The circular fashion movement in Turkey is gaining momentum as the industry recognizes the need for more sustainable and responsible practices. Several initiatives, organizations, and businesses are actively promoting circularity in the fashion sector.
In recent years, there has been a growing focus on reducing waste, promoting recycling and upcycling, and extending the lifespan of garments. Numerous fashion brands and designers in Turkey are adopting circular principles by implementing strategies such as product durability, repair services, and take-back programs.
“It’s time to think about Circular fashion!” the project aims to drive systemic change in the fashion business support landscape in order to successfully accelerate small and medium-sized fashion enterprises in a circular and sustainable fashion. In addition, a sustainable fashion network will be established to facilitate cross-border/transnational cooperation and the transfer of knowledge and best practices on sustainable/circular fashion.
The “Circular Fashion Transformation Toolkit” is a valuable resource designed to support business support organizations in promoting circular and sustainable practices within the fashion industry, with a focus on small and medium-sized fashion enterprises. The toolkit aligns with the objectives of the “It’s Time to Think About Circular Fashion!” event, which seeks to drive systemic change in the industry and establish a sustainable fashion network in Turkey.
Through the toolkit, business support organizations will have access to comprehensive resources, including background information, case studies, reflection exercises, worksheets, and additional references. These resources will equip organizations with the necessary tools and knowledge to effectively promote and implement circular and sustainable practices among fashion enterprises.
Furthermore, the toolkit will facilitate the establishment of a sustainable fashion network, enabling crossborder collaboration, knowledge transfer, and the sharing of best practices. This network will serve as a platform for industry stakeholders to exchange ideas, experiences, and innovative approaches in the realm of sustainable and circular fashion, contributing to the overall transformation of the fashion industry in Turkey.
Overall, the “Circular Fashion Transformation Toolkit” empowers business support organizations to play a vital role in driving systemic change, fostering collaboration, and supporting the adoption of circular and sustainable practices within the fashion industry in Turkey.
The fashion industry is one of the most resource-intensive and polluting sectors globally. Traditional linear fashion follows a “take-makedispose” model, resulting in significant environmental and social impacts. In response to these challenges, the concept of circular fashion has emerged as a transformative approach to reshape the industry.
Circular fashion promotes a regenerative and sustainable approach that aims to keep materials and products in circulation for as long as possible. It focuses on minimizing waste, maximizing resource efficiency, and creating a closed-loop system where materials are reused, recycled, or upcycled. By embracing circularity, the fashion industry can significantly reduce its ecological footprint, conserve resources, and foster a more socially responsible and ethical approach.
Turkey’s fashion industry plays a significant role in the country’s economy, making the transition to circular fashion practices crucial. By embracing circularity, Turkish fashion businesses can tap into numerous benefits, including:
In Turkey, over 1.5 million tons of textile waste is generated annually, contributing to landfill overflow and environmental degradation.
The fashion industry is a significant consumer of water, with conventional cotton production alone requiring vast amounts of water.
The production, transportation, and disposal of fashion products contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, accelerating climate change.
Material consumption
Adopting circular practices reduces the need for new resource extraction, preserving valuable materials and reducing environmental pressure.
Energy consumption
By extending the lifespan of garments and implementing recycling systems, the fashion industry can minimize energy-intensive production processes.
Innovation and competitiveness
Circular fashion practices foster innovation, enabling businesses to differentiate themselves, access new markets, and stay competitive.
The transition to circular fashion models can generate employment opportunities, particularly in areas such as repair, recycling, and upcycling.
Nivogo, a pioneer re-commerce startup aims– to revolutionize the entire linear ecosystem. We believe that wasting of 85 billion of apparel every year is unacceptable. Hence, we are here to save thousands of pieces of apparel every day in Turkey’s first re-commerce center in the fashion industry powered by circular & sustainable fashion and cutting-edge technology.
