FASHION REVOLUTION JAPAN Announcement of the symposium “Waste to Wear: Clothes that become trash, clothes that don’t”

【FASHION REVOLUTION JAPAN】 Announcement of symposium “Waste to Wear: Clothes that become trash, clothes that don’t” ​
unisteps General Incorporated Association Press release: March 28, 2025 Announcement of the symposium “Waste to Wear: Clothes that become trash, clothes that don’t become trash” On Friday, April 25, 2025, the symposium “Waste to Wear: Clothes that become trash, clothes that don’t” will be held at TRUNK (HOTEL)CAT STREET.
This event will be sponsored by FASHION REVOLUTION JAPAN, the Japanese branch of the global movement FASHION REVOLUTION, and will welcome front-line players from Japan and abroad who are tackling the issue of fashion and textile circulation. ■ Event overview Title: Waste to Wear: Clothes that become trash, clothes that don’t Date and time: Friday, April 25, 2025 12:00-19:00 Venue: TRUNK(HOTEL) CAT STREET “KEYAKI” Address: 5-31 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0001 Sponsored by: FASHION REVOLUTION JAPAN Sponsored by: Allbirds / Goldwin Co., Ltd. / Sugako School Uniform Co., Ltd. / Toyoshima Co., Ltd. / Lenzing Fibers Co., Ltd. (Tencel (TM)) Participation fee: General 5,000 yen / Student 2,500 yen / Archive viewing 1,000 yen *If you are applying for a student ticket, please present your student ID on the day of the event. *Archived videos are scheduled to be distributed around mid-May. ■ Background and purpose of the event As the supply of clothing increases, nearly 1,200 tons of clothing become garbage every day in Japan alone (from the Ministry of the Environment Sustainable Fashion). In response to this situation, we will discuss the following questions from a variety of perspectives: “What is the impact of increased clothing waste?” “Why do clothes become garbage?” “What do we need to do to prevent clothes from becoming garbage?” We hope that as many people as possible will learn about the current situation and take action. ■ About the organizer FASHION REVOLUTION is a global movement calling for transparency and fairness in the fashion industry, which began in the UK in the wake of the Rana Plaza collapse in 2013. We started our activities in Japan in 2014 and continue to ask a wide range of people, including consumers, businesses, governments, and the media, about the social issues behind fashion. ■ Program 13:15-14:00 [Keynote speech] “Learning from Europe’s Challenges on the Frontline of Textile Recycling” Speakers: Elina Lewe, Anubhuti Bhatnagar (T-REX Project, Aalto University) We will share the latest case studies from Europe’s large-scale textile waste recycling demonstration experiment “T-REX” and tips that Japan should learn from. 14:15-15:00 [Talk session 1] “Prospects for zero fashion loss from Japan to the world” Speaker: Mr. Shinjiro Koizumi (former Minister of the Environment and member of the House of
Representatives), (coordinating with fashion industry personnel) We will discuss the current state of fashion loss, policies, and the latest trends in the industry. 15:15-16:00 [Talk session 2] “What happens to the clothes we give up? Deciphering from survey data” Speakers: Chizuru Mukai (fashion journalist), Ryota Kondo (Ministry of the Environment, Environmental Recycling and Resource Recycling Bureau, General Affairs Division, Recycling Promotion Office and Director of the Recycling Society Promotion Office) We will use data to decipher what happens to the clothes that consumers give up, as well as Japan’s recycling issues and policy trends. 16:30-17:15 [Talk session 3] “Possibilities of international resource circulation (the future of reuse)” Speakers: Mr. Akira Sakano (Senior Executive Officer, CSO and Head of ESG Promotion Office, ECOMMIT Co., Ltd.), Ms. Urska Trunk (Senior Campaign Manager, Changing Markets Foundation) We will discuss future possibilities and challenges from the latest report on reuse and international circulation. 17:30-18:15 [Talk session 4] “How can clothing-to-clothing recycling really be realized? (The future of recycling)” Speakers: Mr. Masaki Takao (Representative Director and President, JEPLAN Co., Ltd.), Arisa Kamata
(Co-Representative Director of Unisteps General Incorporated Association) We will delve into the current status of clothing recycling technology and the path to realization. ■ Recommended for these people Consumers interested in fashion and sustainability Students interested in environmental issues Apparel industry, trading companies, recycling businesses Policy makers and government officials Media personnel ■ Apply Please apply through Peatix.
https://fashionrevolution2025.peatix.com ■ Speaker information
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/101947/13/101947-13-d0457365edc6f88d13ed385f409fe5ba-300×300.jpg Anubhuti Bhatnagar Doctor / Aalto University/T-REX Through research, we explore the social challenges associated with the transition to a circular economy and highlight the unintended consequences of the transition, such as job disruption, community displacement, consumer resistance, and economic change. He is currently involved in the European Commission-funded T-REX, working with 13 partners to develop solutions for textile waste management through fiber-to-fiber recycling. This project applies social life cycle assessment to analyze the social impacts of new supply chains. He received his Doctorate of Science (Technology) from the University of Tampere, where he researched the conversion of food and agricultural waste into valuable products by pyrolysis and evaluated the techno-economic and environmental impact of the process.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/101947/13/101947-13-45ca5ac37c7be823a272f5f89c0a8c4a-300×300.jpg Elina Lewe Doctor / Aalto University/T-REX Researcher in the field of sustainable clothing consumption at the Faculty of Design at Aalto University, Finland. Her research focuses on the design and evaluation of consumer interventions that promote sustainable clothing reuse and disposal practices. In the EU-funded T-REX project, she is responsible for organizing public participation activities to raise awareness of textile recycling and reuse and to involve the public in the textile recycling process.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/101947/13/101947-13-62c4b49ad9f09e33157dcb1eeca258cf-300×300.jpg Shinjiro Koizumi Former Minister of the Environment Member of the House of Representatives Born in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture in 1981. After graduating from the Faculty of Economics at Kanto Gakuin University, he earned a master’s degree in Political Science from Columbia University Graduate School in 2006. After working as a researcher at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and as secretary to Junichiro Koizumi, a member of the House of Representatives, he was first elected to the House of Representatives in August 2009 and is currently in his sixth term. In October 2011, he became Director of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Youth Bureau. In September 2013, he was appointed as Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Cabinet Office and Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Reconstruction, devoting all his efforts to the recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake. In October 2015, he worked on agricultural policy reform as chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Agriculture and Forestry Division. In August 2017, he was appointed as the Liberal Democratic Party’s first deputy secretary-general. In October 2018, as Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Health, Labor and Welfare Section, he worked to realize a new social security system for the era of 100-year lifespans. In September 2019, he was appointed Minister of the Environment and Minister of Special Missions (Nuclear Disaster Prevention) in the Cabinet Office. September 2020, Minister of the Environment Reappointed as Minister in charge of special missions (nuclear disaster prevention) in the Cabinet Office. In March 2021, concurrently served as Minister of State for Climate Change. In November 2021, he was appointed acting chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party. In April 2022, he became chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party Kanagawa Prefectural Federation. In September 2022, he became the vice-chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party’s Diet Task Force. In October 2023, he was appointed as the lead director of the House of Representatives Security Committee. In January 2024, he was appointed Chairman of the House of Representatives Security Committee. In September 2024, he became the chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party’s election campaign committee. In November 2024, he was appointed as the lead director of the House of Representatives Committee on Economy, Trade and Industry, chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party Fisheries Comprehensive Research Committee, and secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party Political Reform Headquarters. In January 2025, he became the secretary general of the Liberal Democratic Party’s New Capitalism Implementation Headquarters.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/101947/13/101947-13-38add31b670114aca0a09e9e4799a6e5-300×300.jpg Chizuru Mukai ​CRANE&LOTUS representative / fashion journalist Born in Yokohama. Graduated from Tokyo Women’s University. Joined INFAS Publications in 2000 after working as a sales representative for denim apparel company Edwin and as a reporter for Nippon Textile Newspaper. As a reporter, I am mainly in charge of reporting on domestic and international designer brands. In 2015, he became the editor-in-chief of “WWD Japan” and in April 2020, he became the executive officer and chief editor and sustainability director of “WWD JAPAN.” In addition to his work as a reporter, he is working towards a sustainability shift in the fashion industry by giving lectures at fashion schools and serving as an expert committee member at government agencies. Became independent in August 2024 and established CRANE & LOTUS. While continuing to serve as Sustainability Director for WWDJAPAN, he is expanding the scope of his activities. Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/101947/13/101947-13-cdc65a1482d7c2ab8b43f9e9dd75a921-300×300.jpg Ryota Kondo Ministry of the Environment, Environmental Regeneration and Resource Recycling Bureau, General Affairs Division, Director of Recycling Promotion Office and Director of Recycling Society Promotion Office Joined the Environment Agency in 1998. In addition to working at the Environmental Policy Bureau, the Global Environment Bureau, the Waste and Recycling Countermeasures Department, and the Chubu Regional Environmental Office, he was also seconded to the Nuclear Regulation Authority, the National Police Agency, and the Intermediate Storage and Environmental Safety Corporation. Current position from July 2023. Responsible for plastic resource recycling, formulation of the 5th Basic Plan for Establishing a Recycling-based Society, and transition to a circular economy.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/101947/13/101947-13-8b460fb878bd90850a4cb66e99324003-300×300.jpg Akira Sakano ECOMMIT Co., Ltd. Senior Executive Officer, CSO and ESG Promotion Office Manager Born in Nishinomiya City, Hyogo Prefecture. After majoring in environmental policy at university, he worked for an NGO in Mongolia and a logistics company in the Philippines, before joining Zero Waste Academy, an NPO in charge of waste policy in Kamikatsu Town, Tokushima Prefecture, which made Japan’s first “Zero Waste Declaration”. As chairman, he will contribute to the promotion of local waste reduction efforts and the spread of zero waste domestically and internationally. He will serve as co-chair of the 2019 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (commonly known as Davos), along with the CEO of Microsoft. Since 2020, he has been working on creating a model for a recycling-oriented society at Zero Waste Japan, a general incorporated association. In 2021, co-founded Green Innovator Academy, a human resource development program that will bring about social change toward decarbonization. From January 2023, he will be appointed Chief Sustainability Officer of ECOMMIT Co., Ltd., a recycling trading company responsible for resource recycling infrastructure.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/101947/13/101947-13-63f00da6097f003a1099a0c2673233dc-300×300.jpg Urska Trunk Changing Markets Foundation / Senior Campaign Manager As Senior Campaigns Manager at the Changing Markets Foundation, she leads campaigns that address sustainability challenges in the fashion industry, with a focus on tackling the environmental impact of fast fashion, such as the use of synthetic fibers and reliance on fossil fuels.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/101947/13/101947-13-e4b1db06dc48aacee45639c7ae2863ad-300×300.jpg Masaki Takao JEPLAN Co., Ltd. Representative Director, President and Executive Officer Born in 1980. Graduated from Osaka Kyoiku University High School Tennoji Campus and entered Tokyo Institute of Technology Faculty of Engineering (Chemical Engineering) in 2000. After graduating from the same university, he majored in technology management at the University of Tokyo Graduate School in April 2004. After dropping out of the same graduate school, he founded the company in January 2007 and became its managing director. Responsible for technology development for our company’s textile recycling business, including technology development for saccharifying cotton and recycling it into bioethanol. After starting the development of PET recycling technology in 2014, the following year, in 2015, he also engaged in the construction of the Kitakyushu Hibikinada factory, which introduced PET recycling technology. Since assuming his current position in 2016, he has led capital alliances with partners, restarting the PET Refine Technology factory, and overseas licensing of PET chemical recycling technology. Since 2013, he has also served as a part-time lecturer at Waseda University.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/101947/13/101947-13-66cc2e29beb28b8b9ed86ff9cf516c61-300×300.jpg Arisa Kamata Co-representative director of unisteps general
incorporated association She serves as co-representative director of Unisteps, a general incorporated association whose vision is to create a diverse and healthy fashion industry, and is involved in a wide range of projects that encourage people to pay attention to the impact on the natural environment and society in the process of clothing production to disposal. Completed doctoral course at Keio University Graduate School of Media and Governance. Ph.D. (Policy/Media). Unisteps, a general incorporated association, will serve as the Japan secretariat for the global campaign FASHION REVOLUTION. ■ Official website/SNS Official website: https://www.fashionrevolution.org/japan Instagram: @fashionrevolutionjapan ■ Inquiries regarding this matter FASHION REVOLUTION JAPAN Secretariat Email:
japan@fashionrevolution.org ■ Management body unisteps General Incorporated Association (unisteps.or.jp) Co-representative directors Arisa Kamata, Io Takemura ■ At the end “Will the clothes I give up become trash?” We will explore the answer to this question together with individuals who will lead the next era, both inside and outside the industry. Please join us.