🌀 QUICK LOOP

In one word: Circularity is …the smart and equitable future
Your circular hero: …Ellen MacArthur
Never again: …believe that one person cannot bring change
Always again: …kindness and humor
Last thing you reused / repaired / repurposed: grandmother’s sweater / boiling kettle / cardboard boxes turned into a photo booth

THE LOOP & LEAD QUESTIONNAIRE

1. What’s your role in closing the loop — and what drives you today?

My path is one of gradual eye-opening, built on many small moments over the past 10 years, when it became impossible not to see the damage caused by the way we have built our consumption systems in the last 30 years — the deterioration of human health because of it, and what we are doing to the planet. Like many others, I initially focused on changing my personal consumption habits and learning more about the topic. Over time, I became driven by the desire for systemic change at a larger scale, which led me to work for companies — and later co-found businesses — addressing different parts of the loop.

2. Which problem are you tackling in your current work — and why does it matter?

We want to reduce the massive overproduction and use of unsustainable textile materials in the apparel industry. We design and produce high-quality textile merchandise products for companies, artists, and festivals based on upcycling principles. First, we aim to use deadstock materials left at our manufacturing partners — and if not possible, we use sustainably produced and locally made textiles. Second, we produce on demand with European manufacturers, which allows for much greater transparency and traceability. Last but not least: our products are made from high-quality materials, so they last longer and can be upcycled more easily.

3. What’s the biggest barrier you face today in making circularity real?

Mindset — no surprises here. I completely acknowledge that with today’s economic pressures it can feel difficult to invest more in changing manufacturing processes, or to buy fairly-priced and circular products that are more expensive from a consumer point of view. But the path of not changing anything — or even becoming worse — simply does not make sense.

“We convinced ourselves that it is fine to buy a shirt for 5–10 €, because we can just buy another one two months later. But the real cost is paid elsewhere.”

4. If you could solve one systemic challenge by 2030, what would it be?

A shift in political and governance policies that makes it impossible for businesses to delay changing manufacturing processes — combined with support for raising consumer and societal awareness, so consumption patterns and preferences can begin to shift.

5. What keeps you optimistic that we’ll get there?

My optimism, frankly, is less than it used to be five years ago — which to me means I need to push harder. I find inspiration and motivation in like-minded people from all walks of life, whether in business or in private contexts, and in the belief that we cannot leave this planet worse than we found it for the next generations. The progress on the scientific front is also exciting: new sustainable materials, more efficient and affordable recycling, and better use of technology.