The Nivogo brand, derived from the combination of ‘Nivo’ (meaning ‘new’) and ‘go’ (representing taking action), embodies a transformative circular movement, offering a sustainable alternative to the fast fashion industry. By emphasizing the importance of responsible consumption and highlighting the environmental impact of fashion, Nivogo aims to inspire individuals to make conscious choices and contribute to a more sustainable future. The journey of Nivogo began in February 2021, starting with a team of three in a modest 400 m2 apartment
in Kağıthane. Today, it has evolved into Eastern Europe’s largest Recommerce Centre, spanning across 5,000 m2 and boasting a monthly renewal capacity of over 500,000 products, powered by cutting-edge technology and circularity. Nivogo breathes new life into pre-loved & no-loved products received from users and brand partners, reintegrating them into the circular economy.
The core of Nivogo’s operations is the unique business model called “Nivogo’s 4R.” This model includes the stages of Reverse Logistics, Renewal, Re-price, and Re-sell. First, Nivogo collect products from Circular Transformation Brand Partners through reverse logistics. Upon arrival, experts examine the current condition of each product, assigning an artificial intelligence-based NivoKod to track the necessary processes. The products undergo renewal processes such as repairing, cleaning, and ironing at dedicated renewal stations.
After the renewal stage, Nivogo utilizes its AI-based smart repricing technology to determine fair and specialized pricing for the renewed products. In the resell stage, the renewed, sanitized, and repriced products are packaged and transferred to sales channels, completing their circular transformation journey.
With a mission to provide a circular alternative to fast fashion, Nivogo has already made a significant impact. It has saved over 7 billion liters of water by renewing more than 1 million products received from brand partners and individual users. In addition to the Renewal Centre, Nivogo has rapidly expanded by establishing five circular stores in Istanbul, with the first one located at Akasya Mall. This growth solidifies Nivogo’s influence and actively involves individual users in the circular fashion movement.
What are your strategies as a brand successfully implementing circular fashion principles?
As Nivogo, we follow various strategies in line with our sustainability goals.
Firstly, Nivogo is dedicated to addressing the challenges of the fashion industry, which ranks as the second-largest polluting sector globally. We place a strong emphasis on raising awareness among both individual users and brand partners, shedding light on the environmental issues associated with the fashion industry. In addition to highlighting the problems, Nivogo offers practical solutions to promote positive change. By creating a community of circular heroes and fostering partnerships with circular transformation brand partners, we establish an ecosystem that enables sustainable practices both environmentally and financially. Through our unique circular business model, we make sustainability not only achievable but also financially viable for all stakeholders involved.
Nivogo’s mission goes beyond awareness and education; it aims to inspire action and facilitate a circular economy within the fashion industry. We provide tangible solutions such as responsible shopping models and the promotion of circular shopping
through our renewed products. By opening Turkey’s first circular store and expanding our presence across various regions, we aim to empower individuals to engage in circular shopping and contribute to a more sustainable future. Additionally, our ongoing development of a digital platform will further enhance accessibility and enable users to participate in circular shopping from anywhere, ensuring a widespread positive impact.
What are your difficulties as a brand successfully implementing circular fashion principles?
As Nivogo, we encounter various challenges in our mission to promote the circular economy and transform the fashion industry. One of the primary obstacles is changing people’s mindset and encouraging them to embrace circular shopping practices. Many consumers are accustomed to the traditional linear model of buying and disposing of clothing, so it can be challenging to shift their perspective towards a more sustainable and circular approach and change their shopping behaviors. However, we strive to encourage individuals to rethink their shopping habits and consider the environmental impact of their choices. This requires creating awareness about the benefits of circular fashion.
Moreover, fostering collaborations and partnerships with brands, designers, and industry stakeholders who align with our vision of a circular economy can be a complex task. Building a network of like-minded organizations is crucial in collectively driving change and accelerating the adoption of circular practices throughout the fashion sector.
Despite these challenges, we remain committed to our mission and continuously innovate to overcome these obstacles. We believe that by educating, inspiring, and providing accessible circular shopping experiences, we can create a positive impact on the fashion industry and pave the way for a more sustainable future.
