LOOPED IN with Carl Warkentin
LOOPED IN with Carl Warkentin
Podcast Description
The podcast about understanding, building and managing circular business models - this is the place where we dive deep into the future of business, sustainability, and circular economy. After a decade of entrepreneurial experience as a founder and investor, Carl had countless, meaningful behind-the-scenes conversations about how we can reshape industries, close the loop, and create real impact. And now, we want to bring these conversations to you.On Looped In, Carl sits down with entrepreneurs, business owners, venture capitalists, and policymakers who are at the forefront of change. Together, we’ll explore innovative business models, breakthrough technologies, and the regulations shaping the circular economy.
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast covers various aspects of circular business models, sustainability practices, and innovative technologies. Episodes include discussions such as textile recycling with industry leaders like Luke Henning, and explore the intersections of business practices with regulations shaping the circular economy, while emphasizing the importance of stakeholder collaboration and technology in achieving sustainability.
The podcast about understanding, building and managing circular business models – this is the place where we dive deep into the future of business, sustainability, and circular economy. After a decade of entrepreneurial experience as a founder and investor, Carl had countless, meaningful behind-the-scenes conversations about how we can reshape industries, close the loop, and create real impact. And now, we want to bring these conversations to you.
On Looped In, Carl sits down with entrepreneurs, business owners, venture capitalists, and policymakers who are at the forefront of change. Together, we’ll explore innovative business models, breakthrough technologies, and the regulations shaping the circular economy.
What does a truly circular textile business look like when you operate both a factory floor and a recycling line? We sit down with entrepreneur Vincent Jin to map the entire loop—from shrinking order sizes and digitized sewing lines to China’s door‑to‑door collection networks feeding textile‑to‑textile recyclers. The story starts with a family manufacturer shaped by early Scandinavian sustainability demands, and then accelerates as DTC, tariffs, and lead‑time pressure force radical flexibility and a service‑first mindset.
Vincent opens up about the nuts and bolts of recycling at scale: why pre‑sorting still relies on skilled hands, where AI sorting falls short on dark colors and complex blends, and how preprocessing into pellets or popcorn meets the purity specs of chemical and enzymatic recyclers. We explore the rise of microfactories as a tool to slash overproduction—keeping core styles in traditional lines while local, on‑demand units handle reorders, collaborations, and regional spikes within days. Along the way, we unpack the real power of transparency through chain‑of‑custody, LCAs, and the coming digital product passport, which ties material truth to a simple scan.
The conversation doesn’t shy away from hard questions: Can sewing be fully automated? Why do blends and trims still block circularity? How will fast fashion evolve as T2T capacity scales in China and beyond? Vincent shares a pragmatic ten‑year outlook driven by robotics, smarter design for recycling, and brands that think like operators—fast, open, and data‑literate. If you care about ethical sourcing, EPR readiness, and the future of circular fashion, this is a rare, ground‑level guide to what’s working, what’s not, and what’s next.
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Contact Us
This is interactive content – send us your questions to the guests and we record another session just focusing on your questions!
You have suggestions for new guests or want to sponsor the show?
- Contact Carl via LinkedIn
Thanks for listening and keep podcasting!
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