Papers by Valérie J Boiten
UNTFSSE International Conference, 2019
Today’s world seems to be buzzing with excitement over the “circular economy”, a concept closely ... more Today’s world seems to be buzzing with excitement over the “circular economy”, a concept closely aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 12. This paper examines four organisations from the social and solidarity economy, which are trying to redirect our growing streams of textile waste towards reuse and recycling, all grounded in the model of social employment. Through cross-sectoral collaborations, new social business models are emerging. The SSE-organisations discussed in this paper work with retailers, brands, technology developers and recyclers. They are reinventing the SSE’s traditional model of clothing reuse, turning instead into a push factor for a circular system in which the value of all textile materials can be maximised. Whilst in early stages, these projects can signal and help anticipate the possible risks and opportunities for the SSE, as the circular transition picks up speed. The paper therefore provides first-hand insights as to the question of how the circular economy can become socially impactful, and how the social and solidarity sector can maximise its role through collaborations, whilst safeguarding its independence and social mission. Lastly, the paper also discusses the enabling factors to achieve the systemic change of SDG 12, fostering social, environmental and economic progress within hybrid collaboration models.
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2019
The textile/apparel industry is of great importance to the economy in terms of trade, employment,... more The textile/apparel industry is of great importance to the economy in terms of trade, employment, investment and revenue all over the world. This sector is however characterised by substantial losses, due to production excesses on the one hand, and the “throw away” culture on the other. This state of affairs suggests that textile recycling is needed. Apart from the environmental and ecological advantages which can be brought about by the re-use and recycling of textiles, there are many benefits of a socio-economic nature. This paper analyses current trends on textile recycling, the barriers impeding greater recycling, and outlines the socio-economic advantages of moving towards a circular economy. Some examples of on-going initiatives are discussed, together with some of the measures that may be used to further reduce the current waste deriving from the apparel sector.
De circulaire economie is de droom van het eeuwige leven van materialen en hun componenten. Het i... more De circulaire economie is de droom van het eeuwige leven van materialen en hun componenten. Het is een model waarin onze grondstoffen in verschillende productiecycli reïncarneren en dat in soms totaal onherkenbare gedaantes. Katoenvezels geplukt door een Senegalese boer krijgen een tweede leven als biobrandstof, terwijl ons koffiedik wordt gebruikt voor de kweek van Brusselse oesterzwammen. Het circulaire denken spreekt tot ieders verbeelding – maar waarom blijkt dit alles zo overtuigend?
The circular economy calls for a coordinated redesign of production and consumption patterns, ens... more The circular economy calls for a coordinated redesign of production and consumption patterns, ensuring that cascading material and product resource use continues for as long as possible. Moving away from the 'take, make, use and dispose' paradigm, the circular economy aims to extract the maximum value and utility from resources and products, encouraging principles such as zero-waste design, product-life extension and resource recovery, as well as repair and remanufacture services. Beyond waste reduction and recycling, a more circular textile sector needs to involve industrial, commercial and policy-making communities; spurring new forms of collaborations between and across traditionally linear value chains. Indeed, whilst technology innovation is crucial, with the search for new and improved ways to sort, separate, decontaminate and recycle textile fibres, the importance of process and business innovations must not be overlooked.
This paper looks at the Horizon 2020 funded research project Resyntex, which strives to implement a circular redesign in the textiles sector. Within Resyntex, the authors have conducted stakeholder consultations in four geographically distinct regions throughout Europe, which utilise different approaches to the collection of textile waste, sourced from consumers, industry and institutions. The consultations took place in participatory, multi-stakeholder focus groups, whereby careful attention was paid to ensuring a balanced participation, bringing in diverse viewpoints and experiences and overcoming issues around competition and commercial sensitivity. Examining textile waste routes and their corresponding mosaic of collectors, sorters and recyclers, this paper identifies the key drivers and opportunities for textile waste collectors for a transition to more circular value chains. Through stakeholder engagement, the research proposes how conditions for collectors' adoption of circular practices can be improved, while avoiding sectoral disruption and ensuring maximum effectiveness of the redesigned chain of secondary textiles.
A recent EU-funded Horizon 2020
project is looking at the possibility
of creating a circular econ... more A recent EU-funded Horizon 2020
project is looking at the possibility
of creating a circular economy
concept for the textile and chemical
industries. Valérie Julie Boiten,
with the Prospex Institute, together
with Sara Li-Chou Han, a research
associate at Manchester Metropolitan
University, and David Tyler, a reader
in manufacturing technologies and
systems at Manchester Metropolitan
University, give us an overview of
the challenges and the aims for the
project.
This article examines the conceptual substance of the European Union’s (EU’s) support to civil so... more This article examines the conceptual substance of the European Union’s (EU’s) support to civil society in the Mediterranean, a vital part of its renewed policy of democracy promotion since the so-called ‘Arab spring’. Grounded in a field study of two EU-financed projects in Tunisia, the article discusses the normative understandings of civil society and democracy-building that are being promoted by the EU. It then assesses to what extent these understandings are adhered to on the ground, by the Tunisian actors in charge of implementing the EU-policy. It appears that the EU’s enthusiasm for a ‘broad’, developmental agenda of democracy promotion is waning, as it frames the democratizing role of civil society primarily in a political vein. While the local actors abide by the EU’s liberal normativity, they challenge the political framings that condition the European model. In Tunisia, democracy-building is perceived as a bridgehead to prosperity and equitable development. As a result, the local civil society projects privilege socio-economic areas of activity, in a consensus-based and depoliticized framework – in other words, a ‘developmental’ approach to democracy-building. The article postulates that this discrepancy arises from the inadequacy of the EU’s political approach to the fragile context of a fledgling democracy.
