WEISSNERCONSULTOR

Ahead of the United Nation’s (UN’s) third International Day of Zero Waste on 30 March, Andrea Lockerbie explores real-world examples that show how zero-waste principles are put into action.

Each year the world generates between 2.1 billion and 2.3 billion tonnes of municipal solid waste – from textiles and packaging to electronics and food. It’s staggering, and International Day of Zero Waste highlights the need for sustainable consumption and production.

This year, for the first time, the day has a theme – towards zero waste in fashion and textiles. According to the UN, 92 million tonnes of textile waste is generated across the world each year – equivalent to a garbage truck full of clothing being incinerated or landfilled every second.

Production and consumption volumes of textiles are rapidly rising, outpacing progress on the sector’s sustainability. Only 8% of textile fibres in 2023 were made from recycled sources, and the sector is a significant contributor to biodiversity loss.

But organisations are taking a new approach. Below, we look at innovative businesses operating in both the fashion and textile sectors and beyond.

What do all the examples have in common? Clear goals, creativity, collaboration and education. Read on to find out why that is so important.

MUD Jeans: Fashion brand in The Netherlands

Founded in 2012, MUD Jeans is a small business with a big mission: for the fashion industry to be driven by circular production and conscious consumption. Its goal: to make its jeans 100% circular by 2026.

At the start of 2025, the business opened its first brand store in Amsterdam and achieved the milestones of recycling over 110,000 pairs of old jeans and selling more than 300,000 pairs across 27 countries.

At the store, customers can try on and purchase jeans as well as witness their old jeans being shredded for recycling. The store plans to have regular events combining “fashion, sustainability, and fun”.

The company’s strategy is based on three pillars:

1. Circular Economy – It takes back customers’ old jeans, of any brand, if they are at least 96% cotton, to close the loop.
2. Fair Factories – By maintaining a short supply chain it fosters a close relationship with partners and produces consciously. It works with three recyclers, three fabric producers and a jeans manufacturer.
3. Positive Activism – It aims to change the status quo in the fashion industry, and by being transparent, hopes to inspire others.

How has it put circular principles into action?

• Rental: Its “Lease a Jeans” model allows customers to pay a monthly fee to rent a pair of jeans for 12 months. During this period, repairs are free. After the 12 months, payments stop and the jeans belong to the customer who can keep or return them. Discounts are given for giving in old jeans.
• Recycled content: It started working with fabrics that used up to 40% post-consumer recycled cotton in 2015. By 2022, it had created the world’s first sample made from 100% post-consumer recycled cotton. This year, it launches jeans made with 70% post-consumer recycled denim.
• Recyclability: Buttons, rivets and zippers have been replaced with 100% stainless steel alternatives to ensure recyclability.
• Repair: A collaboration with MENDED, an online platform focused on making clothing repair easy, started in 2022. Repaired jeans are now sold in its vintage collection.
• Education: In 2021, it created a sustainable fashion course for students. MUD Jeans also hosts a knowledge hub on its website, with resources for different age groups, where you can sign up to join a monthly online “Circular Q&A” with the CEO and CSR officer.

B-Corp and UN SDGs: It was named a “Best in the World” B-Corp for its environmental performance in 2022 and has been a B-Corp since 2015. It uses the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework to drive sustainability.

“Circularity has been at the core of our business since day one. We believe in zero-waste production not as a compliance measure, but as a necessity for a sustainable future,” explains Stephan Zeijlemaker, MUD Jeans’ head of marketing.

The business has proven that circular fashion is possible

“The barriers to circularity are no longer technical but rather a matter of commitment. There is no good reason not to produce in a circular way,” Zeijlemaker says.

MUD Jeans’ biggest achievement has been the commitment to create denim from 100% recycled pre-loved jeans: the “Road to 100”.

“We’ve already produced our first prototype – a pair of shorts – through laboratory research with Saxion University,” says Zeijlemaker.

“Currently, our collection features styles containing up to 47% recycled post-consumer textiles, and later this year, we will reach 70% recycled post-consumer content in new designs.

“While pushing these boundaries, we have also succeeded in creating an attractive, high-quality denim collection that resonates with our customers. Our progress proves that sustainability and great design can go hand in hand.”

Of course, there have been challenges. Zeijlemaker says having “to pioneer every step of the circular production process” has meant “trial, error, and persistence, requiring time, resources, and a strong vision”.

A continuing challenge is the higher cost of circular production.

“While we use innovative recycling and manufacturing methods, the fashion industry still operates in a system where sustainable production often comes at a premium,” Zeijlemaker says.

