From local actions to industrial innovations: SOLSTICE shares mid-project results

Since its launch in May 2024, the SOLSTICE project is accelerating the transition from linear models to circular regional ecosystems in the textile industry, focusing on four key territories: Grenoble-Alpes Métropole (France), Berlin (Germany), Prato (Italy), and Catalonia (Spain). By mid-project, SOLSTICE has already revealed both regional disparities and promising solutions to strengthen textile repair, reuse, and recycling infrastructure.

Mapping the Circular Textile Landscape in Europe

SOLSTICE began with an in-depth territorial analysis led by Circle Economy,examining how local textile systems operate across the four regions. The findings revealed significant geographic imbalances: circular services such as repair, reuse, and recycling remain largely concentrated in urban centres, leaving suburban and rural areas underserved.

The analysis also confirmed that a uniform approach to circularity is ineffective. Each territory operates within a distinct economic and infrastructural context. While Berlin and Grenoble are primarily consumption hubs focused on creative repair, Prato is defined by its industrial recycling capacity. Meanwhile, Catalonia collects high volumes of textile waste but still relies heavily on landfills due to a lack of reuse infrastructure.

These insights underscore the need for region-specific strategies to effectively scale circular textile solutions across Europe.

Engaging Citizens in Circular Textile Practices

Building on the territorial analysis, particularly regarding infrastructure access and public habits, SOLSTICE launched targeted pilots designed to actively involve citizens in the circular economy.
In Berlin, the project via Circular Berlin introduced the REPAIR DEAL, a pilot that encourages citizens to repair denim rather than discard it by combining a digital bonus system with local repair services. Meanwhile, in Prato, the Municipality of Prato addressed engagement through a gamified app called greenApes. Co-designed with citizens, the app maps local reuse services and rewards sustainable behaviours, allowing users to convert points into discounts or donations to social projects.

These pilots demonstrate how behavioural change, supported by digital tools and local services, can significantly increase participation in circular textile practices.

Advancing Industrial Recovery Pathways

Alongside these citizen-focused initiatives, SOLSTICE partners achieved significant technical advancements adressing the most complex challenges of sorting and recycling identified during the ecosystem mapping phase.

• Automated sorting: Pellenc ST successfully tested automated sorting lines on post-consumer textiles, producing high-quality feedstock for chemical recyclers with PET purity reaching greater than 96%.
• Elastane removal: Addressing complex blends, Next Technology Tecnotessile optimized a thermo-chemical process that selectively removes elastane from bi-component fabrics, enabling the recovery of polyester and polyamide for reuse.
• Decision support: To optimise these processes, Techtera launched Valoramix, a tool that uses economic simulation to help professionals visualise flows and identify the most viable valorisation pathways.

By starting with a clear look at how different regions operate, SOLSTICE connects local citizen action with large-scale industrial solutions. The project proves that moving to a circular textile industry is not just about one fix, it requires better data, consumer support, and advanced recycling technology working together.
As part of a consortium of 24 partners working on the project, NTT has validated a thermo-chemical pre-treatment to selectively separate elastane (EL) from PET/EL and PA/EL fabrics. Recovered polyester (PET) and polyamide (PA) have been reused in nonwovens and in pellets for recycled yarns, while elastane was tested for alternative applications. In parallel, NTT is improving its textile sorting system using combined NIR/HSI and RGB cameras, achieving good material recognition, with further optimization needed for dark colours and complex patterns.

The preparatory phase of the Social LCA has been completed by NTT, defining the methodology and tools to assess the social impacts of the project’s circular textile technologies. Four main stakeholder groups were identified (i.e., Workers, Company executives, Consumers, and Researchers), and dedicated questionnaires were developed, validated, implemented via the EU Survey platform, and translated into all project languages. The questionnaires can be accessed through the links below. Please help us collect responses by completing them or by forwarding them to potential respondents:

• Workers. and Companies https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/SOLSTICEWorkerCompany
• Consumers and Researchers https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/SOLSTICEResearcherConsumer

The exploitation of component of the project has achieved the definition of 15 Key Exploitable Results, that will be pushed onto the market by dedicated acceleration plans. Moreover, a policy brief, deriving by analytical territorial studies of the 4 Solstice regions, is now under preparation. External actors and additional territories have been identified to replicate or transfer main project outcomes, including novel technologies and solutions. A group of European stakeholders, expert of textile matters, was formed and is evaluating Solstice progressive achievements.

Additional details and visual documentation of the project’s activities and pilot actions are available in the accompanying PDF, which includes photographs from across the four pilot territories.

SOLSTICE is a Horizon Europe project, funded by the European Union. Led by Axel’One, an open innovation platform in chemistry-environment in France, the SOLSTICE consortium is EU-wide and covering the whole value chain in textiles and plastics. The project is started on 1 May 2024 and will last for 42 months. The full list of partners is available here. It receives funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under the grant agreement No. 101134989.