WORLD CIRCULAR TEXTILES DAY, SCOTLAND 2022
World Circular Textile Day 2022 (Scotland) was organised by Dr Lynn Wilson, FRSA. This information sheet explains her work, collaborators, and connections in relation to the purpose of the day.
This year is the second year of WCTD. Dr Wilson took the opportunity to create a space to enable others to share their progress. The event was free to attendees and participants, sponsored by CDSI and Creative Informatics.
In 2023, the event will include updates from Dr Wilson, about her ongoing research, which you can see descriptions of below.
Circular DS International and the
Circular Materials Repository – Creative Entrepreneur
Circular DS (CDS) was founded by Dr Lynn Wilson in 2017, dedicated to advancing business and consumer knowledge about how to implement the circular economy. An increase in clients and a diverse range of projects meant the business was registered as a limited company in 2021. CDSI was awarded a Creative Entrepreneurship, within Creative Informatics, which is currently underway, from September to March 2023. According to Zero Waste Scotland ‘74% of Scotland’s carbon footprint is caused by the goods and services we consume’ which includes resource extraction, manufacture, and the transport of goods. They believe that by improving the use of materials will contribute to reducing carbon emissions and protecting the environment and the delicate biodiverse systems most at risk from resource extraction. CDS works with design-led businesses to identify what they can do to transition to circular business models, by using alternative material sources, compatible with bio-regenerative systems or industrial closed loops.
During the resident entrepreneur project, CDSI will work collaboratively with a circular materials researcher and an augmented reality specialist to build the content of the CMR. During this period, it is hoped that partnerships will be formed with new material labs, where they will see the mutual benefit of engaging with CDSI.
A full-time Circular Economy Business Development Manager will start in October, with the aim of developing the CMR and understanding the market and business needs.
CIRCULAR WOOL PROJECT
Dr Wilson is currently undertaking a six-month, postdoctoral research project, at the Centre for Circular Design (CCD), led by Professor Rebecca Earley (co-founder of WCTD), which is investigating the UK wool sector and identifying future research directions, for wool value chains. This is an internal report, which will inform the work of CCD going forward.
In 2020, Lynn, was a founding member of World Circular Textile Day, as part of the working group that developed the direction and focus for WCTD.
https://worldcirculartextilesday.com/
PhD Thesis Abstract: Cleaning the Loop.
Driving Consumer Clothing Circularity
This research thesis is positioned within the field of consumer theory. The purpose of the research thesis was to investigate consumer lived experience of clothing longevity and the post-consumer clothing disposal taxonomy, through the theoretical lens of contamination, within the context of the transition to the circular economy. Consumer experience and perception of clothing contamination is a new field of investigation, which to date has been referred to as a consumer ‘hygiene’ concern. This research built on a design theory of contaminated interaction, identified through an extensive literature review, which developed into literature synthesis that supported the design of the research questions.
The research applied an ethnographic multi-method qualitative research design framework. A purposive sample of 30 participants was recruited – representing their household – who committed to engaging in the project for up to six months. Participation included semistructured interviews, participant diaries, participant observation, and photographs. Eight semi-structured textile recycling industry interviews were conducted, to capture and compare consumer clothing disposal experiences.
The findings revealed new evidence that consumers experience clothing contamination through pathogenic, bacterial, proprioceptive, and perception cues, which are transferred from the innate properties of consumer ‘vital essence’ to the garment, or from an extrinsic environmental source. All participants demonstrated prosumer initiation and innovation in extending the life of clothing and textiles that were perceived to demonstrate contamination cues, in ways they believed extended the life of the garment or textile. This contrasted with industry evidence, which found that post-consumer clothing disposal intended for reuse and recycling, are part of a linear system, which means that the destination and final use of a post-consumer garment cannot be known.