“At the same time, consumer price expectations leave little room to reflect these true costs. Balancing these factors remains a challenge, but one we are committed to overcoming.”

Cities tackling fast fashion and textile waste

How cities can tackle textile waste and their importance as hubs for catalysing change and influencing citizen behaviour was the focus of a report by Zero Waste Europe (ZWE), which emphasises the need for sufficiency.

Speaking to Circular Online, Theresa Mörsen, ZWE waste and resources policy officer, says the report includes levers cities can use to tackle fashion overconsumption:

• Influencing purchasing behaviour and restricting advertisements.
• Extending the lifespan of fashion items by promoting repair and reuse initiatives.
• Raising awareness to promote behaviour change, such as through events, festivals, and education campaigns.
• Collectively advocating for broader policy changes at national, European and international levels (e.g. calling on policymakers to legislate on fast fashion, signing the Slow Fashion declaration).

Geneva, Switzerland

Mörsen points to Geneva as a good example of a holistic approach to tackling fashion and textile waste. Since 2022, Geneva’s climate strategy has included clothing consumption.

The city commissioned “Sustainable Fashion for Geneva?” to investigate actions that could be taken, which flagged key areas for engagement:

• Increasing the visibility of local initiatives (e.g. by creating a single online platform, organising festivals and events, etc);
• Restricting advertising content promoting fast fashion;
• Supporting synergies between initiatives and creating a “slow fashion centre”, subsidised by the municipality;
• Building skills in garment repair, maintenance, and upcycling;
• Creating a community around sustainable fashion practices, bringing together a wide variety of players, including producers, consumers, repair professionals, second-hand retailers, and more;
• Improving waste management by creating separate collection points, as well as sorting, resale, and recycling infrastructure.

“What we really liked about Geneva, is that they’re looking into management and circular practices, but also into disincentivising consumption,” Mörsen explains.

“They’re looking into: How can they improve collection? How can they empower local, circular practices? How can they create a community of different circular initiatives, whether that’s repair, reuse or clothing swaps – these different initiatives exist, often in isolation – they’re trying to link them all and that’s very powerful.”

To disincentivise consumption, the city financially supports the “GardReObes” festival for sustainable fashion. This includes workshops, a repair café, fashion shows, wardrobe sales and Slow Fashion talks.

Regenerative hospitality: Desa Potato Head Hotel, Bali, Indonesia

In 2016, Ronald Akili, the founder of Potato Head, made a commitment for his business to be a force for good. A roadmap was set out with three goals:

1. To be zero waste.
2. To be sustainable in a beautiful way: inspiring rather than preaching.
3. To be part of the process of regeneration – to do good and regenerate the destinations where its business was based.

The Potato Head beach club opened in 2020 and grew into a hotel, with restaurants, event spaces and spa facilities. Its mantra is “Good Times, Do Good” and it became B-Corp certified in 2023.

Amanda Marcella, sustainability director at Potato Head, told Circular: “Zero waste goes beyond just reducing what we send to landfill, it is about changing the mindset.

“For us, it means looking at everything we use and finding creative ways to give it a second life, like turning High-Density Poly Ethylene (HDPE) plastic into furniture or making amenities from leftover materials.

“It helps us take better care of the planet, support local craftsmanship and inspire our community to make more mindful choices. Some of our best ideas have come from finding new ways to reuse and repurpose.”

Waste is separated on-site and only 0.5% now goes to landfill. It has a “no single-use plastics” policy.

At its Waste Lab, new objects are created from old materials. For example, used cooking oil is turned into candles, and empty beer bottles are turned into water glasses. Old linen bedsheets are used to make aprons and bags for sale in the gift shop.

A material called Styroshell has been developed at the lab, made from melted Styrofoam, HDPE plastic, oyster shells and limestone. This came about when trying to work out what to do with Styrofoam packaging from TVs and kitchen equipment delivered for new rooms.

Now, Styroshell is used to make the hotel’s soap dispensers, tissue boxes and bins. If they break, they go back to the lab to be re-made.

Guests are introduced to the zero-waste approach from the moment they enter the desa, the Indonesian word for village.

“During check-in, the team explains our philosophy and gives them our new zero-waste kit, designed to help them travel lighter and think more sustainably.

“The kit includes a tote bag with a reusable water bottle to keep, plus a few items they can borrow during their stay to help cut down on waste,” Marcella explains.

“Beyond that, our sustainability message is part of the desa, from the upcycled art installations to the ‘Follow the Waste’ tour, where guests can see how we separate, clean, and transform waste.

“Through these experiences, we hope they go back home inspired to make meaningful changes in their own lives.”

