From local actions to industrial innovations: SOLSTICE shares mid-project results
Since its launch in May 2024, the SOLSTICE project is accelerating the transition from linear models to circular regional ecosystems in the textile industry, focusing on four key territories: Grenoble-Alpes Métropole (France), Berlin (Germany), Prato (Italy), and Catalonia (Spain). By mid-project, SOLSTICE has already revealed both regional disparities and promising solutions to strengthen textile repair, reuse, and recycling infrastructure.
Mapping the Circular Textile Landscape in Europe
SOLSTICE began with an in-depth territorial analysis led by Circle Economy, examining how local textile systems operate across the four regions. The findings revealed significant geographic imbalances: circular services such as repair, reuse, and recycling remain largely concentrated in urban centres, leaving suburban and rural areas underserved.
The analysis also confirmed that a uniform approach to circularity is ineffective. Each territory operates within a distinct economic and infrastructural context. While Berlin and Grenoble are primarily consumption hubs focused on creative repair , Prato is defined by its industrial recycling capacity. Meanwhile, Catalonia collects high volumes of textile waste but still relies heavily on landfills due to a lack of reuse infrastructure.
These insights underscore the need for region-specific strategies to effectively scale circular textile solutions across Europe.
Engaging Citizens in Circular Textile Practices
Building on the territorial analysis, particularly regarding infrastructure access and public habits, SOLSTICE launched targeted pilots designed to actively involve citizens in the circular economy.
In Berlin, the project via Circular Berlin introduced the REPAIR DEAL, a pilot that encourages citizens to repair denim rather than discard it by combining a digital bonus system with local repair services. Meanwhile, in Prato, the Municipality of Prato addressed engagement through a gamified app called greenApes. Co-designed with citizens, the app maps local reuse services and rewards sustainable behaviours, allowing users to convert points into discounts or donations to social projects.
These pilots demonstrate how behavioural change, supported by digital tools and local services, can significantly increase participation in circular textile practices.
Advancing Industrial Recovery Pathways
Alongside these citizen-focused initiatives, SOLSTICE partners achieved significant technical advancements addressing the most complex challenges of sorting and recycling identified during the ecosystem mapping phase.
Automated sorting: Pellenc ST successfully tested automated sorting lines on post-consumer textiles, producing high-quality feedstock for chemical recyclers with PET purity reaching greater than 96%.
Elastane removal: Addressing complex blends, Next Technology Tecnotessile developed a thermo-chemical process that selectively removes elastane from mixed fabrics, enabling the recovery of polyester and polyamide for reuse.
Decision support: To optimise these processes, Techtera launched Valoramix, a tool that uses economic simulation to help professionals visualise flows and identify the most viable valorisation pathways.
By starting with a clear look at how different regions operate, SOLSTICE connects local citizen action with large-scale industrial solutions. The project proves that moving to a circular textile industry isn't just about one fix, it requires better data, consumer support, and advanced sorting and recycling technology working together.
As part of a consortium of 24 partners working on the project, Textile ETP is leading the activities related to ECOSYSTEX (an initiative fostering collaboration among EU projects focused on textile circularity) and is developing it into a lasting European Community of Practice for innovation in textile circularity and sustainability. Textile ETP is also coordinating the dissemination and communication activities for SOLSTICE, overseeing the project’s visual identity, website, newsletter, and social media.
Additional details and visual documentation of the project’s activities and pilot actions are available in the accompanying PDF, which includes photographs from across the four pilot territories.
SOLSTICE is a Horizon Europe project, funded by the European Union. Led by Axel’One, an open innovation platform in chemistry-environment in France, the SOLSTICE consortium is EU-wide and covering the whole value chain in textiles and plastics. The project is started on 1 May 2024 and will last for 42 months. The full list of partners is available here. It receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the grant agreement No. 101134989.
