TEXAD

TEXAD aims at improving & driving the municipal policy instruments towards a circular model. 
Doing this we contribute to prevention, proper sorting, collection & valorisation of textile waste to transform it again, into a product or secondary raw material.

Objectives

To improve the policy instruments from European municipalities by including and reinforcing circularity in the management of textile waste. And adapting and aligning these policies to the requirements set by the new EU regulations. The focus will be on policy instruments dealing with waste management. This means waste prevention, separate collection, logistics, sorting, smart waste technologies, valorisation, consumer awareness…

Background

Around 4-6% of the EU’s overall environmental footprint can be traced back to textiles, according to the EC Joint Research Centre. Its 2021 report shows that recycling rates for textiles are currently rather low, with 1.7 to 2.1 million tonnes of used textiles collected annually throughout the EU. The majority of the remaining 3.3 to 3.7 million tonnes are thought to be discarded in mixed household waste. To address this environmental issue, the EU has launched a set of new regulations & directives (Waste Framework Directive, EU strategy for sustainable textiles, EU Ecodesign regulation, etc.) which, among other effects, oblige Member States (from January 2025) to establish systems for separate collection of textiles waste. The WFD allows for waste management systems where European municipalities have the general responsibility for collecting waste; building upon this key role, TEXAD aims at improving & driving the municipal policy instruments towards a circular model, thus contributing to prevention, proper sorting, collection & valorisation of textile waste to transform it again on a product or secondary raw material.

Focus

Focus will be on policy instruments dealing with waste management, including textile. This includes examining areas of the policies dealing with waste prevention, separate collection, logistics, sorting, smart waste technologies, consumers’ awareness, etcetera. And on how to engage the rest of key agents from the textile management value chain to ensure a holistic approach that successfully improves European waste management systems (innovative character of the project). The partnership combines 6 municipalities (BG, ES, IT, NL, PT, SE) with strong textile background and best practices to share and one Regional Development Agency (PL). A fashion cluster plays the role of Advisory Partner, connecting the project with key stakeholders (private sector, technology providers, etc.). TEXAD targets the policy improvement of 6 municipal plans and 2 ERDF OPs