Beyond the pilot: Making recycled garments replenishable

Kowen Tam has over 20 years of experience in textile recycling, with a long-standing focus on advancing mechanical cotton recycling and developing practical, scalable solutions for the textile supply chain. Building on this experience, he is now expanding into chemical textile-to-textile recycling, supporting the development and commercialisation of recycled polyester solutions while connecting brands, manufacturers and recycling partners.

Nienke Steen is Director Consumer Products & Textiles at the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute, where she works with leading apparel, footwear, textile, consumer goods, and retail brands to accelerate the transition to a circular economy. She supports companies in translating sustainability ambitions into verified, measurable product performance through the Cradle to Cradle Certified® programme. With extensive experience in sustainability, circular product design, certification, and market transformation, Nienke regularly speaks at international industry events on topics including circularity, trusted sustainability claims, Digital Product Passports, product certification, and emerging EU sustainability legislation. She is passionate about helping businesses move beyond compliance and unlock innovation through safe, circular, and responsibly designed products.

Petra Schweiger is a textile sustainability and circularity consultant for Accelerating Circularity and Closed Loop Fashion among others. Previously a fractional executive of ReHubs, she has been specializing in circularity programs, from pilot scale to commercial integration of textile-to-textile recycling in the supply chain. With over two decades of experience in the textile and apparel industries, including more than ten years as a senior executive in Dhaka and Hong Kong, Petra has led global teams in sustainable sourcing, purchasing, and manufacturing. Exemplifying a holistic and collaborative approach, she has extended her expertise to start-ups, non-profits, manufacturing partners and independent fashion labels with a focus on supply chain transformation.

Stephanie works at the intersection of the circular economy and product innovation. In her current role as Innovation Manager for Circularity at ORTOVOX, she leads internal and external projects exploring how products can be designed for greater longevity, improved repairability, and circular use models. Together with a dedicated team of colleagues and external partners, she has contributed to bringing the company’s first circular products to life.

This hands-on experience has given her deep insight into the practical challenges and opportunities involved in driving the transition toward a circular economy. With five years of experience in sales as a Key Account Manager, Stephanie also brings a strong understanding of the outdoor market and its dynamics. This combination of commercial insight, strategic thinking, and hands-on project leadership enables her to connect market realities with innovative solutions for a more circular future.