POSITIVE FIBERS

Positive Fibers is a purpose driven startup on a mission to make fashion landfills obsolete through a new paradigm.

Founder & CEO

Stealth Startup

Working on the evolution of fashion for a world beyond waste

Oprichter

Women and Climate

I speak publicly about the intersection of the Circular Economy, Science, Design and Technology. My key topics are:
1. Circularity
2. Toxic-Free Fashion
3. Metaverse

Spreker

Circular Fashion Detections

Clarity about Circularity. Circular Fashion Detections is the newsletter read by executives, top politicians, designers, influencers, and journalists who stay ahead of the curve and become immune to greenwashing.

Nieuwsbriefredacteur

FashionUnited

Writing opinion pieces about the future of fashion through the lens of circular economics and sustainable development.

Guest Contributor

Hult Prize Foundation

Coaching startups with an idea to help the fashion industry become less wasteful and more impactful.

Theme: Redesigning Fashion
• Global Accelerator Mentor & Global Final Expert

Mentor

The Interline

I write about the convergence of fashion and technology in the context of sustainability.

Senior Contributor

Justice In Fashion

Ambassador for Justice in Fashion

Justice in Fashion is an alliance of like-minded and skilled individuals, endeavouring to create positive change in the fashion industry and provide a voice for those who are voiceless. We are here to manage, alliance, collaborate and network ideas.

The COVID-19 crisis has exposed the gender inequalities and fragility within the fashion industry. But, rather than entrenchment of human rights abuses in global supply chains, within the current crisis lies an opportunity to challenge brand claims to “sustainability” and “justice”. 

It is a pivotal moment for us to build a shared and transformed future of the Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry, with decent work and women’s empowerment at the core.

Co-Founder

Copenhagen Business School

Mentor in entrepreneurship

CBS MUN

Tasked with the initiation and organization of model UN related events.

Organized the DIRECT IMPACT case competition for the Students for the Global Goals festival. Wrote the case on FairFishing: tranforming an NGO into a SE.

Boardmember - Head of Events

Marije de Roos, also known as The Circular Fashion Detective, is a Dutch circular economist, strategist and founder of cleantech startup Positive Fibers®.

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PSA : Agency pitches will instantly be ignored !!!

If you're here for a genuine connection to learn about the circular fashion economy: WELCOME!
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Marije created the world’s first bio-circular blazer and founded Positive Fibers to make fashion a force for prosperity (currently working in stealth mode but you can join the waiting list via the website) 

She's currently writing her first book for eco-conscious fashion minds: FARM-TO-FASHION 
https://www.positivefibers.com/book 


Marije believes in a clean textile industry where aesthetics meet ethics both in the physical and virtual worlds.
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👋 Follow for weekly insights into circular fashion and modern living  
⭐ Book your Circular Power Hour™ here : https://marijederoos.com/circular-power-hour%E2%84%A2
🗞 Sign up to the weekly newsletter The Modern Thinker here : themodernthinker.substack.com to find out how to live a life of prosperity within the planetary boundaries.


That's all.

Thrilled to share that my book Farm-to-Fashion comes out later this year !

Coming Monday, April 22nd, marks Earth Day (https://www.earthday.org/) - an annual remembrance that if we don't care for our home planet, we don't care for ourselves. 🔦 

To celebrate Earth Day, I am doing a #GIVEAWAY : 

The first 22 people who pre-order my book before April 23rd, will get invited to a free 1:1 AMA (Ask-Marije-Anything) session.

If you're number 23 and up you will get invited to a plenary session online.

Only if you order before April 23. 

All proceeds will go to plant mangrove trees with SeaTrees. 

In this AMA you can literally ask me anything such as:
"Marije, how do I optimize my company/product for circularity?"
"Marije, what is Farm-to-Fashion about and what is it not?"
"Marije, how do I comply with stricter regulation and avoid greenwashing?"
"Marije, how do I convince my customers to choose my circular option over the conventional stuff out in the market?"
"Marije, how do I build a circular brand?"

Literally, Ask-Marije-Anything ! 

#FarmToFashion #book #circularfashion #EarthDay 
Secure your spot here: https://lnkd.in/eu8FzukY 

Marije de Roos, M.Sc.

