We are proud to be stepping up our textile recycling initiative from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games by partnering with the Circular Textiles Foundation (CTF). CTF is a forward-thinking organisation that works with brands and manufacturers to ensure as much clothing as possible is designed to be recycled. This is a key step in our mission of bringing environmental sustainability to the forefront of our business strategy.
The Circular Textiles Foundation aims to accelerate the textile industry’s transition to circularity by providing an independent circularity standard. Increasing traceability and connecting key players from across the supply chain, the CTF offers the technical expertise required for members to close the loop by working collaboratively to design and scale up solutions in fibre-fibre recycling.
Tim Cross, Director of the Circular Textiles Foundation, commented:
“CSM Live is truly leading the way for the global events industry by making the very necessary, and significant, commitments towards reducing waste and achieving circularity. We are absolutely delighted that CSM Live have joined the CTF and look forward to supporting them in making events circular.”
Recycling textiles is a process CSM Live has embraced across their work at high-profile sporting events. As the Official Look, Wayfinding and Signage provider for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, CSM Live worked in collaboration with Project Plan B – a recycling partner of the Circular Textile Foundation, – to ensure that many of the products were designed to be recycled. As a result, the products produced for the Games were 100% polyester, which meant eliminating eyelets and finding new ways to ensure functionality as well as embedding recyclability after the event.
Using mechanical recycling technology, Project Plan B can give post-event polyester products a second life. Designed in 100% polyester, textile feed stock is shredded into small pieces. These pieces then go through extrusion, vaporisation, filtration and pelletisation processes to become rPET pellets which can be reused in a number of ways ranging from being spun into various types of fibres for yarns to create new textile products, or injection moulded into hard plastic products.
Cross further explains: “This ground breaking technology is changing how we use resources for the better. It is a great privilege to be recycling products from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and it will be exciting to see what the resulting rPET pellets might be turned into in their next lives.”
Speaking on the importance of the partnership to CSM Live going forward, Giles Stanford, Director of Global Events, commented: “The event and live experience industry is a large but overlooked global consumer of textiles. Our work at Birmingham 2022 played a pivotal role in supporting a sustainable legacy at the Games, driving forward our circular economy efforts. As the first organisation in the industry to become a member, this will help us better design and procure our projects, thus accelerating eco-innovation across the industry.”
By joining the Circular Textiles Foundation, we will not only benefit from having access to eco-innovation at the forefront of the textiles industry but will also be able to play a vital role in driving and scaling up circular economy efforts across the sporting and experiential industry.
