As the world starts to move away from the linear production method of ‘take, make and waste’ to circularity in which waste is seen as a design flaw, we’ve put together this list of inspiring quotes and words about circular fashion and the circular economy that we feel should be shared far and wide to motivate people to view materials in a doughnut shaped kind of way!
As I made mention in our first post about sustainability quotes, to the untrained mind, some of the quotes may seem unrelated to the topic at hand, but when you view the broader picture you will begin to see the quote’s relevance.
I really hope these quotes help motivate you to take action to reduce waste and see resources and materials in a new light, something that should be reused and recycled rather than dumped and wasted. Enjoy the quotes!
— Jen, Editor-in-Chief xx
1. If it can’t be reduced, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled or composted, then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production. – Peter Seeger
2. Once you understand the destruction taking place, unless you do something to change it, even if you never intended to cause such destruction, you become involved in a strategy of tragedy. You can continue to be engaged in that strategy of tragedy, or you can design and implement a strategy of change. – Michael Braungart, Willian McDonough, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
3. So-called ‘circular’ approaches – to the city, the economy, design – extend well beyond just limiting environmental impacts. They take on a more systemic, cyclical view of how physical and biological processes, together with human interactions, give rise to sustainable living environments – forming a complete self-sustaining ‘ecosystem’, like a closed circle.? Michiel Schwarz, A Sustainist Lexicon
4. Waste is a design flaw. – Kate Kreba
5. Anyone who believes in indefinite growth on a physically finite planet is either mad, or an economist. – Sir David Attenborough
6. An economy that puts back what it takes out, that is sustainable by design. – Matthew Bishop, Economics: An A-Z Guide
7. There is no such thing as ‘away’. When we throw anything away it must go somewhere. – Annie Leonard
8. For the twenty-first century a far bigger goal is needed: meeting the human rights of every person within the means of our life-giving planet. – Kate Raworth, Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist
9. In nature nothing is created and nothing is destroyed, but everything is transformed. – Antoine Laurent Delavosier
10. Problems cannot be solved at the same level of awareness that created them. – Albert Einstein
11. It’s pretty amazing that our society has reached a point where the effort necessary to extract oil from the ground, ship it to a refinery, turn it into plastic, shape it appropriately, truck it to a store, buy it and bring it home, is considered to be less effort than what it takes to just wash the spoon when you’re done with it. – Author unknown
12. Cradle to Cradle is like good gardening; it is not about “saving” the planet but about learning to thrive on it – Michael Braungart, Willian McDonough, Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things
13. In its industrial processes, a truly circular economy creates no net pollution or waste. – Matthew Bishop, Economics: An A-Z Guide
14. Waste isn’t waste until we waste it. — Will.I.Am, musician
15. The challenge now is to create economies – local to global – that help to bring all of humanity into the Doughnut’s safe and just space. Instead of pursuing ever-increasing GDP, it is time to discover how to thrive in balance. – Kate Raworth, Doughnut Economics: Seven Ways to Think Like a 21st-Century Economist
Recommending reading:
- There’s a Race To Innovation in Circular Fashion. Here Are Some Inspiring Concepts to Consider…
- Want a Fashion Industry Without Waste? Support the Australian Circular Fashion Conference…
- 4 Must-See Short Online Films on The Topic of Fast Fashion
- The Sustainable Fashion Blueprint Report 2018: Industry Overview and Business Opportunities
- 9 Reasons Why Sustainable, Eco and Ethical Fashion Businesses Close and Finish Up (AKA Fail)
Inspired to shop responsibly? Keen to vote with your dollars? Check out our resources page for a comprehensive list of ethical and sustainable brands.