Making Fashion Healthier™ | ✍️📙Farm-to-Fashion (now on pre-order, ships late 2024) | Founder at POSITIVE FIBERS 🌊 | Circular Fashion pioneer and Economist | Strategist for startups and SMEs

If only this dumping just stops so that we don't need to keep "patching bandaids". 

Companies like Sungai Design are doing incredible work!

However, if we are serious about the circular economy, we don't have these garbage dumps anymore.

Because in nature (quoting William McDonough) : WASTE = FOOD

What are your thoughts on fixing garbage dumps?

LinkedIn Top Green Voice | The Circular Economist | Less 🗑️ more 💵 | I help people master the circular economy | Keynote speaker

Bali's beaches are turning into garbage dumps. 

Sungai Design saw an opportunity to fix it. 

The results are... Incredible...  

Clean-ups have all my support and respect. 

But there is one but...

After every clean-up, the trash comes back.

To stop plastic pollution, we need to go to the source - a few big corporations.

Big brands need to move beyond recycling and focus on waste prevention.

Don't let them blame 8 billion people. They must change.

Instead of "just" focusing on recycling, here are other crucial concepts to work with: 

- refill
- reuse
- collect 
- reduce 
- recycle
- eliminate
- ecodesign

Applied together, we can turn off the tap and end plastic pollution. 

PS.: Repost to celebrate this win ♻.

#circulareconomy #wastemanagement #sustainability

Creds to Wes Pearce for the video! 

We need to talk about an uncomfortable truth : 

the clothes you return, get destroyed. 

In particular big retailers - like that German one - are very guilty (see report of German journalists who put trackers in shoes they returned to the e-tailer).

In short : what you return, becomes nature's problem to deal with.

Because there is no such thing as "away".

"Away" means out of your sight. 

But nothing just magically disappears (UNLESS it's compostable materials 😉 )

Check out the website linked below for the publication called "The destruction of returned and unsold textiles in Europe’s circular economy". 

"The growth of online shopping, flexible return practices, changed consumer preferences and fast-fashion business strategies in Europe have resulted in increased shares of returned and unsold textiles."

--> 
"EU policymakers have recently decided to introduce a direct ban on the destruction of textiles and footwear with some exemptions for small, micro and medium-sized companies. In this briefing, the EEA provides an overview of what is currently known about the volumes and destruction of returned and unsold textiles in Europe."

#landfills #textiledestruction #onlineshopping #returnedorders #circulareconomy 

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Hi, I'm Marije, the Circular Fashion Detective, here to reveal who's greenwashing and what it takes to make fashion circular, to achieve a truly circular economy. Follow for more insights Marije de Roos, M.Sc.

Stay informed on regulation and book a Circular Fashion Power Hour 1:1 call with me to futureproof your business. https://lnkd.in/eyhrq6zh

https://lnkd.in/ey2av5Ae

Open article: The destruction of returned and unsold textiles in Europe’s circular economy by eea.europa.eu • 1 min read

The destruction of returned and unsold textiles in Europe’s circular economy

#SHEINANIGANS alert

Big Oil and Circular Fashion are like fire and water. They don't go well together.

Building on this analogy, Circular Fashion is like the water that can put out the fire (global warming).

Anyway, the point of this post is to shine a light on the cold hard facts.

The reliance on oil by ultra fast fashion is stronger than ever and does not seem to slow down anytime soon. Quite the contrary appears true.

To participate in this slow down - aka be part of the solution not the pollution - you as an individual can do 1 simple thing :

choose better.

✅ Shop your own closet first
✅ Buy less, but better (no synthetic fabrics like polyester, nylon, elastane, latex, etc.)
✅ Prioritize natural fibers over synthetic 
✅ Care for your clothes so they stay in great shape longer

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For more updates like this, follow me Marije de Roos, M.Sc. your Circular Fashion Detective.

That's all.

K. Thx. Byeeeeee.

https://lnkd.in/eW39v_xa

Open article: China's Shein and Temu are driving oil, not Toyota and GM by japantimes.co.jp • 1 min read

China's Shein and Temu are driving oil, not Toyota and GM

Deforestation is a big issue.

This solution of seed-firing drones that plant thousands of trees each day is an interesting innovative solution !

This is Modern Thinking at work 👏

Check out the video below and let’s discuss it below.

