UKRI Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Centre for Textiles: Circular Bioeconomy for Textile Materials
Updated on 11.01.2023
The Textiles Circularity Centre focuses on materials security. Its approach is to make textile resource flows circular and engage consumers in new consumption cultures to enable them to be agents of change. It drives symbiosis between novel materials manufacturing and consumer experiences through a supply chain of innovative business models and digital tools.
More information
Using lab-proven biotechnology, the project is transforming bio-based, waste-derived feedstock (post-consumer textiles, crop residues, municipal solid waste) into renewable polymers, fibres and flexible textile materials. This is part of a circular economy transition strategy to replace imported cotton, wood pulp and synthetic polyester fibres and petrochemical finishes.
It aims to innovate advanced manufacturing techniques that link biorefining of organic waste, 3D weaving, robotics and additive manufacturing to circular design, producing flexible, continuous textiles and three-dimensional textile forms for clothing. These techniques enable manufacturing hubs to be located on the high street or in local communities, and support clothing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and retailers to offer on-site or on-demand manufacturing of products for local customisation. These hubs would generate regional cultural and social benefits through business and related skills development.
The project is designing a transparent supply chain for these textiles through industrial symbiosis between waste management, farming, bio-refinery, textile production, SME clothing brands, and consumer stakeholders. Clothing brands access this supply chain through the digital 'Biomaterials Platform', where they can find materials and data on their provenance, properties, circularity, and life-cycle extension strategies. Working with SME clothing brands, the project is developing an in-store configurator and novel creative technologies to engage consumers in digitally immersive experiences and services that link resource flow, wellbeing and satisfaction, thus creating a new culture of consumption. This dematerialisation approach requires innovation in business models that add value to clothing, in order to counter overproduction and detachment. Consumers should become key nodes in the circular value chain, enabling responsible and personalised engagement.
Relevance for Circular Systemic Solutions
The project focuses on designing a transparent supply chain in the textile industry and making resource flows of textiles circular. It considers different stakeholders in the value chain as it looks at circular industrial symbiosis between waste management, farming, bio-refinery, textile production, small and medium-sized clothing brands, and consumer stakeholders. The project applies an interdisciplinary approach as a broad spectrum of knowledge is required to achieve its objectives, including knowledge in bioengineering, product design, manufacturing and psychology.
Responsible organisation and contact details
Royal College of Art
Contact the project: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=EP%2FV011766%2F1
Project consortium partners
- Royal College of Art, United Kingdom (Lead Research Organisation)
- Arcade Ltd (Project Partner)
- ON ROAD (Project Partner)
- Novozymes A/S, Denmark (Project Partner)
- Yoox Net-a-Porter Group (Project Partner)
- REGEMAT 3D SL (Project Partner)
- UK-CPI (Project Partner)
- Ultraleap (Project Partner)
- UK Fashion & Textile Association (Project Partner)
- London Waste and Recycling Board (Project Partner)
- Wilson Biochemicals Ltd (Project Partner)
- Circular Systems (Project Partner)
- Vireol Bio Industries plc (Project Partner)
- Innsbruck University, Austria (Project Partner)
- SharpEnd (Project Partner)
- Wandsworth Borough Council (Project Partner)
- Oxfam GB, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- London Cloth Company (Project Partner)
- EPSRC Future Composites ManufacturingHub (Project Partner)
- Swift Analytical LTd (Project Partner)
- IBM Hursley (Project Partner)
- SUEZ Recycling and Recovery UK Ltd (Project Partner)
- Presca Teamwear (Project Partner)
- University of Abertay Dundee, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Kiosk N1C (Project Partner)
- Materials and Design Exchange (Project Partner)
- Technical Fibre Products Ltd, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Business Growth Hub (Project Partner)
- University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- University of Warwick, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Laudes Foundation (Project Partner)
- HKRITA (Project Partner)
- Neurosketch (Project Partner)
- Pentland Brands (Project Partner)
- NYC Economic Development Corpration (Project Partner)
- Jesmond Engineering, United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- Manor Farms (Project Partner)
- Henry Royce Institute (Project Partner)
- Fashion District (Project Partner)
- Fashion Revolution (Project Partner)
- THP (Project Partner)
- Reskinned Resources Ltd (Project Partner)
- Fashion for Good BV (Project Partner)
- RSA (Royal Society for Arts), United Kingdom (Project Partner)
- LMB Textile Recycling (Project Partner)
- IDEO (Project Partner)
- H&M Foundation (Project Partner)
CEAP2 key product value chain