It helps us take better care of the planet, support local craftsmanship and inspire our community to make more mindful choices.

Engaging with local communities is important, and Marcella adds that “we can’t tackle recycling and upcycling alone”.

Last year, Potato Head, alongside other local businesses, came together to launch the non-profit Community Waste Project, to reduce Bali’s reliance on landfill and help the island achieve zero waste.

A new waste centre was created, next to Bali’s biggest landfill, where waste non-organic waste is upcycled. The key is waste separation at source, and Potato Head is guiding this.

Juliane Caillouette Noble, Managing Director at The Sustainable Restaurant Association, says Desa Potato Head’s commitment to zero waste is truly impressive “not only within its local, Balinese context but as a global example of how a hotel can tackle this ongoing challenge”.

She says: “They’ve brought creativity and innovation to the task at hand, finding new ways to repurpose otherwise wasted materials into items for use across the hotel, for sale in their shop and as art installations.

“What really stands out is how they are sharing their progress, driving change past the bounds of their own premises across the wider community. This includes clear, strong messaging to staff and customers, but also practical actions that make a real difference.

“In founding their Community Waste centre, they have brought together a network of other local businesses and provided not just the infrastructure to deal with non-organic waste, but also much-needed education on how to segregate waste properly.”

Marcella admits it’s an ongoing challenge to maintain the discipline of waste separation but her advice to others on going zero-waste is to “jump in and do it”.

“If it works, that’s amazing,” Marcella says. “If it doesn’t, it’s a lesson, it’s a chance to tweak your strategy and look for other opportunities or examples to make it happen. But for me, the key is to start.”

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WRAP’s Household Food Management Survey shows a 21% increase in self-reported food waste for the four key food items monitored: bread, milk, potatoes and chicken.

Self-reported waste of the four key products – bread, milk, chicken, and potatoes – has been slowly rising since 2020, which WRAP says is the fourth highest on record since May 2018.

As part of Food Waste Action Week, Love Food Hate Waste has published its annual Household Food Management Survey giving a snapshot of the nation’s behaviours and attitudes towards food.

In June 2024, 21% of the four key products were wasted and 27% of respondents classified as high food wasters.

86% agree that food waste is an important national issue. However, 10% of respondents said they were comfortable wasting food and a further 17% were ambivalent.

On a per capita basis, the latest survey suggests that 27% of UK citizens classify as “higher” food wasters. Certain groups were significantly more likely to be classified as being high food wasters based on certain factors.

33% of 18-34-year-olds and 35-44-year-olds were likely to be higher food wasters. Larger households, those with a size of four people, were also more likely to be classified in this category (36%).

Love Food Hate Waste also found a disparity between people’s perception of their own waste and the reality, with nearly 8 out of 10 interviewees believing they waste less than the average.

Because most fruit and veg is sold packaged, we have to buy what we’re given not what we need, and that means a lot goes to waste.

Jackie Baily, Senior Campaign Manager Love Food Hate Waste, said: “We see fresh produce as the real kitchen victim when it comes to food waste.

“Because most fruit and veg is sold packaged, we have to buy what we’re given not what we need, and that means a lot goes to waste.

“As a result, our bins have a diet that most nutritionists would envy. And we’re a long way from breaking our food waste habit because of this packaging.”

When it comes to buying loose, the survey showed people prefer not having a date label on loose fresh produce and are happy to use judgement alone on when fruit and vegetables are still good to eat far more than a Best Before date.

WRAP says an estimated 60,000 tonnes of food waste could be prevented if all apples, potatoes and bananas were sold loose.

Love food Hate Waste has put forward a range of recommendations to help mitigate against household food waste.

These include:

• making it easier to purchase the right amount of food through better access to loose produce;
• introducing smaller pack sizes at comparable prices and stopping in-store promotions encouraging over-purchasing for perishable foods, such as multibuy offers;
• and enhancing individual citizens’ skills in meal planning and portion estimation.

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As the EU grapples with shifting waste generation trends dominated by construction, demolition, and recycling residues, Waste Robotics’ André Matula explores the challenges and solutions shaping the future of Europe’s circular economy.

The European Union’s waste landscape is undergoing significant changes, presenting considerable challenges and opportunities as the bloc seeks to strengthen its circular economy.

Recent Eurostat data highlights evolving trends, notably the continued dominance of construction and demolition (C&D) waste, along with substantial impacts from mining, quarrying, and secondary waste arising from recycling and energy recovery.

In 2020, the EU generated around 2,153 million tonnes of waste, with construction and demolition activities contributing the largest share at 37%.

This underlines the ongoing challenge of effectively managing C&D waste, especially given the continued renewal and renovation of Europe’s ageing infrastructure.