These seed-firing drones plant thousands of trees each day. 
Do you have an innovative solution focused on biodiversity conservation and restoration? Submit yours to the Biodiversity Challenge on UpLink today: https://ow.ly/1ZLu50RgibJ

UpLink - World Economic Forum 1t.org Dendra Systems

#NatureTech #TechForGood #NatureBasedSolutions #Innovation #Biodiversity #Conservation

Earth Day 🌎 

Making conscientious decisions in what we buy makes a difference.

The #fashion industry is still a growing and pollutive monster, yet I believe it has tremendous power to be a force for good. 

The same goes for food, travel, construction, healthcare, and more.

We live in a material world and by rethinking these #materials that go into everything around us, positive #change happens. 

What does Earth Day mean to you?
What is your takeaway from this video that is 7 years old?

#EarthDay

As the human population continues to grow, so does our impact on the environment. In fact, recent research has shown that three-quarters of Earth’s land surface is under pressure from human activity. In this short film, spoken word artist Prince Ea...

Open video: His Epic Message Will Make You Want to Save the World | Short Film Showcase on youtu.be

His Epic Message Will Make You Want to Save the World | Short Film Showcase

The majority of people say:

"My individual action won't help fight global warming".

Wrong. All our individual actions bundled make a dent.

Here are 6 apps to kickstart your greener habits.

For more tips on, what I call Modern Thinking, check out my weekly newsletter #TheModernThinker here https://lnkd.in/eqhpkXRN

This post was inspired by an article in #TechRadar by editor @Mark Wilson - follow him here https://lnkd.in/e52dfDsj

Further S/O to : 
Only One (
Too Good To Go
Ecosia
NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
and more ...

App to Go Green With

Exactly why I always write this:

life on land depends on life under water. 

50-80% of the oxygen production on Earth comes from the ocean. The majority of this production is from oceanic plankton ie, drifting plants, algae, and some bacteria that can photosynthesize.

🧼 The Status Quo of Hotel Soap is unsustainable. 🫧

Have you ever wondered what happens with the hotel soap bars after you check out?

Hotels, in particular luxury, need to rethink their waste. 

These two leading organizations are paving the way, with Modern Thinking:
Clean the World
UNISOAP

Not only do they help hotels with their #CSR implementation, they actually save lives of children in underprivileged communities!

Check out my carousel and consider a repost to inspire someone today. 💙 

-Marije

P.S. if you like this post, you'll love my free newsletter, The Modern Thinker. I share a Modern Rethink every Monday to kickstart your week with stories that show "it can be done". 🫧 https://lnkd.in/eqhpkXRN 

Modern in Hotel Soap

Had to share this ! 

SOUND ON

I think I'm going to listen to this while doing my deep work sessions. 

Idea: make a playlist called

Deep Sea Deep Work Vibes ? https://lnkd.in/e58wQW6z

S/O to Positive Fibers®' impact partner Coral Guardian who's been doing fantastic work restoring and protecting coral reefs !

Turn up your volume: this is what a healthy #coral reef sounds like. 

Learn more about #Ocean Action Agenda and #innovations protecting #marine life: https://ow.ly/aEvz50R9qLA

Friends of Ocean Action Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Chief Sustainability Officers :

I'm co-authoring a book. My chapter is on circular economy and materials use (surprise surprise 😉)

To make this a success, I'm looking for 10 CSOs to interview (max. 45 min.) so that I understand what you need to be covered in this chapter. 

As a token of gratitude, you will get a free CIRCULAR POWER HOUR™ with yours truly. 

DM me if this resonates with you!

Many thanks,
Marije


Keep your poop in the loop 🫣

What was your first reaction?

🤢
Or
🤩

?

EcoLoo USA EcoLoo

This toilet saves lives as well as water. 

What’s your innovative solution for empowering the world’s most vulnerable communities? Submit it to UpLink for a chance to join our community of partners, innovators and investors who can help scale your start-up: https://wef.ch/4cXcVfK 

UpLink - World Economic Forum IKEA Foundation - U.S. Government - Convergence Blended Finance Roots of Impact Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Conrad N. Hilton Foundation elea FMO - Dutch entrepreneurial development bank AfricInvest Group African Development Bank Group Health Finance Coalition Water.org WaterEquity 

#Innovation #Entrepreneurship #HRI #frontiermarkets #impactinvesting

How are Asthma and Circular Fashion linked?