Roquentin and the learning of solitude: a study of the relationship between the self and the othe... more Roquentin and the learning of solitude: a study of the relationship between the self and the other in Jean-Paul Sartre’s “Nausea”
Jean-Paul Sartre’s novel “Nausea” tells the story of Antoine Roquentin, who becomes aware that the world, including his very own existence, lacks a logical form or meaning., i.e. that the world is contingent. This realization leads to a profound sense of disturbance and anxiety (nausea). This paper aims to analyze the experience of Roquentin as a form of atheist spirituality. Within this perspective, I explore the relationship between the self and the other, and the role this relationship plays in the triggering of nausea. The paper illustrates in which ways the Other contributes to the revelation of contingency, taking into consideration the fundamental aspects of a spiritual evolution that could be described as the disintegration of the self. Yet, the paper demonstrates how the very ending of the novel restores the individual, as part of a growing hostility against an abstract and universalist logic.
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Papers by Valérie J Boiten
This paper looks at the Horizon 2020 funded research project Resyntex, which strives to implement a circular redesign in the textiles sector. Within Resyntex, the authors have conducted stakeholder consultations in four geographically distinct regions throughout Europe, which utilise different approaches to the collection of textile waste, sourced from consumers, industry and institutions. The consultations took place in participatory, multi-stakeholder focus groups, whereby careful attention was paid to ensuring a balanced participation, bringing in diverse viewpoints and experiences and overcoming issues around competition and commercial sensitivity. Examining textile waste routes and their corresponding mosaic of collectors, sorters and recyclers, this paper identifies the key drivers and opportunities for textile waste collectors for a transition to more circular value chains. Through stakeholder engagement, the research proposes how conditions for collectors' adoption of circular practices can be improved, while avoiding sectoral disruption and ensuring maximum effectiveness of the redesigned chain of secondary textiles.
project is looking at the possibility
of creating a circular economy
concept for the textile and chemical
industries. Valérie Julie Boiten,
with the Prospex Institute, together
with Sara Li-Chou Han, a research
associate at Manchester Metropolitan
University, and David Tyler, a reader
in manufacturing technologies and
systems at Manchester Metropolitan
University, give us an overview of
the challenges and the aims for the
project.
Jean-Paul Sartre’s novel “Nausea” tells the story of Antoine Roquentin, who becomes aware that the world, including his very own existence, lacks a logical form or meaning., i.e. that the world is contingent. This realization leads to a profound sense of disturbance and anxiety (nausea). This paper aims to analyze the experience of Roquentin as a form of atheist spirituality. Within this perspective, I explore the relationship between the self and the other, and the role this relationship plays in the triggering of nausea. The paper illustrates in which ways the Other contributes to the revelation of contingency, taking into consideration the fundamental aspects of a spiritual evolution that could be described as the disintegration of the self. Yet, the paper demonstrates how the very ending of the novel restores the individual, as part of a growing hostility against an abstract and universalist logic.
This paper looks at the Horizon 2020 funded research project Resyntex, which strives to implement a circular redesign in the textiles sector. Within Resyntex, the authors have conducted stakeholder consultations in four geographically distinct regions throughout Europe, which utilise different approaches to the collection of textile waste, sourced from consumers, industry and institutions. The consultations took place in participatory, multi-stakeholder focus groups, whereby careful attention was paid to ensuring a balanced participation, bringing in diverse viewpoints and experiences and overcoming issues around competition and commercial sensitivity. Examining textile waste routes and their corresponding mosaic of collectors, sorters and recyclers, this paper identifies the key drivers and opportunities for textile waste collectors for a transition to more circular value chains. Through stakeholder engagement, the research proposes how conditions for collectors' adoption of circular practices can be improved, while avoiding sectoral disruption and ensuring maximum effectiveness of the redesigned chain of secondary textiles.
project is looking at the possibility
of creating a circular economy
concept for the textile and chemical
industries. Valérie Julie Boiten,
with the Prospex Institute, together
with Sara Li-Chou Han, a research
associate at Manchester Metropolitan
University, and David Tyler, a reader
in manufacturing technologies and
systems at Manchester Metropolitan
University, give us an overview of
the challenges and the aims for the
project.
Jean-Paul Sartre’s novel “Nausea” tells the story of Antoine Roquentin, who becomes aware that the world, including his very own existence, lacks a logical form or meaning., i.e. that the world is contingent. This realization leads to a profound sense of disturbance and anxiety (nausea). This paper aims to analyze the experience of Roquentin as a form of atheist spirituality. Within this perspective, I explore the relationship between the self and the other, and the role this relationship plays in the triggering of nausea. The paper illustrates in which ways the Other contributes to the revelation of contingency, taking into consideration the fundamental aspects of a spiritual evolution that could be described as the disintegration of the self. Yet, the paper demonstrates how the very ending of the novel restores the individual, as part of a growing hostility against an abstract and universalist logic.