More than 80% of textiles worldwide leak out of our linear system. They are incinerated, landfilled or lost to the environment, and collection systems capture only part of what reaches the market. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) currently focuses on downstream recycling. It could do much more: drive circular design, extend product life and tackle pollution such as microfibre leakage. Meanwhile, resale and repair businesses are growing, generating revenue and local jobs, yet they operate in markets and regulations built for a linear economy. Which policies can keep textiles in the loop, and where is progress already visible?

Before organisations change their material flows, they must change their vocabulary. Everyday terms such as “waste”, “end of life” and “disposal” quietly lock companies into linear thinking. They shape how products are designed, how resources are valued and which opportunities are overlooked. Language drawn from living systems, on the other hand, opens new ways of seeing materials and new commercial possibilities. Drawing on examples from Europe, the Gulf and India, this session shows how deliberate word choice can shift mindsets across teams, customers and value chains, and accelerate circular transformation. Participants will leave with a fresh lens on the words they use every day.

What would our world look like if it were fully circular? In this interactive workshop, led by Sunil Thawani, attendees set aside today's constraints and imagine it freely. Picture cities, homes, workplaces, products, food and mobility designed so that nothing is wasted, materials flow continuously and nature is regenerated. Working together in groups, participants will describe this ideal world and share their visions. They will then look back from that future to the present, asking what must change and what first steps can be taken now. Come ready to dream boldly, and leave with inspiration and ideas to start building that world today.