Selected Scenario Concepts: Reviewing the Application of the Guidelines

This report presents insights achieved by testing the BIO TEN guidelines introduced in D1.1. The purpose is to ensure the BIO TEN guidelines create an appropriate and rigorous framework which will enable consideration for all aspects that need to be included in the design/stakeholder decision making process, when making a circular fashion garment from bio-based materials. The guidelines also include provision for garments that are made in ‘local’ contexts – whereby the materials and products are made and used, then re-used and recycled, within certain geographic parameters.

The challenges documented in this report relate to the decision-making pro-cess that lies ahead for design stakeholders wanting to work with bio-based materials, in emerging circular economy contexts in Europe. The HEREWEAR project context is particularly concerned with textiles and garments made from fibres created from bio-waste; these textiles have proper-ties that effect how the product will function and perform at all stages of the life cycle. To make a garment feel good, last well, and be used, then reused and repaired - and then hopefully recycled into new materials – guidelines are needed to support a holistic approach. The ultimate aim here is to not only create written, analogue guidelines and tools but to inform the development of a software feature that will guide design stakeholders through this process, offering a range of product types to choose from. This report uses the three shirts from the selected scenarios work (D1.2) to test the WP1 thinking thus far.

In Part 2 of this report, we present the exemplars of existing products or prototypes that we collected, coded and mapped. These helped us to understand as a group in WP1 what each of the BIO TEN design guidelines mean when put into action. By tagging with ‘bio’, ‘local’ and ‘circular’ we could see what activity was going on already or what is currently in development, as well as being able to see the gaps. Using the inspiration gained from the exemplars along with insights from across the other project workpackages, selected scenario concepts were co-created by the WP1 group (figures 19-21, pp.40-43).

In Part 3 of the report, we show how we used these concepts, by tracking the relevant design decisions back into parts 1 and 2 of the BIO TEN framework. This process enabled us to see which strategies were relevant according to each of the three product scenarios. This showed us variations in design decisions that are already possible with limited concepts, alerting us to the sensitivities, considerations and details that we need to factor into future versions of the guidelines. We found that part 3 of the BIO TEN – Design for Circular Behaviours – would need exploring as the prototypes became real, by work-ing with marketing, communication, retail and other stakeholders. At this stage in the project, the guidelines are focused on the material and product attributes, whilst consideration of the whole system is kept firmly in mind.

In Part 4 of the report, we took a deep dive into the Circular Life Cycle Extension guidelines (BIO TEN, part 2). Through a literature review we brought together guidelines for use, reuse, repair and recycling (remanufacture). We were looking for guidelines around bio-based materials in particular and found almost nothing specific existed. Interviews and workshops with users of bio-based materials conducted by MAIBINE revealed insights around the assumptions and physical textile qualities of ‘bio-based’ clothes they owned or produced. The ‘BURRR’ workshop format we devised together has created a new way to engage with the community, and one which has great potential as we move ahead in the next phase of the HEREWEAR project. Another aspect of the project is becoming clearer now too – the idea of what ‘local’ really means in this context. The interview conducted with MAIBINE revealed that local history and culture, politics and economics, all have a part to play in how users will connect with their clothes and the textiles they witness in their town. The recirculation of clothing and textiles comes with great meaning for people and has the potential to engage users in new ways. We are hoping to explore this more in future parts of the HEREWEAR project as we begin to travel and share the BIO TEN.

In conclusion, this report hosts a wealth of information for design stakeholders, which is ready for further translation into a broader set of garment scenarios - ones which can be determined by ‘local’ factors as well, as we next venture into community engagement events and activities. One final key find-ing is worth noting here. We uncovered widescale confusion around the term ‘recycling’ – and how it is misused and misunderstood, even by key circular economy organisations, as well as the general public. There is an opportunity for us as a project to offer clarity and definitions, that will help people to understand how important life cycle extension actions are, and how recycling of materials must come at the end of a long use and reuse phase. The economics of technical specifications of recycling materials needs to be more clearly separated out from the life cycle extension work that takes place in our homes, our small businesses and our charities.