Mining and quarrying accounted for 23% of total waste, emphasising the significant environmental implications of extractive industries.

Between 2005 and 2020, the EU observed notable shifts in waste generation patterns. Particularly striking is the 176% increase in waste from waste and water services.

This surge is primarily due to increased recycling activities and energy recovery processes.

While these advancements signal progress towards sustainability goals, they simultaneously create significant secondary waste streams, most notably residues from incineration and material recovery, that pose additional management challenges.

One paradoxical consequence of higher recycling rates is the rising volume of residual materials. While recycling efforts improve, managing the by-products effectively remains a critical concern.

The construction sector exemplifies this challenge clearly. Traditional management practices, such as landfill disposal or rudimentary sorting, are inadequate to meet growing efficiency and sustainability demands.

Consequently, there is increasing emphasis across the EU on technological innovation to enhance waste sorting accuracy and overall recovery rates.

Emerging solutions within the industry increasingly rely on automation and artificial intelligence. For example, robotic sorting technologies are gaining prominence due to their ability to efficiently separate diverse materials within complex waste streams, such as those from construction sites.

AI-powered robotics can improve material recovery, reduce contamination, and lower reliance on manual sorting, enhancing the quality and recyclability of recovered resources.

Companies such as Waste Robotics have emerged as part of this broader technological shift, demonstrating how robotic systems can support more efficient and environmentally sound practices within waste management facilities.

Mining and quarrying present distinct but related challenges. The vast quantities of overburden, tailings, and residues produced by these activities pose significant environmental risks, including water contamination and landscape degradation.

Addressing these requires the implementation of circular economy principles through innovations in resource recovery, alongside regulatory frameworks that mandate responsible industry practices.

Moreover, the sharp rise in secondary waste – particularly residues from incineration like bottom ash and fly ash – highlights an urgent need for sustainable management approaches.

Developing methods to extract valuable materials from these residues, or repurposing them for use in construction or manufacturing, is a crucial next step towards a more circular waste management system.

To effectively address these challenges, integrated waste management strategies must

become standard practice across the EU. Strong collaboration between waste generators, technology innovators, and policymakers will be essential.

Regulatory frameworks should encourage innovation, infrastructure investment, and clear standards for managing recycling by-products.

Public awareness and consumer engagement are equally important. Educational initiatives designed to enhance responsible waste disposal practices and waste minimization at the household and industrial levels can significantly alleviate downstream pressures.

As the EU continues navigating this complex landscape, balancing technological advancements, policy initiatives, and public involvement will be pivotal.

The path towards sustainability depends on holistic approaches that combine improved waste management technologies, regulatory clarity, and active community participation.

Only then can Europe confidently address its evolving waste generation challenges and progress toward a sustainable circular economy.

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72% of Welsh voters say protecting the Welsh countryside and waterways through recycling was a “top political priority”.

The research, commissioned by Alupro, polled 1,100 adults in Wales and was conducted between 7 and 9 March by Redfield and Wilton Strategies on behalf of Alupro.

The poll also revealed 56% of Welsh voters approve of the Welsh Government’s record on recycling.

Wales’s local authority recycling rate is 66.6%, currently the highest council recycling performance of any UK nation.

Wales is also set to introduce a deposit return scheme for drinks containers that will include glass as an in-scope material.

“Despite a growing worldwide clamour to water down green policies, Welsh voters clearly care deeply about the environment,” Tom Giddings, Executive Director at Alupro, said.

Despite a growing worldwide clamour to water down green policies, Welsh voters clearly care deeply about the environment.

“As an industry, we are clear that higher recycling rates are good for people and planet. Delivering consistent local authority kerbside collections is key to ensuring all recyclable packaging is collected for recycling.”

The poll was released to coincide with an event in the Senedd hosted by Alupro and attended by Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies.

The event is set to include speeches from a host of figures including Janet Finch-Saunders MS, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Environment (Conservative), Mike Hedges MS, Member, Senedd Climate, Nature and Wellbeing Cross Party Group (Labour), and Owen Derbyshire, Chief Executive Officer, Keep Wales Tidy.

Alupro is an industry-funded, not-for-profit organisation that represents the UK’s aluminium packaging industry.

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A Lincolnshire waste crime offender has been ordered to pay £278,492.92 after the Environment Agency discovered his undeclared assets.

Simon Mason, 54, was ordered to pay hugely increased proceeds of crime on top of the £8,317.02 he paid after being sentenced in 2021.

Mason’s case was reopened after the Environment Agency learned of changes in his financial position.