One of the key indicators of our success is the positive feedback and support we have received from our customers. Users who have engaged with our circular stores have expressed their satisfaction with the concept of circular shopping. They appreciate the opportunity to bring their unused clothing items to Nivogo, knowing that they will be renewed and given a second life. This positive feedback not only reinforces the value of our circular model but
also encourages more individuals to actively participate in the circular economy.
In addition to customer satisfaction, our efforts have led to significant environmental benefits. By renewing over 1 million products, we have prevented 9.4 million kg of CO2 emissions, which is equivalent to driving around the world 1,262 times by car. Furthermore, we have saved 7.3 billion liters of water, which is equivalent to meeting the annual drinking water needs of 13.4 million people. These accomplishments, along with the rapid establishment of our five circular stores, highlight the positive impact we have made in a relatively short period.
Another remarkable achievement we have attained is the recognition of Nivogo’s business model beyond Turkey’s borders. Being selected as one of the 13 most promising start-ups in an international award organized by What Design Can Do reaffirms the global relevance of our circular economy approach. This acknowledgment showcases that Nivogo’s mission resonates not only within Turkey but also with the international community, highlighting the potential for our circular transformation movement to inspire and contribute to a sustainable future worldwide.
Awareness in Turkey
The toolkit is designed to support individuals, organizations, and communities in raising awareness about circular fashion in Turkey as part of the “It’s Time to Think About Circular Fashion!” project led by INOGAR Cooperative. This toolkit provides a comprehensive set of resources and guidelines to help you effectively communicate the importance and benefits of circular fashion, inspire behavior change, and foster a sustainable fashion ecosystem in Turkey.
Understanding
Circular Fashion
Circular fashion is a transformative approach to clothing production and consumption that aims to minimize waste, maximize resource efficiency, and foster sustainable practices throughout the fashion industry. It involves designing, producing, and using garments in a way that keeps materials in circulation for as long as possible, reducing the environmental and social impact of fashion.
Benefits
Adopting circular fashion principles offers numerous benefits for both the fashion industry and society at large. It enables the reduction of textile waste, decreases the consumption of virgin resources, and lowers carbon emissions. Circular fashion also promotes innovation and encourages new business models that create economic opportunities while addressing social and environmental challenges.
GİYİ is a Turkish brand committed to embracing circular fashion practices to create a more sustainable future. They tackle fabric waste by upcycling remnants from their collections into belts, bags, and kimonos. GİYİ collaborates with skilled artisans from women’s cooperatives, turning surplus fabrics into vibrant accessories. They also incorporate surplus materials into their collections, giving them a second life and reducing waste.
EKODOKU engages in activities that empower vulnerable groups, particularly women and youth, within the framework of circular and sustainable fashion. Their efforts include protecting the natural environment, promoting green growth, disseminating scientific studies, preserving cultural heritage, and addressing the economic, technological, and social needs of their partners. EKODOKU’s commitment to circularity extends to their economic activities, marketing, and project development.
NIVOGO is a pioneering recommerce start-up in Turkey that is revolutionizing the linear fashion ecosystem. They operate Eastern Europe’s largest recommerce center, rescuing products from being wasted and preventing water and carbon emissions. NIVOGO’s circular approach involves collaborating with circular heroes and transformation partners to create a more sustainable and better world through industrywide collaboration.
Bebemoss is a Turkish company dedicated to creating huggable toys using sustainable and ecoconscious practices. They provide dignified work opportunities to women in need, promoting ethical employment and positive social change. Bebemoss values inclusivity, fair trade wages, and communitybuilding within their organization. Their commitment to circular fashion extends beyond their products, advocating for women’s rights, equality, and the integration of refugees.
Circular fashion plays a key role in the implementation of sustainable living principles, while at the same time, it is an important opportunity to promote the well-being of our planet and ourselves through decent work practices and environmentally friendly economic approaches.
