Circle Economy and AMFI Bring 'Beyond Next' Circularity Event to Amsterdam
On Feb 7th and 8th, Circle Economy and the Amsterdam Fashion Institute (AMFI) will host Beyond Next, a pioneering event and two-day challenge to find new business solutions to protect our planet.
The event brings together industry professionals, students, artists and government actors to co-create ideas to create a more sustainable world.
It will be attended by 800 people across Europe and feature panel discussions and inspirational speeches from speakers such as Kate Raworth, author of the book ‘Doughnut Economics’ and Frans van Houten, CEO of Phillips.
Since 2016, AMFI and the Circle Economy have partnered to bring young students and creative innovators together with established industry players to 're-imagine' the future of fashion.
A key feature of this annual event is its pitching competition in which teams are challenged to co-create circular solutions to real business issues.
This year, HEMA, ABN AMRO and The City of Amsterdam join AMFI to set circular challenges. This is the first time the event goes beyond fashion only to address issues such as: ‘beyond single life plastics’, ‘beyond organic waste’, and ‘beyond ownership to access'.
The four themes to be tackled by 12 teams are:
1. Beyond Ownership - How can we promote access over ownership in the household? By ABN AMRO
2. Beyond Plastics - How can we transition to a system free of single-use plastics? By HEMA
3. Beyond Education - How can fashion education equip students for a ‘new reality’? By AMFI
4. Beyond Leftovers - How can we effectively collect and use organic waste throughout the city? By Gemeente Amsterdam
Speaking of their ambition to transition towards a circular economy, Marieke van Doorninck, deputy mayor at The City of Amsterdam says: “The city of Amsterdam aims to be a fully circular and climate neutral city by 2050. Urban leadership will lead the way on delivering the positive effects of a circular economy.”
Leslie Holden, AMFI head of fashion & design and the Master Fashion Enterprise Creation says: “Education can no longer shy away from the vast and damaging impact the industry has and must equip the next generation of fashion professionals with the values, perspectives, and knowledge to lead us toward a fairer and more sustainable fashion future.”
Highlighting the urgency of the event, Gwen Cunningham, Circular Textiles Specialist at Circle Economy and Lecturer on Sustainability in AMFI says: “The next generation of fashion professionals understand the urgency for change and we, as educators, must prime them to act.”
This event comes on the back of a report released by Circle Economy at the World Economic Forum that highlights not enough is being done across sectors to adhere to the Paris Agreement to keep global temperature rises well below 2˚C.
The 'Circularity Gap Report' proposes that a move away from society's prevalent ‘take-make-waste’ model towards one of circularity can maximise our planet’s chance of avoiding a dangerously changing climate.