It was discovered that he owned a property that he had not declared at the time of his sentencing.

Mason was originally prosecuted in the summer of 2021 for waste crime offences and given a suspended prison sentence for storing and burning waste illegally at a site in Holbeach, Lincolnshire.

At Lincoln Crown Court, it was re-calculated that Mason benefited from his illegal waste activities by £286,809.94.

He was given three months to pay the remainder or serve five years imprisonment, and was ordered to make a £1,500 contribution towards the Environment Agency’s costs.

Peter Stark, Environment Agency Enforcement Team Leader, said: “Waste criminals should be aware how seriously we take their offending, including the benefit they obtain from their illegal activities.

“They won’t get away with concealing information or their assets, and due to the EA’s hard work, justice was served.”

During the initial investigation, the Environment Agency said its officers visited the Holbeach site on six occasions and told Mason verbally and in writing to stop bringing waste to the site and burning it.

However, on returning to the site, the Environment Agency said officers found more waste had been brought to the site and burned.

Waste observed at the site during the multiple visits included household waste, furniture, mattresses, clothing, paint cans, toilets, televisions and numerous fridges, classed as hazardous waste and require specialist disposal.

Some of the rubbish had been burned, prompting neighbours to complain about the smoke generated.

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Ahead of Resource Conference Cymru next week (26 March), resource efficiency adviser Brian Mayne FCIWM discusses the recent CIWM Cymru visit to the Pura NappiCycle facility in Capel Hendre, Wales.

I recently joined a CIWM Cymru site visit to the Pura NappiCycle facility in Capel Hendre, West Wales. NappiCycle offers a unique and innovative treatment system for the recovery of cellulose and plastics from absorbent hygiene products (AHP).

AHP covers a range of multi-material products used in everyday life – such as disposable nappies, incontinence pads and feminine hygiene products – which are mostly made of absorbent tissue-fibre and plastic.

They account for over 3% of the household waste and recycling that we produce as a country. Based on WRAP’s compositional analysis, Wales produces approximately 47,000 tonnes of AHP a year, including almost 150 million nappies.

Craig Masters, Operations Manager, and Rhiannon Chapple, Technical Manager, gave an illustrative talk on the background and the development of the project as well as a tour of the site.

What did we learn on the tour?

The presentation began by highlighting that director Rob Poyer developed the business concept over 15 years ago, leading to a partnership with eco-friendly baby products company Pura in 2020.

Craig and Rhiannon explained that AHP is collected from the kerbside by over a third of Welsh local authorities and transported to the site for treatment.

Once the material arrives at the facility, it is washed and shredded and the plastics separated from the cellulose fibre.

This fibre fraction is then used for a range of applications, including notice boards. It is also currently being trialled for use in the manufacture of fibreboard and wood-plastic composite.

Other applications currently undergoing research and development include the use of the end product in road construction.

In 2022, they were supported by the Welsh Government as part of a scheme to resurface the A487 road in Wales with the fibre from nappies being added to the bitumen – the binder that holds the asphalt together.

The company has also worked on a trial project to surface roads with recycled nappies collected by Carmarthenshire County Council.

The nappies recycled into fibrous pellets were delivered to local contractor GD Harries who fused them into the Stone Mastic Asphalt (SMA) surfacing material which was laid onto a road for surface improvement.

The first project diverted four tonnes of nappies, which is approximately 80,000 nappies from landfills. As well as the environmental benefits of repurposing nappy waste, this asphalt formula is expected to make the road quieter and longer lasting.

The aim is now to make this product available more widely for asphalt laying companies.

What innovations are possible?

Continuing the theme of innovation with local companies, we were informed of a unique project between NappiCycle and the Bluestone National Park Resort who are the world’s first holiday destination to use its own customers’ nappies to provide enhanced asphalt in paths on site.

NappiCycle recently commissioned a Life Cycle Analysis to evaluate the environmental impacts at each stage of their process, enabling customers to determine the carbon benefits of using the service.

There is no doubt that there are numerous advantages to be gained from nappy recycling, especially for councils looking to collect refuse every three weeks or longer as one of the main obstacles is the storage of AHP for such extended periods.

Additionally, recycling this waste contributes to the overall recycling rate of local authorities. It also has financial benefits, with estimates that local authorities saved £442,421 in 2023/24.

As for the future, the company is going from strength to strength as they get ready to accept nappies from Bristol, consider expanding the treatment capability by establishing a similar site in East Wales, and continue to research additional applications for the product from the process.

Ben Maizey, chair of CIWM Cymru thanked Rhia and Craig on behalf of the delegation for their time and praised their enthusiasm and commitment.

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