Refashion Lauches 'Industrial Challenge' for Recycling of Textiles and Footwear; Each Project Can Get €2 million

Refashion, a producer responsibility organisation, has launched Industrial Challenge, a project that seeks to deploy innovative industrial solutions for recycling non-reusable used textiles and footwear in France and Europe.

Long Story, Cut Short
  • For the first edition of the Industrial Challenge, Refashion is looking for projects focusing on the industrialisation of innovative technologies and new industrial outlets for the recovery of materials from collected waste.
  • There is no overall budget set for this call for proposals. Funding by the eco-organisation may not exceed 50% of the total cost of the project, up to a maximum of €2 million per project.
  • Sorting operators, preprocessors of materials for recycling, recyclers, or manufacturers of products incorporating recycled materials, can take part.
Refashion describes itself as the producer responsibility organisation for clothing, household linen and footwear (CHF) accredited by French Public Authorities. Its actions are designed to federate all stakeholders in the sector to develop eco-design, repair, re-use and recycling of CHF, while optimising management of material, financial and human resources.
Refashioning manufacturing Refashion describes itself as the producer responsibility organisation for clothing, household linen and footwear (CHF) accredited by French Public Authorities. Its actions are designed to federate all stakeholders in the sector to develop eco-design, repair, re-use and recycling of CHF, while optimising management of material, financial and human resources. freebie.photography / FreeImagesLive

Refashion has launched a new call for projects—the Industrial Challenge—to deploy new industrial solutions for recycling non-reusable used textiles and footwear in France and Europe.

  • The Industrial Challenge aims to accelerate the transition to a circular textile industry through the industrialisation of innovative technologies and industrial outlets.
  • Project leaders will be eligible for funding of up to €2 million, and the last date for applications is 24 March. The winners will be announced in May.
  • Refashion will fund winner projects up to 50% of the total amount of the project, up to a maximum of €2 million per project.
  • For the inaugural edition, Refashion is looking for solutions with a high technological readiness level (TRL), capable of industrially processing or consuming materials from non-reusable used textiles and footwear collected in France.  
  • Sorting operators, preprocessors of materials for recycling, recyclers, or manufacturers of products incorporating recycled materials, can take part.

Strategic areas: The Challenge will look at three strategic areas for projects

  1. Automated sorting and preprocessing for recycling of textiles and footwear: Optimise the stages of sorting and preprocessing textiles and footwear for recycling, using optical sorting, trims removal, disassembling, etc.
  2. Recycling of textiles and footwear: Recycling non-reusable used textiles and shoes, using a mechanical, thermomechanical, chemical or enzymatic process
  3. Incorporation of recycled materials from textiles and footwear: Incorporation of recycled materials from textiles and footwear, in a closed loop or open loop

Eligibility criteria: Refashion has listed eight. Products should:

  1. Relate to the recovery of non-reusable textiles (clothing and/or household linen) or footwear from household consumption (used) collected in France.
  2. Have a TRL between 7 and 9, so have the capacity to consume secondary raw materials industrially.
  3. Be technically reliable and economically viable, in terms of product outlets, markets and processes.
  4. Identify the nature and volume of non-reusable used textiles and/or footwear impacted throughout the project, and identify their availability in figures (estimate required).
  5. Identify the environmental impact of the technology.
  6. For projects requiring a feedstock of non-reusable used textiles and/or footwear (preprocessed or not), contact a sorting operator under contract with Refashion.
  7. Be led by a single legal entity. The project may involve other partners, but only the applicant entity will be considered as the project leader.
  8. There is no nationality requirement for project leaders, but the proposed solution must be applied on French or European territory using feedstock collected in France.

The host: Refashion describes itself as the producer responsibility organisation for clothing, household linen and footwear (CHF) accredited by French Public Authorities.

  • Its mission is to take charge of the prevention and end-of-life management of CHF placed on the consumer market on behalf of the marketers.
  • Refashion’s actions are designed to federate all stakeholders in the sector to develop eco-design, repair, re-use and recycling of CHF, while optimising the management of material, financial and human resources.
 
 
  • Dated posted: 26 January 2024
  • Last modified: 26 January 2024