BioSusTex
Driving the transition to safer and more circular textiles
BioSusTex brings together expertise from across the textile value chain to develop and demonstrate safer and more circular solutions for cotton and cellulosic textiles.
The project combines four innovations across the textile value chain - PFAS-free Coatings, Eco-friendly Printing, Sustainable Pre-processing and Optimized Recycling - with tools for toxicity assessment, decision support and data.
Guided by the Safe and Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework, BioSusTex aims to help accelerate the transition towards safer materials, higher recycling rates and a more circular textile industry.
The Challenge
What makes textiles perform well can also make them harder to recycle
Textiles rank fourth in climate and environmental impact among European household products, yet the transition to a circular industry is hindered by low recycling rates, hazardous chemicals, and hard-to-recover materials.
Performance and circularity are intertwined, as features like water repellency and durability often complicate recycling. Simply replacing chemicals isn't sufficient; new solutions must align with recycling, production, and product performance.
BioSusTex tackles this challenge by combining expertise across the textile value chain to create effective technologies and tools.
Our Innovations
Dyeing, printing, water repellency
and pre-processing
BioSusTex is developing four innovations that address sustainability challenges across the textile value chain - PFAS-free coatings, eco-friendly prints, sustainable pre-processing and optimised recycling of cellulosic fibres - guided by the Safe and Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework.
Eco-Friendly Prints
BioSusTex is exploring new approaches to removable, PVC-free and bio-based textile printing, investigating how alternative printing formulations can contribute to safer and more sustainable textile finishing.
Why it matters
Conventional PVC-based textile printing inks can raise environmental and safety concerns and interfere with textile recycling. Removable, PVC-free and bio-based alternatives could help reduce these barriers and make printed textiles more compatible with reuse and recycling.
PFAS-Free Coatings
BioSusTex is investigating bio-based, PFAS-free approaches to water-repellent textile coatings, exploring innovative surfactant technologies as alternatives to persistent fluorinated chemicals.
Why it matters
Replacing PFAS is not simply about achieving water repellency without fluorinated chemicals. Alternatives also need to be considered from a broader sustainability perspective, including potential hazards, environmental impacts and their behaviour across the textile life cycle.
Sustainable Pre-Processing
BioSusTex is developing sustainable pre-processing techniques to remove elastane, dyes and other impurities from post-consumer blended cellulosic textiles, while avoiding potentially toxic degradation products during processing.
Why it matters
Blended textiles are difficult to recycle because components such as elastane, dyes and other impurities can interfere with fibre recovery and subsequent recycling. Removing these components is an important step towards recovering higher-quality cellulosic fibres from post-consumer textile waste.
Optimised Recycling
BioSusTex is developing and demonstrating an optimized fibre-to-fibre recycling process for dope-dyed man-made cellulosic fibres, with the aim of recovering and regenerating fibres for new textile applications.
Why it matters
Dope-dyed fibres contain colour within the fibre itself, which can complicate recycling. Effective recycling approaches could help retain the colour value of the material and reduce the need for additional dyeing when producing new fibres, supporting more resource-efficient and circular textile production.
Tools For Smarter Innovation
In parallel to our innovations, we are also developing the tools needed to assess safety and sustainability faster and support informed decision-making across the textile value chain.
Assess
Toxicity Assessment
Novel methods and predicitve tools. Identify potential hazards and assess toxicity.
Decide
Smart Decision Support
Software based on the Safe and Sustainable-by-Design (SSbD) framework. Compare options, identify trade-offs and guide better choices.
Learn
Comprehensive Data Hub
Drive systemic sustainable innovation across the textile value chain. Connect data and knowledge to support future innovation.
About us
BioSusTex brings together 12 partners from seven countries and is coordinated by RISE. The consortium combines expertise from across the textile value chain, connecting research, technology development, environmental assessment and industrial application.
The project runs from June 2024 to May 2028 and is funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe, with a total budget of approximately €4 million
The Consortium Members
Coordinator
RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
Aalto University - School of Chemical Engineering
GreenDecision
Blåbær
Ca' Foscari University of Venice
Vividye
Stockholm University
IVL
Sun Tekstil
Bee Granted
Chalmers University of Technology
Texia
Advisory Board
Valvan Baling Systems NV
TEXAID
Mario de Cecco
Kemira
RIVM