RegioGreenTex (RGT) supports SMEs working on concrete circular solutions for the textile supply chain. The starting point is to convert textile waste into a valuable raw material. The project will contribute to job growth in a more sustainable European textile sector of the EU. RegioGreenTex also aims to make the textile value chain more competitive and resilient. It thus contributes to the EU's Green Deal targets to reduce the carbon footprint and energy and water consumption.
European textile industry association Euratex is lead partner of RGT, bringing together 43 partners from 11 European regions. 26 partners are SMEs seeking innovative solutions to realise a circular textile value cycle. The SMEs focus on different parts of the value chain such as sorting, recycling of unwearable clothes into reusable fibres, removal of contaminants and processing recycled fibres into new textile materials. Thus, they offer concrete solutions to bottlenecks in the value chain and also exploit market opportunities.
Future plans RegioGreenTex
The concrete goals of RGT are:
1. Mapping the needs and opportunities in the textile industry, for the implementation of a circular economy in European regions and clusters, taking into account their different levels of economic development.
2. Setting up a dynamic recycling textile ecosystem at European level by bringing together supply and demand on a shared digital platform.
3. Provide support to projects by SMEs to accelerate the creation, development and use of new textile materials with increased recycled content by sharing technologies and methodologies.
4. Establish five regional textile recycling hubs.
Which partners are involved?
RegioGreenTex promotes the collaboration in research and development between 43 partners from the four major sectors of society – industry, government, research institutes, and the public – for the textile industry. Partners come from 11 regions in 8 European countries:
> Flanders (BE)
> East Netherlands (NL)
> Hauts-de-France & Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (FR)
> Piedmont & Tuscany (IT)
> Norte Portugal (PT)
> North East Romania (RO)
> Catalunya & Valencia (ES)
> Västra Götaland (SE)
From the East Netherlands, the following partners are involved in the project; Oost NL, the Regional Textile Sorting Centre Twente (a partnership of 2nd hand shops Het Goed and De Beurs), SaXcell (chemical recycling) and Wageningen Research.
RGT is an I3 project. The aim of the European I3 programme is to connect European innovation ecosystems so that they can reinforce each other and thus promote innovation in Europe.
Duration
2023-2025
Leadpartner
Euratex is the lead partner. Euratex is the European Confederation for Clothing and Textiles, representing the interests of the European textile and clothing industry. Oost NL is a workpackage leader and as such takes the lead in creating regional textile recycling ecosystems that should become examples for other regions.
