A consortium from seven European nations has initiated the TexMat initiative, aimed at creating a deposit-return system for used textiles throughout Europe.
Backed by funding from the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program, this project unites 14 partners across the textile industry’s value chain.
The TexMat initiative intends to combat textile waste by motivating consumers to return garments that can be recycled or reused. This system will provide financial incentives and notify producers directly when items require management as waste.
Pilot programs will be implemented in Finland and Spain, featuring automated collection containers designed to sort clothing, evaluate its quality, and log material data through digital product passports.
These digital passports, anticipated to become standardized across the EU in the near future, will facilitate efficient processing and tracking of returned textiles.
The gravity of the issue is evident in 2022 statistics, which reveal that Europe produced about 6.94 million tonnes of textile waste, averaging 16 kilograms per person. Alarmingly, nearly 11 kilograms per individual was not collected separately and typically ended up in household waste fated for landfills or incineration.
The TexMat initiative’s partners aim to enhance separate collection for recycling or reuse, aligning with extended producer responsibility requirements, and ultimately reduce landfill volumes.
Elina Ilén, project leader at VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland, remarked, “The TexMat solution has great potential to transform the collection and resale of used but still valuable garments, supporting second-hand markets while enabling consumers to monetize their textiles.”
She continued, “By developing a cost-effective, robust, and user-friendly solution, we aim to relieve consumers of the need to evaluate which garments can be resold for reuse or recycling. Automated collection and sorting will also support textile waste management operators by quickly and accurately separating garments suitable for reuse from those destined for disposal, reducing reliance on manual work.”
The initiative also comprises numerous academic and research institutions, including VTT in Finland, TTK University of Applied Sciences in Estonia, the University of A Coruña in Spain, the University of Vaasa in Finland, and RISE in Sweden.
Civil society engagement is provided by organizations such as HUMANA Fundación Pueblo para Pueblo from Spain, the Helsinki Metropolitan Area Reuse Centre in Finland, and Green Liberty from Latvia.
Industry contributions include second-hand market insights from Emmy Clothing Company in Finland and the adaptation of digital product passports by Protex Balti in Estonia.
Technology development is led by Rovimatica and IRIS Technology Solutions from Spain, alongside STAM SRL from Italy.
Additionally, YAGHMA from the Netherlands will analyze data concerning public perception and policy developments linked to textile circularity.
The TexMat initiative is scheduled to continue until March 2029, with partners focusing on technical advancements and exploring ways to scale the system across Europe.
