The Circular Economy Plus T-shirt

The Circular Economy Plus T-shirt is a circular economy project initiated in Yokohama. The aim is to make sustainable T-shirts using waste plastic bottles discarded in the area. The operation is handled by Yokohama Living Lab Support Office, an intermediary organization that supports living labs around Yokohama.

Circular Economy Plus is related to a vision of Yokohama Living Lab Support Office’s activities, which focuses on four areas: “local for local”, “sustainable development”, “health promotion” and “parallel career.” This is an initiative to create open　innovation that solves local issues in Yokohama from the perspective of the circular economy while operates living labs in various locations as a base. “Plus” implies that the circular economy incorporates not only the economy but also the “people” to create a unique circular economy model for Yokohama.

Making T-shirts involved many stakeholders. First, the Yokohama branch of NPO greenbird, which cleans the city of Yokohama, collected plastic bottles. Then, Japan Environment Planning Inc with a special chemical recycling technology produced T-shirts by extracting polyester resin from plastic bottles. The T-shirt was designed by a designer from Yokohama, and printed by Okawa Printing Co., Ltd., known as Yokohama’s leading SDGs promotion company, using zero carbon printing.

All financing was raised through crowdfunding “LOCAL GOOD YOKOHAMA” operated by NPO Yokohama Community Design Lab. The finished T-shirt debuted at the “Sustainable Brands International Conference 2020 Yokohama” held in Pacifico Yokohama in February 2020.

1. Incorporate a “person” perspective into a circular economy

The feature of the Circular Economy Plus concept is that it emphasizes not only environment and economy but also a “person” viewpoint such as health promotion and parallel career. In terms of how to make the transition inclusively to a circular economy, the emphasis is on the project design that can involve everyone from children to the elderly and people with disabilities.

2. Clean the town through the creation of a circular fashion

As part of the project, the Circular Economy Plus T-shirt cooperates with NPO greenbird to clean up the city. This is a participatory project where citizens clean up the city by picking up trash in the process of creating a circular fashion such as T-shirts.

3. Collaborative project involving diverse local businesses

After various companies, NPOs and citizens with a connection of Yokohama made the Circular Economy Plus T-shirt together, it created many new connections. This is a good example of a collaborative project, which is essential for the realization of a circular economy.