Wasted Textiles mål er å redusere bruken av syntetiske tekstiler og mengden som kommer på avveie. Prosjektet er ledet av Ingun Grimstad Klepp ved SIFO/OsloMet og støttet av Norges Forskningsråd og Handelens Miljøfond.
Bruken av plast har økt jevnt de siste 50 årene og i dag utgjør syntetiske tekstiler ca 60 % av den globale produksjonen. Syntetiske klær sprer mikroplast og tekstiler er særlig farlig for dyreliv og problematiske i avfallsbehandlingen. Prosjektet har økt kunnskapen om syntetiske tekstiler i klær og andre tekstile produkter.
Wasted Textiles har gitt en oversikt over det som går ut av bruk. Det er tekstilene i dette stadiet vi omtaler som «bortkastede», og som kan «havne» i mange ulike avfallsstrømmer, gis til innsamling, lagres eller på andre måter komme på avveie. Fra dette punktet i produktets liv ser vi både bakover og fremover i verdikjeden og har spurt:
1. Hva består bortkastede tekstiler av, hvordan og hvorfor oppstår de og hvordan kastes de?
2. Hvor mye tekstiler, spesielt syntetiske, blir kastet i Norge?
3. Hvordan kan forbruk av syntetiske tekstiler minimeres eller erstattes?
4. Hva er de miljømessige, økonomiske og samfunnsmessige konsekvenser er det av sirkulære strategier for syntetiske tekstiler?
5. Hvilke reguleringstiltak vil kunne redusere volumet av syntetisk tekstilavfall?
De fem spørsmålene har hver sin arbeidspakke ledet av Klepp og Kirsi Laitala SIFO/OsloMet, Frode Syversen fra Mepex Consult, Gisle Mardal/Kjersti Kviseth fra Norwegian Fashion & Textile Agenda (NF&TA), og og Moana Simas fra SINTEF. Tone Skårdal Tobiasson ledet arbeidet med formidling, mens Jens Måge ved Avfall Norge leder prosjektets styringsgruppe. Anna Schytte Sigaard er stipendiat på prosjektet. Andre viktige samarbeidspartnerne er Fretex, Forbrukerrådet, Fremtiden i Våre Hender og Kerli Kant Hvass, samt medlemsbedrifter i Avfall Norge og NF&TA og Fakultet for teknologi, kunst og design ved OsloMet. Prosjektet samler dermed hele klessektoren i Norge: produksjon og design, bruk og avhending.
Prosjektet kan følges på: https://clothingresearch.oslomet.no/wasted-textiles/
Wasted Textiles has substantially advanced national knowledge about the volume, composition and pathways of post-consumer textile waste in Norway. By mapping all textiles that leave households, across clothing, home textiles, hygiene products, toys, sports equipment and more, and through picking analyses of textiles in different waste streams the project has established a comprehensive overview of what becomes “wasted” textiles, how and why they go out of use, and the extent of synthetics. This improved understanding of post-consumer textile waste has provided a factual basis for evaluating the environmental, economic and societal consequences of current practices and proposed circular strategies.
WT developed policy instruments that can help stop the growth and plasticization of textiles. Moste important is the TPR an EPR system that also can be used as a way to define fast fashion. The work has included communicating knowledge to bureaucrats in the EU, political parties and NGOs. 12 consultation responses have been published, and 9 independent texts with input for the design of new framework conditions and regulations. We have experienced great interest in our input and open doors to the key people in the development of the regulation of textiles in the EU. Our main concern has been to stop the growth and plasticization of textiles. We have also shown that more does not lead to less. Reducing environmental impacts, or making businesses economically profitable through longer lifespans, repair, reuse and recycling, depends on production (or imports) being reduced. It will be the single factor that will have the most impact in line with the EU Commission's goal in their textile strategy. Stopping the flow of new textiles onto the market could make business models such as repair, reuse, redesign, etc. profitable.
Bureaucracy, politicians, researchers and advertisers are all marching in circles, led by a belief in solutions that are referred to as "circular" even though they lead to increased resource use. Important for this is the idea that increased lifespan leads to lower production. A theory that has not been empirically proven, and which becomes more and more unlikely the greater the abundance in which we live. With the business and production model of the large fast fashion players, it is of little help to stimulate clothing to become more technically durable, when this only means that plasticization continues to increase, as no other textile fibers can compete with plastic-based ones in terms of durability and the lowest possible price. Appealing to consumers to consume more responsibly is also a dead end that takes the focus away from the responsibility of industry and politicians.
Wasted Textiles will reduce the amount of textile waste and the proportion of synthetic textiles that goes to waste by employing two interrelated solutions: 1) reducing synthetic textiles that go to waste and the use of synthetic fibres in textile products, and 2) increasing the resource efficiency of synthetics through looking at both technical, regulatory, market and consumer barriers. We will study pure synthetic textiles and blended textile products such as clothes, shoes, packaging, hygiene items, toys and more from private households and pre-consumer waste (unsold excess goods) generated during sales and distribution. The project will be based on a comprehensive mapping of all textiles that go out of use in households (WP1). Through this mapping, we will gain knowledge about the material composition and individual history of textiles. An important inquiry will also be to estimate the proportion of synthetic fibres. The quantities of textile waste and donated textiles (including unsold excess goods from retail) are measured in WP2. Based on these mappings, we will develop solutions for waste prevention, value creation and reduction by involving industry and design students (WP3), evaluate circular strategies such as new BMs (WP4), followed by proposals for regulatory measures and industry development in general, collaboration platforms, innovation clusters, awareness campaigns etc., and how to promote these (WP5). Impact from the project will be ensured through dissemination to various audiences including consumers, industry, policy makers and public authorities (WP6). Close collaboration between the entire value chain, both in the form of individual companies, associations, municipalities and interest groups, will ensure that the implementation and development of knowledge go hand in hand.
