AUTOMATED COLLECTION AND SORTING SOLUTION FOR CONSUMER TEXTILES

TexMat EU is a Horizon Europe project that aims to create an automated collection and sorting solution for consumer textiles to improve textile recycling and circularity. The project, launched in October 2025, involves partners from across Europe and focuses on reducing textile waste and the environmental impact of fast fashion

Project information

Duration
-
Budget
External funding
6 761 663€
External funding for the University of Vaasa
522 375€
Total budget
6 761 663€
Total budget for the University of Vaasa
522 375€
Units and groups
Marketing and Consumption Research
Funders
EU - Horizon
Coordinator
Khadijeh Momeni
Researchers
Erwan Mouazan
Nayeem Rahman
Kyösti Pennanen
Essi Vesterinen
Coordinating organisation
VTT

Project description

TexMat will develop a decentralized textile collection concept where automated collection units separate reusable textile items from textile waste delivered by the consumer to combat the European textile waste problem and its associated environmental impacts. This innovation builds on the unique opportunity provided by the mandatory collection of textile waste, extended producer responsibility (EPR), and the digital product passport (DPP), which are vital components of the EU textile strategy.TexMat will develop a decentralized textile collection concept where automated collection units separate reusable textile items from textile waste delivered by the consumer to combat the European textile waste problem and its associated environmental impacts. This innovation builds on the unique opportunity provided by the mandatory collection of textile waste, extended producer responsibility (EPR), and the digital product passport, which are key components of the EU textile strategy. TexMat will engage partners from the entire textile value chain to develop new business models, hardware and software technologies, and policy tools to engage and commit consumers to participate in the separate collection of textile waste for boosting textile reuse. These solutions will provide consumers with an economic incentive through the adoption of novel payback schemes connected to second-hand markets and enable profitable business opportunities to extend the lifecycle of textile products and to support the adoption of targeted EPR schemes in the textile sector. In the longer term, TexMat will accelerate a consumer-based transition towards a more sustainable and circular economy of textiles, which will contribute to reaching the EU greenhouse gas reduction targets in 2030 and 2050 aligned with the European Green Deal. These outcomes are directly aligned with improving consumer and citizen benefits and enhancing European industrial sustainability, competitiveness, and resource independence.