Redirecting to a circular textile industry - policies for scaling up the reuse and recycling industry

Purpose and goal:

Methods and policy-related measures promoting a sustainable reuse and recycling industry in Sweden, with a focus on the municipalities, have been compiled and shared. The material forms the basis for further discussions and policy proposals within, for example, procurement, waste management and overall strategies. Important modifications in methods and guidelines include inserting holistic and long-term perspectives, simplification of governing documents, setting reuse targets, as well as the importance of increased cooperation within and between municipalities.

Expected results and effects:

Through the project, municipal representatives and politicians have gained increased preparedness and conditions to drive implementation processes for policies, strategies and work methods that promote a more sustainable textile management, with focus on reuse and recycling. This through increased knowledge of existing challenges, but also of concrete methods and policy-related measures.

Municipalities have included the new knowledge in their work and created new networks and forums for collaboration with the goal of conducting a more sustainable textile management. Approach and implementation:

The core of the project implementation was to create conditions for municipalities and other stakeholders in the textile value chain to jointly map incentives that promote a textile management with reuse and recycling in focus. The method was successful as it led to inclusive dialogue and exchange where concrete measures were identified. Mapping was carried out through surveys, meetings and a research study.

The results were processed during panel discussions and workshops and compiled into reports and articles which were disseminated to support policy implementation.