With 143 tonnes of clothing waste going to NZ landfills every day, it's imperative we change the way we design, use and circulate our clothing. The Mindful Fashion Circular Design Award sets out to empower designers and businesses to design out waste and make products and materials that can be kept in circulation.

• In Aotearoa we consume 14.3kg of clothing, per person, every year.
• 143 tonnes of clothing is sent to landfill every day in NZ.
• That’s 496 kgs of clothing going to NZ landfills every 5 mins (installation at CDA)
• 80% of the impact of a garment is determined at the design stage, so decisions we make here are crucial.

A circular economy for fashion reduces waste and pollution, can reduce emissions by up to one third, reduces the volume and impact of virgin resources required to make our clothes and increases the utilisation of products and materials that are already in use.

The Circular Design Award educates New Zealanders and businesses on the importance of moving towards circular systems. Textile waste starts at the design stage, so Mindful Fashion NZ devised the Circular Design Award programme to inspire and educate business leaders and next gen designers in Aotearoa to reimagine their foundational practices and design a circular future.

A circular economy for fashion creates better products and services for customers, is better for business, and regenerates the environment.

Deane Apparel have been proud sponsors of the Award for the past two years.