Scaling Upcycling: How MOOT Turns Textile Waste into Profit with CEO Michael Pfeifer

What if the clothes, uniforms, and textiles your company discards could become a source of revenue instead of a disposal expense? Michael Brenner, co-founder of Mood, reveals how industrial-scale upcycling is transforming the textile waste landscape, creating profitable business models from what was previously considered garbage.The conversation begins with Michael sharing how Mood evolved from a small Berlin-based B2C brand into a powerhouse B2B service provider, helping major corporations like DHL, Deutsche Bahn, and the German national football team transform their discarded textiles into desirable, sellable products. Through these partnerships, Mood has proven that sustainability initiatives can generate actual profits, not just reduce environmental impact.Michael takes us behind the scenes of their innovative collection system, where branded containers placed in corporate offices (rather than on streets) yield higher-quality materials while creating an additional revenue stream. This approach stands in stark contrast to traditional textile collection schemes that are increasingly economically unviable as fast fashion quality declines and secondhand platforms siphon off the best materials.The discussion delves into the regulatory challenges facing the European textile market, particularly the inconsistent implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes across the continent. Michael shares candid insights about the shortcomings of current approaches in countries like France and the Netherlands, emphasizing that Europe needs comprehensive solutions to address the fundamental problem: we're simply producing and consuming too many textiles.Whether you're a sustainability professional, fashion industry insider, or business leader looking for innovative approaches to corporate waste, this episode offers practical insights into how upcycling can transform sustainability from a cost center into a profitable venture. Subscribe now and discover how the future of fashion might not be in creating new materials, but in creatively reusing what we already have.Contact UsThis 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 LinkedInThanks for listening and keep podcasting!