I was born with asthma.

My airways used to get irritated faster than your boss/colleague getting on your nerves.

I'm incredibly fortunate to have somewhat outgrown it. I don't need daily medication anymore. I don't feel like choking whenever in an area with air pollution.

Not every asthma-patient is this lucky.

One major contributor to air pollution is the factory in which clothes are manufactured from synthetic fibers and synthetic dyes.

The fumes that are released in these industrial processes, the micro-and nanoplastics that find their way into the air we breathe, etc. etc. all eventually find their way into our airways and then settle inside our bodies.

Scary, uncomfortable facts, but true.

My experience with fragile airways is a key driver to make fashion healthier™.

Making fashion healthier, is rooted in my vision of a circular fashion system.

Circular fashion is a system that is clean.
No oil-based synthetic fibers.
No fossil fuels involved in the manufacturing process.
No nasty fibers or other particles that pollute the ecosystem.

We are nature.

So join me and my startup Positive Fibers® to make fashion healthier.

Our growing waiting list will soon receive an exclusive update about our patent-pending platform.

Join the waiting list here: www.positivefibers.com 

Recycling ≠ Circular

You need to understand that there is a clear difference between:
1) the recycling economy
2) the circular economy 

When it comes to fashion, plastic waste is found in textiles that contain materials such as:
1) polyester
2) recycled polyester (rPET because made from plastic bottles)
3) nylon
4) elastane

And the list goes on and on.

We are not going to recycle ourselves out of this pollutive mess.

We need a truly circular fashion economy.

This means:
1) zero trash
2) bio-based materials
3) traceable supply chains (companies must understand where exactly their products come from and can return to)

Need Clarity about Circularity?

Book my Circular Power Hour ™ via https://lnkd.in/eyhrq6zh

That’s all.

#circularfashiondetective #circulareconomy #zerowaste

Can plastic be recycled? Do you know what happens to your plastic waste? In the last few years the plastic pollution crisis has become enormous. Pictures of poisoned animals, littered rivers, and polluted oceans have shocked the world. The plastic...

Open video: The Plastic Recycling Myth ⎜Climate Change Documentary ⎜WHY PLASTIC? on youtu.be

The Plastic Recycling Myth ⎜Climate Change Documentary ⎜WHY PLASTIC?

Trying out something new here.

This super important write up by the European Environment Agency made me a little creative.

Because let's be honest :
We're all too busy to ready everything we see on LinkedIn, so I did that for you and created TL;DR with action points as well as a shameless self-promotion to book that 1:1 Circular Fashion Power Hour call with me to futureproof your business.

Should I continue creating these? Let me know in the comments:
👍 = continue
👎 = please stooooop
🤔 = I'm inbetween - maybe show me more examples first

K. Thx. Byeeee.

Why we need to stop destroying unsold textiles

Coral reefs are in trouble

which means you and I are in trouble...🔴 

because we are a part of nature.

Now the good news is that we can support their health!!

Positive Fibers® has partnered with Coral Guardian (even if we're in stealth mode we make positive impact publicly!) to support their fantastic work of both restoring and protecting coral reefs. More here : https://lnkd.in/eS29BZrz 


📰 eDNA methods give a real-time look at coral reef health
Microorganisms reflect ecosystem disturbances

🗞TL;DR

1. Researchers from WHOI studied microbes in coral reef water over seven years. 

2. Coral reefs rely on microorganisms for nutrient recycling and feeding. 

3. Major disturbances like hurricanes and disease outbreaks impact coral reef microbes. 

4. Prochlorococcus bacteria, crucial for coral health, declined by 34% during disturbances. 

5. eDNA analysis provides real-time information about reef condition. 

6. Understanding healthy reef microbial community is vital for ecosystem function. 

7. Microbial assessment can aid coral reef restoration efforts.

Check this out to support coral reefs today https://lnkd.in/eS29BZrz  

Open article: eDNA methods give a real-time look at coral reef health by sciencedaily.com • 3 min read

eDNA methods give a real-time look at coral reef health

👀 go Europe! 

Regulation works.

Now let’s not slow down.

Only slowdown the meltdown. (I should really put this on a compostable t-shirt, right?!) 🌊

Greenhouse gas emissions in the #EU have fallen by a third since 1990. 