I firmly believe that through sustainable and conscious practices, we can create a fashion industry that not only prioritizes the planet but also uplifts communities.
Nivogo’s mission is to be enabler of circularity for business partners & individual users through worldclass infrastructure & cutting edge technology at Eastern Europe’s largest recommerce center. Collaborating with our community of circular heroes & circular transformation partners, we strive to save products from being wasted and prevent billions of liters of water & tons of carbon emissions, making a sustainable, better world possible. This transformative approach requires a fundamental shift in mindset and necessitates collaboration across the industry.
In the circular fashion economy, waste is seen as a valuable resource, and every product has the potential for multiple lives. It’s time for businesses to embrace this transformative approach and lead the way to a more sustainable future.
The transition to circular fashion is not just an environmental necessity; it also presents immense economic opportunities for small businesses. Meeting and cooperating with all the circular fashion actors, from designers to prosumers is sure to accelerate the journey.
By embracing circular fashion practices, Turkish fashion businesses can contribute to the global movement towards sustainability, protect the environment, drive innovation, and create a more inclusive and responsible industry.
These case studies exemplify how Turkish brands like GİYİ, NIVOGO, Bebemoss, and EKODOKU are leading the way in embracing circular fashion principles. They showcase innovative approaches to waste reduction, upcycling, ethical employment, and environmental stewardship, demonstrating the feasibility and advantages of circular fashion in the Turkish fashion industry.
By adopting circular fashion practices, these brands contribute to a more sustainable future, promote responsible consumption and production, and inspire others to follow suit. Their efforts serve as valuable examples of how circular fashion can create positive change in Turkey and globally.
The Circular and Sustainable Fashion Scale Factor Test is designed to assess the level of circularity and sustainability within a fashion brand or organization. This test aims to provide a quantitative measurement of key factors that contribute to circular and sustainable practices in the fashion industry. By evaluating these factors, businesses can identify areas of improvement and track their progress towards achieving circular and sustainable fashion goals.
Use the following scale (overleaf) to rate each factor on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest.
Evaluate each factor based on your organization’s current practices and performance.
Once you have rated each factor, calculate the average score to determine the overall circular and sustainable fashion scale factor.
Sum up the scores for each factor. Divide the sum by the number of factors to calculate the average score.
The average score represents the circular and sustainable fashion scale factor, ranging from 1 to 5.
Total Score: The sum of scores obtained for each factor.
Average Score: The total score divided by the number of factors.
1 to 2
Poor: Indicates a low level of circular and sustainable fashion practices. Significant improvements are needed to align with circular and sustainable principles.
2 to 3
Fair: Suggests some efforts towards circular and sustainable fashion, but there is room for improvement in various areas.
3 to 4
Average: Indicates a moderate level of circular and sustainable fashion practices. There is a foundation for further progress and enhancement.
4 to 5
Good: Demonstrates a strong commitment to circular and sustainable fashion practices. The organization is actively implementing measures and achieving positive results.
5
Excellent: Reflects exceptional performance in circular and sustainable fashion practices. The organization is a leader in the industry and serves as a role model for others.
Design for Circular Economy
Integration of circular design principles into product development processes.
Use of recyclable or biodegradable materials.
Designing for durability and longevity of products.
Material Sourcing and Traceability
Use of sustainable and ethically sourced materials.
Transparency in supply chain and material traceability.
Consideration of the environmental and social impacts of material sourcing.
Resource Efficiency
Reduction of waste generation in production processes.
Efficient use of energy, water, and other resources.
Implementation of recycling and waste management practices.
Extended Product Life
Adoption of repair and maintenance programs to extend the life of products.
Offering take-back or recycling services for end-of-life products.
Promotion of resale or rental options to encourage product reuse.
Collaboration and Partnerships
Engagement with stakeholders across the value chain to promote circular and sustainable practices. Collaboration with suppliers, manufacturers, and recycling facilities.
Participation in industry initiatives and partnerships for collective action.
