Episode 20: Measuring and Reducing Microplastics Pollution with Dr. Raffaella Mossotti

Sustainability frameworks have taken center stage in the design industry. But in the race to cut carbon emissions, are we leaving the human element behind?Welcome to The Future is Circular, the podcast presented by the ECONYL® brand. This podcast explores key topics in the circular economy through the lens of design innovation and business strategy.In this episode, we sit down with Ana Rita Martins, Sustainability Lead at MCM, who helps us decode the complex world of environmental and social certifications.Listen to the full conversation!Do you like this content? Join the ECONYL® Academy today to access the latest on expert advice and industry trends.

Today, sustainability is increasingly measured, verified, labelled, and reported. And yet, it is still widely misrepresented.The world of ESG certifications resembles a crowded map of symbols, standards, and claims – all promising transparency, yet not always speaking the same language.For consumers, this creates confusion about who to trust. For companies, it poses a different challenge: what results to share and how to present them.In this episode, we are joined by Gian Luca Baldo from Life Cycle Engineering, who guides us through the sustainability certification maze – debunking concepts like life cycle assessment, carbon offsetting and carbon neutrality.If sustainability certifications have ever left you with more doubts than clarity, this conversation is for you.

In a world where genuine impact is increasingly hard to distinguish from greenwashing, ESG ratings have become one of the clearest indicators of how seriously a company approaches sustainability. Behind every score lies a complex mix of data, documentation, and long-term commitment that often remains hidden from view.In today’s episode, we’re joined by Giacomo Martino Belluzzo, Group ESG Specialist at Aquafil, who has recently led the company to a Platinum EcoVadis rating, among the global top performers. Together, we will uncover what independent ESG ratings actually measure, why they matter for competitiveness, and how they help strengthen entire value chains − from climate action to supplier due diligence.

The invisible threat of microplastics is one of the biggest environmental challenges of our time. From the clothes we wear to the tires on our cars, tiny plastic particles are constantly being released into the world around us, quietly making their way into our oceans, air, and even our bodies.Our guest today, Dr. Raffaella Mossotti, is a researcher at CNR-STIIMA in Biella. She contributed to the development of the first international standard to measure microplastic release from textiles, in collaboration with Aquafil.Together, we’ll trace the threads of microplastics pollution – uncovering how fabrics shed, which processes are the biggest culprits, and how science can help us design it out for good.

The race toward sustainable practices is transforming the textile industry.But to design for the future, we first need to understand the fibers we work with and the impact they carry.Today, we are joined by Celine Khawam, textile and fashion historian and educator.In this episode, Celine takes us through the key features of fibers like wool and nylon, revealing the main environmental trade-offs behind them.

What if nature held the answers to our toughest design challenges? In this episode, we dive into biomimicry with Dr. Dayna Baumeister, co-founder of Biomimicry 3.8 and one of the world’s leading experts in the field. She shares how innovators are turning to nature’s 3.8 billion years of R&D to inspire sustainable, cutting-edge solutions across industries.Whether you're interested in sustainable design and technology, regenerative innovation, or simply curious about how nature can inspire the future, this conversation offers fresh insight into its genius.

Can business help restore nature, and thrive doing it? As ecosystem services decline, industries are already losing $5 trillion annually. But there's a $10 trillion opportunity ahead. In this episode, we speak with Davide Briganti, Senior Communication & Biodiversity Strategist at 3Bee and XNatura, about how companies can play a leading role in ecosystem restoration through science-backed strategies and tech-driven innovation.

The fashion industry is responsible for around 10% of global carbon emissions – more than aviation and shipping combined. But change is on the horizon. In this new episode of "The Future is Circular," we sit down with Katrin Ley, Managing Director at Fashion for Good, to unpack how the organization is uniting brands, innovators, and manufacturers to spark real transformation in the industry. From accelerating next-gen materials and circular footwear to pioneering research on reducing shedding and improving textile performance, Fashion for Good is promoting regeneration and collaboration as the new standard in fashion. 

Aquaculture faces growing criticism over its role in marine pollution, especially from discarded fishing nets. In this episode, Koen Van Goethem, Chairman of CEN/TC 466 at the European Commission and CEO of  I-Coats NV, joins us to explore the EU’s response, highlight key industry innovations, and discuss what it takes to create a more conscious sector.

Every year, the EU generates 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste – most of which isn’t properly collected and ends up in landfills. How should we handle this waste? With new rules under the EU Waste Framework Directive, producers now bear full responsibility for their products’ lifecycle. Join us as we unpack these changes with Dr. Wolfgang Trunk, Team Leader in Circular Economy at the European Commission.