About Ashley Gill

Briefly describe your background, interests & areas of expertise?

I’ve grown up around cotton, my family has been farming in Texas for three generations. I’ve worked with Textile Exchange for 10+ years, focusing on standards, specifically our standards for recycled content. I have knowledge in multi-stakeholder groups, product labelling, chain of custody, and standards and verification methods. I’ve also helped develop Textile Exchange’s Climate strategy for 2030.

What does circularity in the textiles industry mean to you?

I’m committed to a textile industry that actually works for everyone involved. I’m convinced that we need to limit our reliance on non-renewable resources to ensure we’re able to provide for the needs of the future. Circularity can deliver that.

What does your company/organisation do to bring about circularity (core relevant activities/commitments, highlight short and long term goals, if relevant).

Textile Exchange inspires and equips people to accelerate adoption of preferred materials in the textile value chain.   We focus on carbon reduction, soil health, water and biodiversity as part of our holistic approach to drive positive impact for the entire industry.

What made your decision to join the CAP?

We know that many of the solutions that will deliver real results to the industry are still in their infancy. I see the CAP as a way to learn and help drive the scale needed to meet the ambitious goals of Textile Exchange and the companies we work with.

How important is this Circular Advisory Panel approach for preparing a company like WA for the market (i.e. a business starting out with the sole purpose of enabling circularity but entering the market in ‘linear times’)? What do you think it will bring to the company?

In a word, resilience!

What do you believe the biggest hurdles/opportunities for transitioning to a new circular business mindset will be, for WA, for the industry?

Our economy and business world are not designed to take the bigger picture or long term impacts in mind. Doing so might help create new paradigms for the other needed innovations.

Name 3 things you think businesses will be doing differently in a circular future.

1. 1. Moving beyond a transaction-based relationship with customers/clients.
   2. Radical transparency will not feel so radical, it will be the norm.
   3. Higher value on the provenance of things, the story behind them.