Ann Runnel Unlocking Business Opportunities of Circular Economy

The main topic of the conference was responsible marketing. Runnel works with major global apparel manufacturers to help them restructure their supply chain for a circular economy. Her clients are large clothing factories in Asia, for who mapping leftovers and finding the best recycling solution is becoming increasingly important.

97% of the global garment industry profits go to the pockets of 20 major corporations. It is these corporations who can solve the problems caused by mass consumption in the fashion industry, Runnel said.

According to Runnel, when solving these problems it is important where you focus - there is an enormous amount of detail. Usually the focus is on how to reduce leftovers. But in fact, the focus should be on how to restructure production so that less raw material is needed. In other words, how to make the value chain, in which the materials circulate, as long as possible.

For big brands, it is essential to get quality leftovers from the recycler. They can demand better sorting of the waste. For the industrial company, it is extremely important to get accurate information - the manufacturer must know what the materials have been recycled from and how. Reverse Resources run by Ann Runnel helps to make this part of the clothing production chain transparent.

Ultimately, the cost of production is reduced and profit will increase and most importantly, the environment is saved.

Reverse Resources is a software as a service platform for fabric and garment factories to map, measure and create visibility for leftover fabrics and scraps so that these become traceable through their following life cycles.

Password is a marketing conference organised by Äripäev.

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