Read more about global #emissions cuts in our report, ‘The State of Climate Action: Major Course Correction Needed from +1.5% to −7% Annual Emissions’: https://ow.ly/wjAm50Rbxu1

Fast fashion is stronger than ever.

Who's celebrating? 

Anyone but our organs.

Huh?!

Okay let me explain real quick.

Simplified version : fast fashion is made from crude oil (non-renewable resource). Crude oil gets refined into textiles like polyester, nylon, elastane, whatever synthetic stuff that you find labelled inside these clothes. (BTW, luxury is not off the hook here!!)

The processes behind making these clothes + the journey they go on into our lives and beyond (i.e. RIP in landfills)

...leaches microplastics and nanoplastics particles into:

* the air that we breath
* the water that we drink
* the food we eat

We are shopping ourselves sick.

For the sake of not ending up writing my book in this post, I'll leave it here for now.

Now let's discuss in the comments :
Why do these mass polluters own the business game and how do we have consumers take a chill-pill on their shopping behavior?

That's all.

XOXO
Your Circular Fashion Detective

You deserve better than Shein. Subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications (🔔) so you don't miss any videos: http://goo.gl/0bsAjO There are countless articles and videos breaking down the abysmal labor practices, horrifying environmental toll,...

Open video: The lies that sell fast fashion on youtu.be

We are not going to "recycle" our way to Circularity.

Circularity is a SYSTEM that is free of trash.

In nature, Waste = Food (S/O to William McDonough & Michael Braungart)

As someone who's lived in Copenhagen for 4 years - as much as I love love love the city and embrace the "get it done" mentality of the Danes : the world would still need 4-5 planets if we were to all live like them.

Packaging is full of scams, such as claiming "100% cardboard" when in fact there is a plastic layer below it to contain the liquid substance.

Don't get fooled. Be critical. Ask questions. And corporates: get to work, you're almost there!

K. Thx. Byeeee. 🧡 


P.S.: do your brain a favor and follow Paul Foulkes-Arellano for more packaging shenanigans and solutions.

Bring them back home 🎗 | Opinions mine, always.

Recently, I attended a sustainability event where a representative from one of Denmark's largest food producers discussed the sustainability of their packaging. The spokesperson celebrated the company's achievement in 'solving the recycling problem of their packaging' by integrating cardboard-based food containers (commonly known as Tetra Pak) into the Danish recycling system. 

A friend who attended the event with me, who is relatively new to sustainability, was very impressed by this 'solution'. Our subsequent conversation made me realize how many people don't fully understand what 'recyclable' actually means, how different the reality is from the perception, and how much big packaging producers rely on and exploit this gap, contributing to the smoke and mirrors surrounding recycling.

Here are some facts about the recycling of cardboard-based food packaging:

📦Cardboard cartons, such as Tetra Paks, consist of complex composites including plastic, aluminum, and cardboard. This complexity makes them problematic for recycling.

📊Tetra Paks are composed of 14% plastic, 5% aluminum, 6% bioplastic (cap), and 75% cardboard.

🏭🚛🚛Although labeled as 100% recyclable, Tetra Paks require specialized machinery for recycling due to their mixed material composition, which limits the actual rate of recycling. For example, there are no processing plants in Denmark; the waste is first transported to Germany and then to Sweden for what is termed recycling.

💸The recycling process for such packaging involves grinding the material into a very fine powder and then separating the fragments, which is highly energy-intensive, wasteful, and contributes further to microplastic pollution.

🗑️ Recycled Tetra Pak materials are often "downcycled" into lower-quality products that may ultimately end up in landfills, with less than 30% of the material volume actually being reused.

💸🚽The materials from this 'recycling' process rarely return to their original form; instead, they are turned into less valuable products, diminishing their overall recyclability and economic value.

Given all these challenges, I am somewhat taken aback by the celebratory nature of the announcement that the problem of cardboard food packaging has been 'solved' in Denmark. It seems to me that we are creating a whole inefficient system to handle an inherently unsustainable packaging solution, just so we can continue justifying its use in the service of big producers, rather than in the service of our social, economic, and environmental needs.

Only when we focus on designing systems that are fit for purpose, instead of applying ill-suited patches to unsustainable products, will we start making real progress on our sustainability journey.  So lets hold off the celebrations until than, shall we?

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