Imagine being able to strip the stretchy elastane and dyes out of old clothes so the fabric can be truly recycled. It's like having a magic eraser for harmful chemicals and plastics in clothing. This also includes creating water-repellent sprays and prints that don't use forever-chemicals or PVC, making clothes safer for people and the planet.
Textile recycling is hindered by elastane blends and toxic dyes, while water-repellent finishes rely on harmful PFAS. Companies struggle to find high-performance, bio-based alternatives that are compatible with circular recycling.
Bio-based PFAS-free coatings, PVC-free removable prints, and a pre-processing method to remove elastane from fabrics. It also includes a decision-support software tool for sustainable material choices.
If you are an apparel brand dealing with the environmental impact of PFAS and PVC in your garments — this project developed bio-based water-repellent coatings and removable print formulations that reduce pollution while maintaining performance.
If you are a recycling plant dealing with the difficulty of processing blended fabrics containing elastane — this project developed pre-processing methods to remove impurities and elastane to increase the amount of usable recycled feedstock.
If you are a chemical producer dealing with strict regulations on substances of high concern — this project developed a decision-support tool and bio-based formulations to help transition to safe, sustainable alternatives.
Based on available project data, specific pricing or cost-reduction figures are not provided; however, the project uses a design approach to eliminate unexpected costs and risks later in development.
The project aims to demonstrate industrial relevance with value-chain partners and move from lab validation to scaling, but it is currently in the development and validation phase.
Based on available project data, there is no specific information regarding licensing terms or patent filings for the PVC-free and PFAS-free formulations.
The project targets the substitution of substances of (very high) concern and PFAS, aligning with EU Zero Pollution and toxic-free environment ambitions.
The project period runs from 2024-06-01 to 2028-05-31, suggesting that fully validated industrial solutions will emerge toward the end of this window.
The consortium is heavily weighted toward commercial application, with a 46% industry ratio comprising 6 industrial partners and 6 SMEs. This balance, supported by 4 universities and 2 research institutes across 7 countries, suggests a strong focus on translating lab results into scalable industrial processes rather than purely academic research.
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