by Katrin Kuhlmann, Chantal Line Carpentier, Negin Shahiar, Tara Francis, and Ana María Garcés Escobar

Changes in the international economic order have brought to the forefront two divergent trends in global trade that will continue to play out over the course of 2020. On one end, the World Trade Organization (WTO) is facing significant reforms following the U.S. Administration’s decision to block new Appellate Body judges.

by Christina Mahjouri and Jordan Taylor Sloan

The fashion industry is a complex, global supply chain heavily utilizing fast and low-cost production. The ‘fast fashion’ business model originated in the 1980s when fashion brands and retailers started selling designer-inspired, low-cost fashion products in chain stores across the United States and Europe (a). The success of this model has resulted in negative environmental and societal impacts, including pollution, forced labor, and large quantities of textile waste. This paper provides an overview of the current state of the industry, emerging trends within the industry, and a proposal for how three critical roles can make the fashion industry a force for circularity.

by Kezi Cheng & Peter Christensen

As we continue to advance towards producing optimal quantities at lower costs, higher speeds, with faster delivery times, we should also consider waste output (including end-of-life products) as a critical area for optimizing profitability. Here, we discuss several key factors surrounding material circularity that make it difficult to optimize for profitability. We suggest that in order to close the gap between profitability and maximum materials efficiency, it is necessary to create a careful balance between material demand, material recovery, and product lifetime. Looking to the future, we highlight select recent advances ranging from fundamental academic research to promising startups and commercial developments paving the way to profitability through material circularity. Our discussion is focused around the major components of a circularity ecosystem: economics, research, industry, and policy.