Capping four years of research and stakeholder engagement, the RESYNTEX Final Conference took place in April. Attended by experts from the chemical, textiles, plastics and recycling industries, the event in Brussels saw different value chains come together to consider and discuss how to recycle natural and synthetic fibres.
As RESYNTEX enters its final phase, there are still many opportunities to learn more about the project’s outcomes and possible next steps. A guided visit to the demonstration plant in Maribor, Slovenia, will take place in May as well as interactive online webinars. Registrations are open for both activities and places are limited.
With the construction of its pilot installation in Maribor, the RESYNTEX project has moved into the real-world testing of its technology for chemical and biotechnical recycling of textile waste. This pilot will demonstrate an integrated value chain from waste textiles to secondary raw materials. The third and last RESYNTEX Value Chain Workshop in March, organised and moderated by Prospex Institute, convened the fibre, fabric, apparel, automotive and chemical industries at the pilot site in Slovenia.
Since 2015, RESYNTEX has looked to tackle the pressing challenge of dealing with post-consumer unwearable textile waste. The project’s Final Conference in Brussels on 24 April will bring together industry experts from throughout the value chain to exchange knowledge and opinions on four years of research.
The conference will be held as part of the Annual Textile ETP Conference, which will see opening speeches from Janez Potočnik, co-chair of the UNEP International Resource Panel, and Paolo Canonico, President of the Textile ETP. European thought-leaders from industry, research and policy will share their vision on how circular economy concepts, bio-based materials and digitalisation will impact the future of the European Textile and Clothing industry.
Textile waste recycling is frequently hindered by dyes and other finishing agents which may be present, so preparation (by grinding, decolouration, etc.) is an important step for efficient recycling. While distinctions have traditionally been made between chemical and mechanical recycling, recent findings by RESYNTEX have moved the project closer to demonstrating a complete reprocessing line for the biochemical transformation of textiles into chemicals.
This year will see the completion of RESYNTEX’s research activities across Europe. In Slovenia, the project’s pilot plant has begun operational testing in Maribor, close to the IOS facilities. This site will demonstrate the whole symbiosis concept of RESYNTEX in an industrial environment when it goes online later this year.
Summer is traditionally a time for rest and reflection. This year for RESYNTEX, it was also a great opportunity to engage key stakeholders as our project reached a number of milestones and deliverables. In June, the consortium met in Thessaloniki, Greece, for its annual General Assembly to discuss the project’s impact, its lifecycle and its future scenarios. The lifecycle assessments which evaluate environmental and cost performance are being conducted by LCA experts from Quantis.
RESYNTEX partner Prospex Institute will attend Transitions 2: Material Revolution Conference in Huddersfield, UK, on 11 and 12 April. Valérie Boiten will talk about our project and the work Prospex Institute does within RESYNTEX. Prospex Institute works on the circular economy by mobilising citizens and stakeholders to tackle textile waste collection.
Welcome to the fourth edition of the RESYNTEX newsletter. Our new circular economy concept for the textile and chemical industries is taking shape as we enter the project's final nine months.
As part of RESYNTEX’s research, facilitators from Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) and Prospex Institute invite the public to join them in Annecy le Vieux, France, for an informal focus group with refreshments. Come and have a chat over dinner and share your views on fashion, clothing and recycling, as well as the disposal and recycling options that are currently available.
Participants can attend one of the events on the afternoon or evening of Tuesday 27th, or the afternoon on Wednesday 28th February. Take part in some fun and worthwhile research on new ways of turning textile waste into a valuable resource and keeping it out of landfill.
To sign up to attend, please go to bit.ly/2DX7VKB or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
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RT @innovatext: English translation of our new article about @innovatext's demo plant visit is out now! https://t.co/yYj1WuPHyA #textile #textile…
Thu 06th Jun 2019
RESYNTEX received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement 641942.
