The Telaketju 2 BF project
The Telaketju 2 BF project was named “Building business from circular economy of textiles”. The project includes novel circular economy business models aiming to improve material efficiency and extend the life of textiles, as well as the recycling business.
The project studies new business models aligned with circular economy and seeks tools for communicating circular economy solutions in the value networks of companies. It looks into the impact of product design on the life and recyclability of products and the application of product information in circular economy. With regard to recycling, development work covers the concept design of collection and pre-sorting, as well as identification and sorting of textiles. In addition, a categorization of recycled materials for standardization is being prepared. Sustainability is promoted in terms of environmental, social and economic impacts.
The project participants represent a wide range of operators that are jointly capable of rapidly implementing various circular economy pilots and demonstrations concerning processing and products as extensively as possible while modelling future value chains of recycling. An essential aspect of the business prerequisites for circular economy solutions of textiles is the involvement of consumers through both consumer research and communication directed at consumers. The business prerequisites will be improved by means of supporting both the establishment of an ecosystem and the further research needs.
The Telaketju 2 BF project consists of development projects of companies (a total of 5) as well as public research conducted by VTT, Turku University of Applied Sciences and Lahti University of Applied Sciences, funded by Business Finland and more than 20 companies and other organizations. The Telaketju 2 BF project period is May 2019 to April 2021.
Research organizations: VTT, Turku University of Applied Sciences and Lahti University of Applied Sciences
Companies with their own Tekes projects: Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto, Pure Waste Textiles, Touchpoint, Image Wear and Suomen Devtec
Companies and organizations that participate in the funding of the BF project (the status of the funding decisions on 20 June 2019): Valmet, Reima, Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto, Freudenberg, BlackModa, Infinited Fibre Company, Finnish Textile and Fashion, Suonpää Yhtiöt, Porin Villa ja Peite, Globe Hope, Nosh Company, Paptic, Fida, Saimaan Virta, PK-seudun kierrätyskeskus, Sideflow, Kehräämö Mustalammas, Aijuu, Vaatepuu, and Painovoima ry.
Telaketju’s Tekes project
Telaketju’s Tekes project focuses on process development in different stages of the value chain and on finding new users and applications for various textile fractions. The shared objective of the participating companies is to promote the recycling of textiles and, at the same time, provide added value in their own operations and create new business operations.
The pursued business opportunities are primarily based on the different stages of the material recycling of textiles and the service business concepts of circular economy. Telaketju’s Tekes project consists of companies’ research and development projects and a public project designed to support them, with VTT, Turku and Lahti Universities of Applied Sciences, as well as companies that participate in the project through work as research partners. Among other things, the research projects study the risks and opportunities of textile recycling, the environmental burden of various material fractions and the suitability of various techniques for end-of-life textile materials, as well as model the business opportunities provided by the textile recycling ecosystem in Finland.
The Tekes project will end at the end of September 2018. The results of the research project are public. The executive group includes company representatives, funders and research organizations.
Research organizations: VTT, Turku University of Applied Sciences and Lahti University of Applied Sciences
Companies with their own Tekes projects: Pure Waste Textiles, Touchpoint, Soften, Recci, Tramel and Remeo
Other cooperation partners: Paptic, MJV Sähkö, Ilmakunnas, Finlayson, Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto, SOL Laundry Services, Infinited Fibre Company, Suominen, Globe Hope, and Familon
Telaketju’s Ministry of Employment and the Economy project
The Ministry of Employment and the Economy (TEM) has granted financial support for investment and development projects in circular economy to Lounais-Suomen Jätehuoltolaitos (LSJH) waste management company for the purpose of launching a project to establish a refining plant for end-of-life textiles. The intention is to implement the plant in stages. Facilities are being sought in Turku for the implementation of the first stage of the project. The financial support received by the project will be used for purchasing machines and equipment for processing and subsequent refining end-of-life textiles for the needs of companies in Finland and international markets. The project’s total investment budget is EUR 300,000 and the development project budget is also EUR 300,000. In addition, the funders of the project include nearly all waste management companies in Finland, since the aim of the refining plant is to process end-of-life textiles from all Finnish consumers in the future. The development work also enables the waste management companies to prepare for the amendment of the EU’s waste directive concerning end-of-life textiles, according to which separate collection must be organized by 2025.
The project begins in August 2018 and spans two years. The project includes a refining plant pilot for end-of-life textiles and the planning of the subsequent stages of the plant. The pilot will be carried out in close cooperation with Finnish users of textiles.
