This is our final episode of Season 2! On this week’s episode of The Untangling Circularity Podcast we conclude our journey learning about repair across industries and discuss our initial findings and overall themes with Cameron Williams, sustainable fashion advocate.
Fun Q+A
What’s your favorite example of a product to repair? For me, shoes are definitely my favorite product to repair. I used to be deeply involved in sneaker culture, so there’s always been a certain amount of care for shoes that’s been ingrained in me from then. I’ve definitely escaped that maximalist nature of that space, since I only wear about 5 shoes total, but that makes me want to take care of what I have even more.
Name something that you own and love and has been in use for more than 5 years. Oof, just about everything I own has been in use for more than 5 years so it’s hard to pick a favorite, but I think I’m gonna go with the technicolor Chanel robe that I bought from the Goodwill in the Upper West Side (RIP) in 2016. It’s a piece I wore on the previous episode of Untangling Circularity I appeared on and I really love thinking about it living it’s best Manhattan life before it came to me.
What is something you want to learn to repair yourself? Clothing, for sure. I have neither the patience, drive, or finger dexterity to sew, but I often watch people mend and darn things and really wish it could be me.
What is a product in your daily life that cannot be repaired that frustrates you. Consumer electronics like headphones like certain high end headphones are nearly impossible to fix and it drives me crazy. I bought a pair from a brand that I will not name (rhymes with “meats”), and multiple pairs broke in very small, but specific ways that coincidentally weren’t covered by the warranty so I went all over the city trying to find someone to fix them to no avail.
Thanks to Trove
Thanks to our sponsor Trove, the market leader in branded resale and trade-in for world-class brands and retailers such as Canada Goose, lululemon, Patagonia, REI, Levi’s, Arc’teryx, Allbirds, and more. Through its proprietary Recommerce Operating System, Trove is accelerating the shift toward more sustainable business models, foundational for circularity. Over the last decade, Trove has equipped leading brands with technology and operations to create and scale branded resale programs by enabling customer trade-in of items, single-SKU identification and condition grading, site build and maintenance, and customer data collection, analytics and reporting. Visit trove.com if you're interested in learning more.
Thanks for listening + we’ve got fantastic episodes all lined up for you starting next week!
Cynthia + Laura