The Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week
Thinking the future of textiles - exploring together the potential for circularity and innovation
European Union
Fashion adds colour and life to our daily experiences. But
have you ever considered the impact a single garment can
have on the global environment?
This programme focuses on the environmental challenges
facing the glamorous fashion industry and explores pathways
to transform the textile sector into a more sustainable and
environmentally friendly industry.
Part 1: High-level discussion
“Weaving a more sustainable future: innovations in
textiles"
Part 2: Panel discussion
"The Environmental Cost of Textiles”
Recorded video available
Discussion
- Circular economy
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Track Programme
-
Time and
Date of
the event -
-
2025.09.22[Mon]
10:30 ～ 12:15
(Venue Open 10:00)
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- Venue
- Pavilion
- Poland Pavilion
Programme details
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audio.
The textile sector is a vital part of our lives. The sector is
not only vital to economies and cultures, it is also a
significant contributor to environmental challenges such as
waste, pollution and resource depletion. This event will be an
opportunity for various actors (manufacturers, policymakers,
designers, sustainability advocates, etc.) to share insights
about forward thinking solutions that will help reimagine the
future of textiles and build a more circular sector.
Reports
【Reflection】
Overview
The session addressed the textile sector’s environmental
footprint and explored pathways to circularity and innovation.
It combined a high-level discussion on innovation trends with
a panel explicitly focused on “The Environmental Cost of
Textiles.”
Key findings
Clarity of issues.
By foregrounding resource use, waste and pollution associated
with a single garment, the programme framed a shared
understanding of the sector’s environmental challenges and how
to account for them.
Direction of change.
The discussion stressed linking product design (durability,
repairability, recyclability), material innovation (secondary
and alternative fibres) and operations (collection, sorting,
recycling) as one system.
From awareness to action.
Handling both the diagnosis and possible pathways within one
agenda helped move participants from shared awareness to
implementation readiness—notably around measurement, material
choices and engagement with take-back/recycling schemes.
Conclusion
The session squarely addressed the environmental cost of
textiles and served as a forum to share directions for
innovation and impact accounting needed to make the textile
industry more sustainable.
【Post EXPO Initiatives】
Implementation focus
Grounded in the session’s agenda, the following actions
translate discussion into practice:
Assessment & disclosure:
start product-level impact visibility across key lines and
circulate the insights internally.
Design review:
re-check requirements for durability, repairability and
recyclability and prioritise design improvements.
Material pilots:
initiate trials with secondary/alternative fibres and evaluate
performance, quality and supply viability.
Engage take-back/recycling:
map options to join or strengthen collection–sorting–recycling
schemes and set internal roles/data flows.
External communication:
share a concise direction of travel on metrics, design policy
and participation in take-back initiatives.
Conclusion
With near-term impact visibility, design checks and targeted
pilots, organisations can progress from dialogue to
implementation.
Cast
Moderator
Claire Downey
CEO of the Rediscovery Centre
Claire has been an integral part of the Rediscovery
Centre team since 2021 as Policy & Research
Director, leading groundbreaking circular economy
research and driving education initiatives in Ireland
and beyond.
Appointed Chief Executive of the Rediscovery Centre in
2025, Claire brings over 20 years of experience in the
sector to this role and is a dedicated advocate for
circular living.
Claire sits on the National Waste Advisory Group, the
National Textiles Advisory Group, the European
Circular Economy Stakeholder Network Platform, RREUSE
network and Right to Repair campaigns. She is a fellow
with the Chartered Institute of Waste Management and a
board member of Green Foundation Ireland.
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Speakers
Jessika Roswall
Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy, European Commission
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Kenji Higashi
Executive Vice-President, Spiber Inc.
With a background in biotechnology, Kenji has spent over a decade bringing biomaterials innovation to life. Since 2013, he has been driving Spiber Inc.'s business development and sustainability initiatives, focusing on projects that aim to build a more circular and sustainable society. Based in France, Kenji also serves as President of Spiber's Europe branch, overseeing regional operations.
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Dounia Wone
Chief Impact Officer, Vestiaire Collective
Dounia is the Chief Impact Officer at Vestiaire
Collective where she has worked for nearly 5 years.
Dounia is responsible for impact partnerships with
stakeholders and externally facing company engagement,
educating the public and decision-makers on
circularity and how the resale platform can aid better
consumption habits. She is an active speaker and
panellist at the Bloomberg Green Festival and
ChangeNOW industry events.
Recognition is given to Dounia for contributing to the
promotion and adoption of circular business models in
the luxury fashion sector.
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Maria Nikolopoulou
Member of Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and EESC, European Economic and Social Committee (EESC)
Maria Nikolopoulou is a member of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) from the Workers' Group, representing the Spanish trade union Comisiones Obreras. She is currently one of the Vice Presidents of the NAT Bureau and member of the Steering Group of the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform.
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Maria Vera Duran
Senior Technical Manager, EuRIC
Maria VERA DURAN joined EuRIC in July 2021. With a
background in Chemical Engineering and an MBA from the
University of Malaga (Spain), she previously worked as
a project coordinator at the University of Malaga for
nearly five years, contributing to projects on
managerial excellence and internationalisation.
At EuRIC, Maria is responsible for the European
Plastics Recycling Branch (EPRB), as well as for
managing all technical and regulatory issues for the
recycling industry, including the new Circular Economy
Act.
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The Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week
Thinking the future of textiles - exploring together the potential for circularity and innovation
Fashion adds colour and life to our daily experiences. But
have you ever considered the impact a single garment can have
on the global environment?
This programme focuses on the environmental challenges facing
the glamorous fashion industry and explores pathways to
transform the textile sector into a more sustainable and
environmentally friendly industry.
Part 1: High-level discussion
“Weaving a more sustainable future: innovations in
textiles"
Part 2: Panel discussion
"The Environmental Cost of Textiles”
-
2025.09.22[Mon]
10:30～12:15
(Venue Open 10:00)
- Pavilion
OTHER PROGRAM
The Future of Earth and Biodiversity Week