Coordination: Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy, Sini Ilmonen
Steering group: Suomen Kiertovoima KIVO and member plants, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Lahti University of Applied Sciences Ltd., and Finnish Textile and Fashion
Telaketju’s Ministry of the Environment project
The objective of the collection and sorting pilot is to develop an extensive collection and sorting system for end-of-life textiles in Finland and to increase the recycling rate of municipal waste through more effective processing of end-of-life textiles for recycling and reuse. Regional pilots will be carried out in order to find the best solutions for the different stages of the Telaketju project with a focus on the collection, sorting and processing of textile waste.
The pilot project will address central challenges in the collection and sorting of end-of-life textiles and support the implementation and nationwide dissemination of good practices. The goal is for the solutions being developed to help generate export products for Finland, including an overall recycling concept, Finnish technology and robotics as well as new end products and textile raw materials.
The pilot project continues until the end of 2018, and all results will be public. The executive group includes the project funders and pilot coordinators. The project consists of three pilots.
Funders: Ministry of the Environment, Suomen Kiertovoima KIVO, Lännen tekstiilihuolto, City of Turku, Ekokem, Finnish Textile and Fashion, as well as the pilot participants through self-financing.
The first pilot develops three modules, the first of which focuses on communications and the specification of terminology used in textile recycling and of legislation. The main target group of communications is consumers, and the pilot will prepare a social media strategy and a series of blogs describing the viewpoints of consumers. The communications expert will be Valonia, a Turku-based regional advisory organization on matters regarding sustainable development and energy. The Finnish Environment Institute will be in charge of specifying terminology and legislation. The goal is to produce clear instructions for organizations and companies that collect textiles. Both tasks will be carried out in close cooperation with Telaketju’s Tekes project.
Coordination: Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy, Sini Ilmonen.
Participants: Valonia, the Finnish Environment Institute and Turku University of Applied Sciences.
The second pilot investigates opportunities to sort textiles at source and study the impact of communications and guidance on the recycling behaviour of the targeted residents. A collection campaign covering several residential areas will be organized in Turku. The residents will be provided with collection containers for their end-of-life textiles in the yard of their buildings, at UFF’s sorting point, residents’ shared waste collection stations or a shopping centre. The textiles deposited in the collection containers are sorted to see what proportion of the textiles collected is actually in a good condition and saleable and should therefore be donated to charity. In addition, the pilot investigates the quantity and quality of end-of-life textiles suitable for material circulation, as well as the quantity of items that should not be included in the collection, such as mattresses, books, tools and Christmas decorations, on the other hand. The participants of the collection container pilot also include the waste management of the City of Rauma and the Rosk’n’Roll waste management company in Eastern Uusimaa.
Coordination: Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy, Miia Jylhä.
Participants: UFF, Ekopartners and the Akseli property management services.
The third pilot maps the possibility to provide textile sorter training in Finland. The pilot includes various parties that sort textiles. The pilot, named Telakoulu, covers textile sorter training and surveys the role and importance of manual sorting in the pre-processing of end-of-life textiles. The Telakoulu pilot also studies the integration of textile sorting into teaching in upper secondary educational institutions. Turku University of Applied Sciences participates in all of the pilots, providing assistance as needed and linking the activities to the Tekes project.
Coordination: Helsinki Metropolitan Area Reuse Centre, Pia Engström, Helsinki. Participants: Fida International, the Nextiili shop of Pirkanmaan kierrätys- ja työtoiminta ry and the Texvex shop of Turun seudun TST ry.
Telaketju AIKO
The AIKO funding granted to Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto (LSJH) waste management company by the Regional Council of Southwest Finland supports the implementation of the first stage of the end-of-life textile refining plant and the planning of its subsequent stages. With the AIKO funding, the project is able to conduct market consultation of refined end-of-life textiles and prepare a business plan for the plant. The project will support the development of high-quality sorting by ensuring that the materials to be refined are optimally aligned with the needs of companies using end-of-life textiles. The total budget of the project is EUR 73,000. The one-year long project starts in May 2018.
The refining plant will be developed in Southwest Finland in close cooperation with the nation-wide Telaketju network and companies that use end-of-life textiles. Previous projects in the Telaketju network developed the collection and sorting of end-of-life textiles and business models based on circular economy through extensive national cooperation. The next step will be a refining plant for end-of-life textiles. It will provide the industry with raw materials refined in Finland for the development of new recycled products.
Coordination: Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy, Sini Ilmonen.
Steering group: Suomen Kiertovoima KIVO and member plants, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Lahti University of Applied Sciences Ltd., and Finnish Textile and Fashion