Re-source 2025: Saving resources – from idea to action

Can sustainable consumption succeed without a system change? This question lay at the heart of the 7th Re-source symposium in Frankfurt/Main, where experts and practitioners from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland shared valuable insights and explored innovative strategies and solutions for a circular approach to clothing and beyond. CARE was present to gather ideas for its clothing pilot.

How can we turn ideas into action when it comes to saving resources?

This was the overarching question of this year’s Re-source symposium, held on May 15 and 16 in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. It marked the seventh edition of the conference series jointly organised by the environment ministries and federal environment agencies of Austria, Switzerland and Germany. Since its launch in 2009, Re-source has fostered cross-border dialogue and promoted concrete measures for resource conservation and circular economy in the German-speaking countries.

The German project partner VERBRAUCHER INITIATIVE e.V. took part in the event, representing the CARE project in the best practice poster session. The poster is available digitally here: Re-source 2025 Poster Gallery

CARE Poster at the ReSource 2025 Symposium

Consumption comes before waste

From the CARE perspective, the second day of the conference was especially insightful, as it focused on the idea that consumption comes before waste. One session focused on “Circular instead of fast fashion – the future of textiles”, while another explored how “Sustainable consumption can be made easy”. Each session included expert presentations from the Austria, Germany and Switzerland, followed by engaging panel discussions. Participants could also contribute via live surveys and submit questions through Slido, which made for a dynamic and participatory atmosphere.

Does sustainable consumption need a system change?

On day two, Austrian climate psychologist Dr. Thomas Brudermann opened with a keynote speech highlighting how individual sustainable consumption is difficult to scale – due to our collective norms and existing incentive systems. He argued that informational approaches or nudging alone are insufficient to bring about substantial behavioural change. Instead, he advocated for structural interventions, such as restrictions and bans, which may face initial resistance, but tend to gain acceptance over time.

Research findings & practical insights

Miriam Bätzing from the VERBRAUCHER INITIATIVE e.V. gathered insights at ReSource 2025 in Frankfurt am Main | © Miriam Bätzing

The session on circular clothing brought together a variety of perspectives. Dr. Daniela Zahini-Freitag (Austrian Federal Environment Agency) presented the results of a recent cultural study on purchasing behavior and the use of clothing. She recommended supporting regional fashion brands (campaign approach), expanding the second-hand market, and regulating ultrafast fashion. Dr. Kristin Stechemesser (German Environment Agency) presented the latest results from a research project on eco-design requirements and an (potential) eco-design label for garments (comparable to the well-known EU energy label). Irina Yarunlina (Sulzer AG Switzerland) discussed the challenges and potential of chemical textile recycling, a process that is still underused globally with less than 1 % of clothing materials being recycled into new garments.

The final session broadened the focus, highlighting topics such as the effectiveness of climate communication, life cycle assessment for fact-based sustainable consumption choices, and a European project that promotes sustainable consumption in city centers while addressing vacancy issues.

Why this matters for CARE

“Day two in particular offered valuable insights into current research on circular clothing,” said Miriam Bätzing from VERBRAUCHER INITIATIVE e.V. “Once again, it became clear how important it is to maintain an ongoing dialogue,” she continued. “We can definitely use one or two ideas from the symposium for the implementation of our local pilot studies at CARE.

And one message especially stuck with me: from an environmental perspective, repairing is almost always worth it!”

Join CARE today to create a sustainable tomorrow!

While individual actions drive circular living, real change happens when we come together. Whether you’re a household, a scientist, a policymaker or part of a CSO or NGO, there’s a role for everyone in this exciting journey towards circular living.

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Together with CARE, we transform our world for the better.

Header image: Photo by Charles Etoroma | Unsplash