AEI TÈXTILS, the Catalan Technical Textiles’ Cluster, participated at the “Textile Circularity Strategies Conference 2020” organized by Territory and Sustainability department of Generalitat de Catalunya and the Waste Agency of Catalonia (ARC).

The conference showcased the “Strategy for the prevention and management textile wastes in Catalonia (2020-2025)” and the different tools to improve in textile circularity, including prevention, collection, re-utilization and valorization of the waste.

AEI TÈXTILS presented the cluster activities in circular economy for the textile sector, featuring main results from Pactex and Ecodistex projects, cofounded by the ARC. PACTEX aimed at fostering industrial symbiosis between companies in the textile and packaging sectors. Whereas, Ecodistex focused on the support in the implementation of eco-design principles in different companies across the technical textiles’ value chain with three case studies in yarn manufacturing, fabric manufacturing and finishing processes.

During the session, three other good practices were presented by Hilaturas Arnau (a member of AEI Tèxtils), Veritas and CEPSA. The first presented its fiber recycling technologies and the project “Waste 2 Textile”.

AEI Tèxtils is highly committed to the sustainability of the sector and the circular economy initiatives. To boost them, the cluster has led several initiatives in the past years including the coordination of two European projects, MIDWOR-LIFE and LIFE-FLAREX. In 2020, AEI Tèxtils started five projects co-funded by ARC including 2 projects led by the cluster, SUSTEX and CIRCULARTECH, and is supporting three of its members in the implementation of their own circular economy initiatives.

Clusters act as a hub and as a collaborative environment to facilitate partnership between companies, research institutes, policymakers and other institutions that promote innovation and provide SMEs access to new knowledge competencies, resources and markets.

AEI TÈXTILS and its members’ testimonial: https://youtu.be/-C73fwr8GdE