SOLSTICE's Territory Profile: Grenoble

The global textile industry is only 0.3% circular, with over 99% of its 3.25 billion tonnes of annual material use coming from virgin sources. Fibre consumption per capita has nearly doubled since 1975 and continues to rise, while most discarded textiles are still landfilled or incinerated. This unsustainable system drives severe environmental and social impacts. The circular economy offers a pathway forward through strategies like reduce, reuse, repair, and recycle.

The SOLSTICE project, funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme, aims to tackle the textile industry’s challenges by piloting circular solutions in Berlin, Grenoble, Catalonia, and Prato. In collaboration with local partners, Circle Economy conducted a comprehensive analysis of each territory’s textile ecosystem—covering material flows, employment, consumer behaviour, and environmental impact—to guide tailored circular interventions.

Grenoble, a leading innovation hub, is advancing a circular economy with a focus on textile reuse and repair. Yet, services are centralized—only 39% of residents can access them on foot, limiting reach in outer areas. Retail dominates textile jobs, but second-hand roles make up just 11%, and recycling is not yet local. Consumer habits vary by income, balancing affordability with ethics. In 2020, French fashion spending averaged €430 per household. Grenoble separately collects 33% of textile waste—above the EU average—but most is still exported or incinerated. The sector emits 37,000 tonnes of CO₂e annually. Reducing consumption and scaling reuse, repair, and recycling are key to cutting impact.