central role in this. 2) Translation of knowledge into tools (Decision Support Toolbox) for the fashion SME. We translate the available knowledge into usable and accessible tools in close cooperation with the guidance group and bundle them together with a user manual in the online Decision Support Toolbox. This set of tools will allow entrepreneurs to gain insight into (1) the cost-benefit and feasibility of circular actions (cost model and other determining factors), (2) the market fit; which target group do you attract, who will drop out (segmentation), and (3) effective communication strategies: how do you communicate successfully about this and how can you increase consumer engagement? The tools and the user manual will be tested and validated in at least four living labs for their use and business potential for the broad field. 3) Knowledge dissemination: results are publicly available for broad target group through on/offline channels.

 

Date:1 Dec 2022 →  Today
Keywords:circular economy, fashion, textile, business models, consumer acceptation, sustainability
Disciplines:Consumer behaviour, Marketing channels and retailing, Strategic management, Business management
Project type:Collaboration project