The tExtended project will achieve its overall objective of reduction of textile waste by 80% by within industrial-urbal symbiosis developing and demonstrating effective textile recovery, waste valorisation and recycling processes combined with digital tools, sensing systems and data-driven solutions to support sustainable circularity of textiles. We will develop a knowledge-based Blueprint, i.e. a master plan for a sustainable textile ecosystem. The basis of the Blueprint is a Conceptual Framework which determines the optimized utilization of textile flows, aiming for retention of value of materials in a safe and sustainable way. Based on the Blueprint, we will implement a real scale demonstrator, verifying its replicability and potential to reduce textile waste. tExtended brings together a multidisciplinary group of experts with complementary skills needed for twin transition in sustainable textile sector. Different types of organizations, research, industry, and non-profit organizations such as NGOs and municipal waste management are included. The consortium consists of actors with different roles in the textile recycling ecosystem: waste management, recycling, textile materials and textile products manufacturing. Participation of forerunner companies and actors involved in textile recycling enables us also to spread best practises for textile recovery and recycling around Europe and across the sector.

Waste2BioComp project aims to demonstrate relevant scale production of bio-based products and materials, as alternatives to traditional materials with high environmental footprint, using innovative manufacturing technologies. The project integrates all stages in the bio-based products´ life cycle, starting from R&I activities regarding the sourcing of feedstocks for the development of bio-based precursors and intermediate materials, smart inkjet printing techniques, and smart manufacturing technologies for final products, and the final demonstrators, which will entail the production on a relevant scale of the following bio-based products: shoe sole materials with different hardness; three-layered shoe insoles; plastic films/packaging with different flexibilities; social face masks; fashion garments printed with bio-based inks; leather and textile shoes printed with bio-based inks; paper for packaging printed with bio-based inks. Waste2BioComp will also develop sustainability and toxicity assessments to the developed materials and products, as well as re-manufacturing and recycling approaches to ensure circularity by closing the material loop. Furthermore, the project will develop dedicated training activities to support the creation of a skilled workforce in biomaterial-based manufacturing sectors, particularly for the textile, footwear, and packaging activities. Therefore, Waste2BioComp will have a significative impact on the reduction of the use of fossil-based materials, not only in the approached three value chains (textiles, packaging, and footwear), which are highly resource and polluting intensive sectors, but also with potential for several other sectors and applications. The project will run for 36 months, and it will be constituted by 13 partners from France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland.