

Increasing Circularity and Sustainability in Textiles and Clothing in Europe
CISUTAC Publications
The work provides an overview of the key instruments within the reach of local and regional authorities to improve the circularity of textile material flows, especially via citizens and engagement.
The work conducted led to two main outcomes: the creation of a unique dataset comprising 30,000 PCT garments , and the development of an AI model. The dataset includes images and annotations for each garment, capturing the complexities introduced by wear, tear, and alterations during the user phase. Unlike existing datasets that focus on pre-consumer textiles, this collection provides a more realistic foundation for developing digital sorting solutions.
The report analyses existing textile repair, reuse and recycling systems in the EU and the trends that influence their operation. Based on these findings, the research explores the reasons behind the difficulties observed and proposes solutions to overcome them. The report’s ultimate objective, aligned with the CISUTAC project’s goal, is to understand how to create an integrated circular textile value chain.
The aim of this report is to provide a comprehensive overview of circular textile business models. To this end, the report analyses existing textile repair, reuse and recycling systems in the EU and the trends that influence their operation. Based on these findings, the research explores the reasons behind the difficulties observed and proposes solutions to overcome them.
CISUSTAC’s open-sourced tool revolutionises the way we approach post-consumer textile waste by prioritising data points for efficient sorting to reuse, and recycling. The tool empowers the textile ecosystem to make informed decisions, driving a digital change in line with the upcoming digital product passport legislation, and enable a more accurate feedstock for the recycling industry and unlock potential for the reuse market
As part of the CISUTAC project, RISE and Centexbel (with the support of other partners) released a comprehensive report titled "Circular Transition Scenarios & Software for Post-Consumer Textile Waste Channelling" that serves as a guiding compass, offering insights into various pathways for Europe's textile industry to achieve a circular future.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the grant agreement No. 101060375. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
