WP 1: Mapping the Circular Economy Shift in the Global Fashion Industry

(PI: Whitfield, PhD1)

Working questions: How are global brands and retailers incorporating circularity in their business models, and what are the implications for their sourcing practices and demands of suppliers? What are the new technologies in alternative and recycled fiber production, textile waste recycling, and other CE initiatives?

WP 2: Baseline Study of Bangladesh’s Apparel Industry Ecosystem

(PI: Rana, CoPI, Hoque, Melita, PhD2)

Working questions: What are firms’ waste disposal practices and how much of the inputs are derived from regenerative and recycled resources? What are the systems of textile waste management, who benefits, and how is the cost structure of each value adding activity? What arrangements govern industrial clusters, and what are the roles of finance and government incentives? Are there firms engaged in innovations relating to CE?

 

WP 3: Analysis of Circular Economy Initiatives in the Apparel Industry

(PI: Allen, Co PI Olav, Rana.)

Working questions: What can be learned from apparel exporting countries already implementing CE initiatives such as China? What are the costs and capabilities required at the level of textile and apparel firms? What public policies have been used to incentivize firm-level investments and collaboration, and create the supporting industry and national infrastructure and institutions?

WP 4: Analysis of Supplier Firm Capabilities

(PI: Rana, CoPI, Alam, PhD2, PhD3)

Working questions: What are the existing resources, capabilities and corporate strategies of textile and apparel firms in relation to CE practices and their ability to invest in new technologies? What are the power relations and interdependency between supplier firms and their key buyers, and how do these relations affect their adoption of CE practices?

WP 5: Developing Policy Recommendations and Engaging in Policy Dialogue

(PIs: Amanullah, Sørensen, Rana, Khan, BGMEA)

The Bangladesh government does not have a comprehensive CE policy or a sector specific one for the textile and apparel industry. The project will provide the necessary inputs for such a policy, based on the findings from work packages 1 through 4. These findings will be presented and discussed with a Policy Impact Group (see Partnerships section) and high-level Project Advisory Committee as well as concerned stakeholder groups which will build on the previous policy work of the Circular Fashion Partnership.