The SOLSTICE project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme is accelerating the transition from linear models to circular textile ecosystems across Europe. Launched on 1 May 2024 and running for 42 months, the project focuses on four key territories: Grenoble-Alpes Métropole (France), Berlin (Germany), Prato (Italy) and Catalonia (Spain). By mid-project, the consortium has mapped regional dynamics and begun pilot activities that link local citizen engagement with industrial innovations in textile repair, reuse and recycling.  

Key Takeaways

• Territorial analysis reveals disparities: An in-depth circular textile mapping led by Circle Economy found significant differences across regions, with circular services mainly concentrated in urban centres and largely absent in suburban and rural areas. The analysis showed that uniform circular approaches are ineffective due to distinct local economic and infrastructural contexts. For example, Berlin and Grenoble emphasised creative repair, Prato has strong industrial recycling capabilities, and Catalonia still relies heavily on landfilling owing to limited reuse infrastructure.  
• Citizen engagement pilots: SOLSTICE launched targeted pilots to involve residents in circular practices. In Berlin, the REPAIR DEAL pilot promotes denim repair by combining digital bonus incentives with local service provision. In Prato, the greenApes app, co-designed with citizens maps local reuse services and encourages sustainable behaviour by converting points into discounts or donations to social causes. These pilots illustrate how behavioural change can be supported through digital tools and local services.  
• Industrial recovery innovations: Key technological advancements are emerging from the project. Pellenc ST successfully tested automated post-consumer textile sorting that produces feedstock with over 96% polyethylene terephthalate (PET) purity for chemical recyclers. Next Technology Tecnotessile developed a thermo-chemical process to remove elastane from mixed fabrics, enabling polyester and polyamide recovery. Techtera launched Valoramix, a decision-support tool that uses economic simulation to help professionals visualise material flows and identify promising valorisation pathways.  
• Connecting local and industrial action: By starting with territorial mapping and progressing to both citizen centred pilots and advanced industrial solutions, SOLSTICE demonstrates that scaling textile circularity requires combining local behavioural shifts with technological innovation, strong data insights, and infrastructure development.  
• Project coordination and partnerships: The SOLSTICE consortium involves 24 partners covering the full textile and plastics value chain, led by Axel’One and with Textile ETP coordinating dissemination, communication and the ECOSYSTEX community of practice for textile circularity innovation.  

The mid-project findings of SOLSTICE highlight the importance of region-specific strategies, citizen involvement and advanced industrial technologies in building circular textile ecosystems across Europe. The project’s holistic approach combining territorial insights, behavioural pilots and technical solutions provides a strong foundation for future expansion and broader implementation of circular textile practices across diverse regions.

For further insights regarding the results please visit Textile ETP website.