tExtended – Knowledge based Blueprint for Extended Textile Circularity

Specific needs that triggered the project: .

Separate collection of textile waste is going to be started by EU member states by 2025. Currently the textile sorting is done mainly by hand, which isn’t accurate enough for high-value end uses: technologies and know-how are needed for identification, collection, and automated sorting. Technologies and know-how are also needed in order to recycle the collected and sorted waste.

Even though most textile materials are made of blended fibres, the current technologies lack the necessary processing options. The current activities mainly focus on down-cycling the waste to low value applications, and the current textile fibres aren’t sustainable: they are oil-based, and the cultivation of the cotton needed to produce them require lots of water and chemicals.

To support an efficient material flow and circular economy processes and support the Industrial-Urban Symbiosis, also data sharing readiness needs to be increased. The circular textile system also need the contribute of textile users, who need to be motivated to participate.

The overall objective of the tExtended project is to develop a knowledge-based Blueprint, i.e., a masterplan for a sustainable textile ecosystem.

 The basis of the Blueprint is a Conceptual Framework determining the optimized utilization of textile flows, aiming for retention of value of materials in a safe and sustainable way.

Based on the Blueprint, we will implement a Real Scale Demonstrator, verifying its replicability and potential to reduce textile waste by 80%.

Impact:

Scientific: To support an efficient material flow and circular economy processes and support the Industrial-Urban Symbiosis, also data sharing readiness needs to be increased. The circular textile system also need the contribute of textile users, who need to be motivated to participate.

Societal: Prevention of waste, sustainable consumption models via re-use, creation of jobs.

Economic/Technological: Accelerate the twin green and digital transition in European textile industry by generating new business, strengthening competitiveness and resilience through sustainability, and digitalization.

RISE major contributions will be in digital tools and technologies for textile recovery, textile recycling technologies and will be responsible for classicication system draft version, overview of environmental impacts of different textile waste utilizations and sustainability report.