Telaketju: Towards Circularity of Textiles

Telaketju action was aiming for better utilization of textile waste. Telaketju Tekes project (4/2017-1/2019) was part of this action focusing on business opportunities. The common goal of Telaketju Tekes project was to facilitate textile (re)cycling and simultaneously create added value and new business around textile recycling and circular economy. Project consisted of company projects and public research supporting participating companies. This report summarised work carried out in Telaketju Tekes project supplemented with valuable findings and results from other Telaketju activities. This report includes description of circular textile ecosystem in Finland with future development needs and vision. It gives a summary of work carried out in order to build circular economy and sustainability know-how into Finnish companies, and research activities that aimed for facilitating textile recycling from collection and sorting to recycling processes. Furthermore, it includes description of large number of trials and demonstrations carried out by research organizations and companies. These demonstrations were largely carried out in co-operation between partners, and many of them formed chains, which model possible future value chains. Telaketju Tekes project successfully delivered one of its main expected outcome - to build a circular textiles ecosystem providing business opportunities, and composing of companies and other organization who have the necessary knowledge and urge to higher sustainability. Work towards higher circularity of textiles continues in companies and other organizations participated as well as linked with Telaketju network as well as in other Telaketju activities.