Towards absolute safe and sustainable biobased textile

The textile value chain comprises a multitude of materials, a wide variety of end users and challenging final applications.

There is a shift towards a more sustainable textile value chain, but it is slow and needs more innovative technologies to combat challenges such as low recycling rates, substitution of substances of (very high) concern and chemical pollutants.

The project Towards safe and sustainable biobased textile (BioSusTex) has the objective to demonstrate rapid development of several key technologies which will have a significant impact on the textile value chain, a need highlighted by key industrial partners within the consortium.

Focusing on cotton and cellulosic textiles BioSusTex targets increased recycling rates and substitution of harmful compounds by (i) delivering an optimized cellulosic fiber recycling process for dope-dyed man-made cellulosics, (ii) develop efficient and sustainable pre-processing techniques for removal of elastane, dyes, and impurities from post-consumer blended cellulosic textile, while avoiding potential toxic degradation products during processing (iii) develop a biobased PFAS-free water-repellent coating based on an innovative methodology with temporary surfactants and (iv) developing removable biobased, PVC-free print formulations.

Significant improvements in these key technologies, in accordance with the Safe and Sustainable-by-design (SSbD) framework, are expected to notably improve the sustainability of the textile value chain.

Further, BioSusTex will not only yield technical solutions but respond to the industry needs of rapid assessments methods by (v) further developing analytical methods and prediction tools related to toxicity evaluation (vi) building a novel Decision Support software tool implementing the SSbD methodology; and (vii) creating a database compiling all the data generated in the previous stages, which ultimately supports systemic sustainable innovation in the textile value chain as a whole.