SOLSTICE Newsletter

Closing the Loop: Territorial Approaches to Circular Textiles in Europe

The global textile industry is 0,3% circular: of the 3.25 billion tonnes of materials it consumes each year, over 99% come from virgin sources. In part, this metric is bogged down by high virgin material consumption, with per capita fibre consumption rising significantly over the decades. The current scale of textile consumption is not only linked to numerous impacts from climate change to water eutrophication and water scarcity, but also social impacts, including labour rights violations, health hazards and threats to livelihoods.

The circular economy offers a mean to address these challenges, through various
R-strategies such as Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Repurpose, and Recycle. The SOLSTICE project aims to address these key social, environmental and technical challenges posed by the textile industry through a circular economy lens.

SOLSTICE partners (Circle Economy, in collaboration with Circular Berlin, Grenoble-Alpes Métropole, the Comune di Prato, and Generalitat de Catalunya) conducted a current‐state analysis of the textile ecosystem in the territories of Berlin, Grenoble, Prato, and Catalonia, including prevailing circular practices.

The analysis offers a comprehensive overview across multiple dimensions, encompassing spatial planning, employment, material flows, and local infrastructure, to map the enabling conditions for circular textiles in each region.

The SOLSTICE video introduction
is online!

Explore how the SOLSTICE project is transforming the textile industry with its holistic 5R strategy: Refuse/Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Repurpose, and Recycle.

Don’t just hear about it, see it in action! Discover how SOLSTICE is reshaping the textile industry with circular solutions, cutting emissions, and driving sustainable innovation.

Watch the video introduction

SOLSTICE GA in Amsterdam!

Late November 2024, the SOLSTICE consortium met
in-person in Amsterdam, Netherlands, for the second project meeting! During this two-day meeting, we reviewed the first maps from regional profiles, gaining insights into local contexts and infrastructure. Day two featured workshops on setting up the four regional pilots, addressing local challenges, and defining priorities for a future scenario-simulation tool to optimize feedstock.

SOLSTICE consortium visit at United Repair Centre!

Following the SOLSTICE project meeting in Amsterdam the consortium has the opportunity to do a tour of the United Repair Centre facilities, where they showed their repair processes in action. The visit concluded with an engaging sewing workshop where the SOLSTICE partners learnt about different sewing techniques to repair their own clothes and textile products.

SOLSTICE workshop in Grenoble

In December 2024, SOLSTICE partner Grenoble Alpes Métropole organised a creative working session with local residents and textile experts to gain deeper insights into consumer behaviors and attitudes toward global textile consumption and the circular economy.
This session helped identify the key barriers and drivers influencing local customers in activities such as repair, reuse, refusal, and reduction, as well as their needs to make these practices more appealing.

SOLSTICE at the National Day of Energy Saving and Sustainable Lifestyles

In February 2025, SOLSTICE partner Comune di Prato presented the project and shared insights from the focus group held in November, highlighting opportunities to advance sustainability in textiles. They also hosted a workshop with around 30 participants on consumer behavior in a circular economy.

SOLSTICE workshop in Berlin

In March 2025, the SOLSTICE partner Circular Berlin together with city partners, fashion brands, and repair experts, they co-developed ideas for a Repair Bonus System in Berlin. The aim? To make textile repair more accessible, appealing, and rewarding for consumers, while ensuring it remains economically viable for businesses.

SOLSTICE webinar recording on the 5R circularity tool demo

Late March, the SOLSTICE partner Techtera presents key insights from the initial development of a revalorisation pathway explorer: a business model simulation tool designed to support textile circularity within the 5R framework. Techtera is looking for pilot users as professionals in textile collection, sorting, recycling, reuse, repair, and upcycling to help test and refine the tool through real-world applications.

Watch the recording

SOLSTICE at the World Impact Summit

In March 2025, our SOLSTICE project partner Recyc'Elit in Bordeaux, where they showcased the SOLSTICE project at their stand.
We're proud to share that they were recognised with an award in the "Recycling and Circular Economy" category and also received 3rd prize with all the categories combined by the public vote.

Meet Ina Keridou from Leitat Technological Center

Can you tell us about your role in the SOLSTICE project?
I am the Work Package 5 Leader, focused on the chemical recycling of the 4 main polymers (PET, PA, EL and PU) that are responsible for the textile pollution. Additionally, I am the scientific responsible of the chemical recycling of PU coatings.

What has been your most significant contribution to the project so far?
As the WP5 leader, I try to set up connections among all partners working within WP4 and WP5 so to have a smooth collaboration and constant feedback. Additionally, I contribute on the optimization conditions of the chemical recycling of PU coatings in order to be able to upscale it in the coming months.

What’s your favourite aspect of working with the SOLSTICE team?
Every year, tons of textile waste are a cause of pollution on our planet. I am glad that this project brings together people from different countries and areas of expertise to offer a solution on the constant pollution caused by the 4 main polymers used in the textile industry.

Can you share a memorable moment or achievement the team had together?
I really enjoy the consortium meetings where all partners come together to share their expertise and offer their help and knowledge to overcome any issues faced during their investigations.

Do you have any personal goals or aspirations tied to this project?
My aim is to help as much as possible the partners to keep having a positive collaboration and brainstorming to achieve all together our targets of this wonderful project.

What are you most looking forward to as the project progresses?
I am looking forward to seeing the SOLSTICE project demonstrate that the chemical recycling of the 4 main polymers is possible in pilot scale and offer this knowledge to the textile industry professionals to contribute in the circular practices.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or REA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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