The world’s first circular lanyards produced in partnership with Debrand and Coleo
We recently partnered with Coleo, a textile recycling company, to produce circular lanyards for the 2023 Textile Exchange Conference in London, UK on October 23-27, 2023 to reduce waste at physical events. With more than 1.5 billion people participating in business events and conferences each year, any small change has the potential to make a big impact.
“I’ve attended hundreds of conferences throughout my career and it’s heart-wrenching to know that attendees produce approximately 4 pounds of waste per day,” said Amelia Eleiter, co-founder of Debrand. “We wanted to find a way to demonstrate how we can work together to reduce unnecessary waste, so we decided to focus on eliminating lanyards from ending up in landfills.”
Debrand selected Coleo to partner with to demonstrate how a collaborative ecosystem of suppliers can produce, distribute, pre-process and circulate products designed with next-life logistics at its inception, minimising environmental impact and protecting our planet’s resources. The lanyards are made with 50% recycled cotton and 50% recycled polyester. Collection bins will be located at entrances and exits throughout the conference venue and attendees will be reminded to drop off their circular lanyards after use.
A 2020 survey finds that 60% of conference attendees prefer events that apply sustainable practices, with over 25% strongly preferring such conferences.
“This project stands as a compelling example, showcasing the feasibility of circularity in textiles,” said David Puyuelo, CEP at Coleo. “By uniting our efforts, we are bound to achieve remarkable results in the years ahead.”
For those attending the Textile Exchange conference in London next week, be sure to stop by booth 125 to learn more about the circular lanyards project and other next-life logistics projects underway. We’d love to share some of the work we’ve done in the last 12 months.
This year, Debrand is projected to divert nearly 1,000 tons of used textiles (125% year-over-year growth), from landfills through resale, reuse, recycling and recovery channels. With a reputation for exceptional service and tech-enabled solutions, Debrand specializes in reverse logistics for the apparel and footwear industry. The company is headquartered in Surrey, Canada and customers include Lululemon Athletica, Canada Goose, Aritzia, Kit and Ace, Bravado and Everlane.