Consumer Education and Engagement
Providing information to consumers about the environmental and social impact of fashion choices.
Encouraging responsible consumption and behavior through educational campaigns.
Facilitating consumer participation in circular fashion initiatives.
Innovation and Technology
Embracing innovative technologies and solutions that support circular and sustainable practices.
Investment in research and development of new materials and processes.
Adoption of digital solutions for supply chain transparency and traceability.
Metrics and Reporting
Establishment of key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure circular and sustainable fashion progress.
Regular reporting on environmental and social impact metrics.
Integration of circularity and sustainability goals into corporate reporting frameworks.
The Circular and Sustainable Fashion Scale Factor Test provides a valuable tool for businesses to evaluate their circularity and sustainability practices in the fashion industry. By regularly assessing their performance and striving for continuous improvement, organizations can contribute to a more sustainable and circular fashion ecosystem. This test serves as a starting point for identifying areas for development and implementing targeted strategies to advance circular and sustainable practices in the fashion sector.
It’s important to note that this scoring interpretation provides a general assessment and should be used as a starting point for identifying areas for improvement. Organizations should conduct a more comprehensive evaluation and develop targeted strategies based on their specific goals and circumstances.
Remember, creating a successful circular fashion awareness campaign requires ongoing commitment, creativity, and collaboration. Adapt your communication strategy based on the evolving needs of your target audience and the changing landscape of sustainable fashion.
1
Clearly define the objectives of your circular fashion awareness campaign. Is it to educate the public about circular fashion, promote sustainable practices, or encourage behavior change? Establishing clear goals will guide your communication efforts.
2
Identify the specific target audience for your campaign. This could include consumers, fashion enthusiasts, industry professionals, or policymakers. Understanding their needs, interests, and values will help tailor your messaging effectively.
Develop clear and compelling messages that resonate with your target audience. Highlight the environmental, social, and economic benefits of circular fashion, such as reduced waste, fair labor practices, and supporting local communities.
Encourage dialogue and engagement with your audience. Create spaces for discussions, Q&A sessions, or online forums where people can share their thoughts, ask questions, and learn from each other. This will foster a sense of community and empower individuals to take action.
Harness the power of storytelling to engage your audience. Share real-life examples, success stories, and case studies of social enterprises that have embraced circular fashion. Make the stories relatable and inspiring to create an emotional connection with your audience.
3 7 5 9
Continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of your communication efforts. Use analytics tools, surveys, or feedback mechanisms to gauge the reach, engagement, and impact of your campaign. Adjust your strategies as needed based on the insights gained.
Utilize a mix of communication channels to reach your target audience effectively. This may include social media platforms, websites, blogs, newsletters, events, and collaborations with influencers or other organizations. Adapt your messages to fit the specific channels and optimize their impact.
4 8 6 10
Seek opportunities to collaborate with like-minded organizations, influencers, and industry experts. This can amplify your message, broaden your reach, and foster cross-sector partnerships for greater impact.
Offer practical resources and tools that support the adoption of circular fashion. This could include guides, toolkits, sustainable fashion directories, or information on ecofriendly materials and suppliers. Empower your audience with actionable steps they can take towards circular fashion.
Celebrate and share your campaign milestones and successes. Highlight the positive changes that have been achieved, whether it’s increased awareness, behavior change, or industry collaborations. Recognize and appreciate the efforts of your audience and partners.
Circular Design Guide by Ellen MacArthur Foundation
A comprehensive toolkit that provides design strategies, case studies, and practical tools for integrating circularity into fashion design and production.
www.circulardesignguide.com
THE SUSTAINABLE FASHION TOOLKIT A Fashion Takes Action and PwC Collaboration
An online toolkit that offers guidance and resources for adopting sustainable practices in the fashion industry, including supply chain transparency, ethical sourcing, and waste reduction. sustainablefashiontoolkit.com
An app that rates fashion brands based on their environmental and ethical practices, allowing users to make informed purchasing decisions. goodonyou.eco
