Currently, less than 1 % of textile waste is recycled into new textile fibres, making the industry highly resource intensive. To reverse this trend, the European Commission has identified this sector as a priority for the circular economy. An important measure is the mandatory separate collection of discarded textiles as of 2025. Finding suitable outlets for these increasing volumes of collected textiles is a challenge. Currently, its non-reusable fraction is mostly downcycled or incinerated; less than 1 % of textile waste is recycled into new textile fibres. Meanwhile, clothing brands are setting ambitious targets for the use of recycled fibres in their products. Unfortunately, their quality and their price tag due to current recycling processes are not aligned with market needs.

Starting with demand as a basis, the EU-funded SCIRT project demonstrates an entire textile-to-textile recycling system for post-consumer textiles, focusing on the recycling of natural and synthetic fibres as well as fibre blends. It involves all relevant players along the value chain, from collector to retailer. By focusing on the recycling of textiles that are often downcycled, value retention is improved throughout the chain. Not only does this validate the business case for individual actors, it also quantifies the overall system implications from a financial, environmental and social life-cycle perspective.

Besides the required technological innovations, SCIRT addresses enabling conditions and supporting measures to facilitate the transition towards a circular system for clothing. It plans to set up a True Cost Model and an eco-modulated extended producer responsibility system to make the value chain more transparent. A consumer behavioural flow intervention is also being developed to influence decision-making on textile purchase and disposal. Throughout the project, stakeholder involvement and validation is guaranteed via an advisory board. The countries participating in the project are Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands.

The SCIRT project looks at the current problems in the textile industry that impede circularity from a value chain perspective, looking into the supply-demand dynamic and how to bridge the gap for recycled textile fibres. Overall, SCIRT aims to demonstrate a complete textile-to-textile recycling system for discarded clothing—or post-consumer textiles—involving stakeholders throughout the value chain and focusing on the recycling of natural fibres, synthetic fibres and fibre blends.

Programme(s):

• H2020-EU.3.5.: SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Climate action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials (Main programme)
• H2020-EU.3.5.4.: Enabling the transition towards a green economy and society through eco-innovation

Topic(s):

• CE-SC5-28-2020: Develop and pilot circular systems in plastics, textiles and furniture sectors

€ 9 211 813 (EU contribution: € 7 996 543.98)

Vlaamse Instelling voor Technologisch Onderzoek N.V.

Contact the project: https://scirt.eu/project/

• ALTEX Textil ‒ Recycling GmbH & Co. KG
• AVS Spinning
• Fabrimode NV
• Universität für Bodenkultur Wien
• Association Ceti (Centre Europeen des Textiles Innovants)
• circular.fashion UG (haftungsbeschränkt)
• Decathlon
• École Supérieure des Technologies Industrielles Avancées
• Ffact Management Consultants B.V.
• Flanders District of Creativity vzw
• Circular Textiles
• Petit Bateau
• Prospex Institute
• Institut De L'innovation Durable (Sustainable Innovation Institute)
• Technische Universität Wien
• Valvan Baling Systems
• Xandres