CIRCULARITY IN THE ADVANCED TEXTILES
12% of waste is selectively collected
In Catalonia, each person consumes between 21.5 and 26 kg of textiles per year, but only 12% of waste is collected selectively, resulting in a significant loss of resources that could be reintegrated into the production system.
1.033 CATALAN TEXTILE COMPANIES
In Catalonia, there were 1,033 companies in 2021, according to the Department of Business and Labor of the Government of Catalonia. This accounts for 29% of the total textile companies in Spain.
BOOSTING OF EUROPEAN UNION
The European Commission has identified the textile sector as one of the areas with the greatest potential to transition towards a circular economy in its Action Plan and has developed the European Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles.
ADVANCED TEXTILE WASTE: A DIFFERENTIATED APPROACH
The advanced textile sector also generates waste, although its function is not solely aesthetic, which makes the characteristics of its products and materials distinct.
The waste generated by advanced textile material industries pre-consumption is similar in form to that of the fashion textile industry, but it comes from different operations, some of which are not typically found in clothing (e.g., laminates). Additionally, the fabrics are made from raw materials that are uncommon in fashion (e.g., flame-retardant materials or special coatings).
The current context favors the transition towards circularity and is driving governments and textile companies to transform the sector. Some companies are innovating in recycling technologies, and there is a growing interest in shifting towards more sustainable materials, whether recycled, natural, biobased, or biodegradable.
CIRCULAR ECONOMY
The circular economy is an economic development approach designed to benefit businesses, society, and the environment. In contrast to the linear model (take, make, dispose), the circular economy is regenerative by design and aims to gradually decouple growth from the consumption of finite resources.