GREEN-TEX

Production of textiles is one of the most polluting global industries (accountable for 20% of industrial wastewater, emitting large quantities of greenhouse gases). Analysis shows that 86% of clothing is either landfilled or burned after use and only 1% is recycled into new clothes. Therefore, the EU Waste Framework Directive (WFD) imposes separate textiles waste collection in the EU by 2025. Most of our 9 partner regions have not developed a reliable and effective system to comply with WFD. Nevertheless, there are some good practices developed in our partner regions of SK, SI, HR, partially HU & BG that can be transferred to regions lagging in these green solutions (B&H, ME, RS, RO). Green-Tex project is aiming to strengthen transnational collaboration and innovation in the Danube area's sustainable textile sector and thus make value chain actors in partner regions more resilient and competitive in adjusting to global shifts from traditional to more regenerative circular economy based green textile practices. Green-Tex will create and test new solutions throughout the entire value chain (starting from fashion design to production and usage as well as textile waste collection) and verify them in various contexts within the project territory. Digital solutions will be an integral part of the Green-Tex project, because all partner regions need an effective textile waste collection system with publicly available online map of collection points, supported by awareness raising campaigns. Green-Tex solutions will be incorporated into the "Green-Tex learning and innovation platform". The project is applying a multi-sectoral approach by integrating partners & stakeholders from the textile, waste collection and recycling, product design and other sectors. It is also integrating all actors within a quadruple innovation helix framework, relevant for the successful application of circularity in the textile sector.