Together with 27 partners and supported by the European Union, the European Association of Clothing and Textile Industries (Euratex) launched a project that aims to promote circular and sustainable clothing and textiles.
CISUTAC (Circular and Sustainable Textiles and Clothing) wants to eliminate existing bottlenecks in order to increase the circularity of textiles in Europe. The aim is to minimize the overall environmental impact of the sector through the development of new, sustainable and integrated European value chains on a large scale.
The project will cover most parts of the textile sector and will cover the two fiber groups that make up almost 90 percent of all textile fibers – polyester and cotton/cellulose. It focuses on products from the three sub-sectors where there are the most bottlenecks in the circular economy, namely fashion, sports & outdoor goods and workwear.
Taking a holistic approach covering the technical, sectoral and socio-economic aspects of the textile value chain, CISUTAC will conduct three pilot phases to demonstrate the feasibility and value of three areas: garment and textile repairing and disassembly, sorting (for reuse and recycling) and creating circular garments through fiber-to-fiber recycling and design for circularity.
In order to implement these pilot projects, the partners will develop semi-automated workstations, analyze infrastructure and material flows, digitally improve sorting processes and sensitize consumers and the industry. Partners include companies such as Inditex, PVH, Decathlon, Lenzing, Oxfam, Global Textile Scheme and others.
As part of CISUTAC, Euratex aims to facilitate the industry’s transition to a circular economy and will be associated with other projects and initiatives. Likewise, the association will develop training and education material, raise awareness of the environmental impact of textiles in Europe and provide input for policy, standardization and certification to facilitate the transition to a circular economy.