Demonstrating and deploying innovative collection, sorting-for-reuse and repair systems for textiles at city/region level (Circular Cities and Regions Initiative topic)

This destination will support the EU Commission priorities ‘Sustaining our quality of life: food security, water and nature’ and ‘A new plan for Europe’s sustainable prosperity and competitiveness’.

The destination supports the EU Green Deal^[1] and contributes to Europe’s competitiveness and sustainable prosperity by supporting the development of a more resilient circular economy in line with the EU Competitiveness Compass^[2], the announced EU Clean Industrial Deal^[3] and the EU Circular Economy Act.

It aims to increase market demand for secondary materials and establish a single market for waste, whilst enhancing Europe’s efforts to develop a single market for sustainable products. It will also support the implementation of the framework conditions set by the EU Startup and Scaleup Strategy.

Furthermore, the destination aims to facilitate the emergence and uptake of innovative, circular and bio-based materials, products, processes and value chains that play a key role for the defossilisation (reduction of feedstocks of fossil origin), climate neutrality and strategic autonomy of our economy, in line with the new EU bioeconomy strategy as well as with the New European Bauhaus.

In addition, this destination supports several key EU policies including the industrial strategy, the European Chemicals Industry Action Plan^[4] and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation^[5] and its working plan.

It also contributes to the EU Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative, the SME strategy, the communication on safe and sustainable by design framework, the sustainable blue economy, the European Ocean Pact^[6], the European Water Resilience Strategy^[7], the European Life Sciences Strategy, the EU biodiversity strategy for 2030, and the Nature Restoration Regulation.

Further support extends to the CAP, the EU forest strategy for 2030, the proposal for a Regulation on a forest monitoring framework, the EU proposal for a directive on soil monitoring and resilience, and the Vision for Agriculture and Food.

The destination supports unlocking the unique assets for research and innovation of the EU outermost regions, in line with the EU strategy for outermost regions^[8].

Legal entities established in China are not eligible to participate in both Research and Innovation Actions (RIAs) and Innovation Actions (IAs) falling under this destination. For additional information please see “Restrictions on the participation of legal entities established in China” found in General Annex B of the General Annexes.

Expected impact: Proposals for topics under this destination should set out a credible pathway contributing to “achieving healthy soils and forests, as well as clean air, fresh and marine water, whilst ensuring water resilience and the transition to a clean, competitive and circular economy and sustainable bioeconomy”, and more specifically to one or more of the following expected impacts:

• Improved climate change adaptation and mitigation through the transition to a more sustainable and circular economy and bioeconomy, underpinned by biotechnologies and sustainable industrial solutions, such as carbon capture and utilisation and recovery of materials, water and energy.
• Industrial competitiveness, sustainability and strategic autonomy are improved through the development of safe, sustainable, circular and/or bio-based value chains. This is done by promoting the efficient and circular use of secondary materials and water, fostering the multi-functionality of forests, and ensuring the sustainable supply of critical resources from land and sea.
• Living conditions for individuals and communities are improved through innovative, affordable and sustainable safe and sustainable by design products and services based on circular and/or bio-based solutions while demonstrating a reduction of environmental and climate pressures.
• Advanced societal transformation based on a systemic approach, as well as people’s involvement and integration of social sciences and humanities for fair, safe, sustainable and circular value chains, sustainable consumption patterns, environmental justice, gender equality and social inclusion.

[1] The European Green Deal - European Commission

[2] https://commission.europa.eu/topics/eu-competitiveness/competitiveness-compass_en

[3] Clean Industrial Deal - European Commission

[4] European Chemicals Industry Action Plan – European Commission

[5] Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation – European Commission

[6] The European Ocean Pact - European Commission

[7] Water resilience strategy - European Commission

[8] COM(2022) Putting people first, securing sustainable and inclusive growth, unlocking the potential of the EU’s outermost regions.

Expected Outcome:

Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• local/regional authorities and their operators adopt optimised collection and sorting systems of municipal waste that prioritise textile reuse and repair;
• social economy entities and society at large benefit from favourable conditions for reuse and repair practices which enable product lifetime prolongation and stimulate second-hand markets;
• citizens have access to better information, leading to greater awareness and public acceptance, and stimulating behavioural change towards sustainable consumption;
• innovative circular textile methodologies, practices and solutions are made available to enable large-scale replication and upscaling in European cities and regions;
• businesses are stimulated to advance repair strategies and circular business models while creating new jobs.

Scope:

This topic supports the implementation of the European Commission’s Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI). It is part of a series of CCRI-related topics funded under Horizon Europe with the aim of accelerating place-based innovation, boosting skills and capacities as well as supporting the implementation of solutions for a circular systemic transition at city/region level. The implementation of circular systemic solutions reduces environmental impacts and contribute to the preservation of biodiversity, by decreasing the extraction of primary raw materials and minimizing waste generation.

Proposals should:

• develop, test and validate innovative solutions that accelerate the adoption of textile reuse and repair practices by local/regional authorities and their operators (e.g. public collection points, retailer take-back schemes);
• involve citizens, local (e.g. upcycling) businesses and social enterprises in the development and implementation of local repair & reuse strategies and practices;
• improve data captured on local textile waste flows and ensure transparency and traceability across the supply chain;
• develop solutions for sorting, and preparing for re-use, including digital solutions (in view of the implementation of digital product passport) and AI to enable repair and affordable pricing of repaired clothes and to stimulate reuse of textiles, particularly apparels;
• incentivise manufacturers to provide spare parts to enhance reuse and reparability (e.g. linen for a coat, extra buttons, zippers, etc.) and to provide extended guarantee.
• develop actionable recommendations for replication in other European cities and regions.

Proposals must use the multi-actor approach and take into account a gender sensitive and inclusive approach. Collaboration between retailers/manufacturers and small repair business and social enterprises is encouraged.

Proposals should seek to contribute to the goals and cooperate with the services of the European Commission’s Circular Cities and Regions Initiative (CCRI) and in particular with the CCRI Coordination and Support Office. Joint activities with other CCRI-related projects and clustering with other related projects is strongly encouraged.

Proposals should also evaluate the feasibility, effectiveness and impact of the demonstrated solutions using robust evaluation methods (including lifecycle assessments such as product environmental footprint, where relevant) and present data and evidence about the economic, environmental and social costs and benefits of the developed solutions.

The topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

The topic supports the European Green Deal, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation and its working plan, the upcoming Circular Economy Act and contributes to Europe’s efforts to develop a single market for sustainable products. It also contributes to the Start-ups and Scale-ups strategy through deep structural transformations and place-based innovation and it is in line with the Waste Framework Directive and EPR for textiles.

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