BioSusTex Project Launches to Develop Safe and Sustainable Bio-based Textiles

GÖTEBORG, Sweden - The BioSusTex project, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at developing safe and sustainable bio-based textile solutions, officially kicks off today with its first consortium meeting. Funded by the European Union's Horizon Europe program, this €4 million project brings together 13 partners from across Europe to transform the textile industry through innovative, circular, and environmentally friendly practices.

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BioSusTex (Towards Absolute Safe and Sustainable Bio-based Textile) aims to address critical challenges in the textile sector, including low recycling rates, the use of harmful substances, and chemical pollution. The project will focus on four key areas:

1. Developing pre-processing methods for removing color and elastane from post-consumer cellulose blends

2. Enabling sustainable recycling of dope-dyed post-consumer cellulosic textile

3. Creating durable, safe, and sustainable bio-based water-repellent coatings to replace PFAS

4. Developing removable PVC-free print formulations with built-in recyclability

"BioSusTex represents a significant step towards a more sustainable and circular textile industry," said Dr. Anna-Karin Hellström, Project Coordinator from RISE Research Institutes of Sweden. "By bringing together expertise from across the value chain, we aim to deliver innovative solutions that will reduce the environmental impact of textiles while ensuring safety and performance."

The project consortium includes leading research institutions, universities, and industry partners from Sweden, Finland, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Norway, and the Netherlands. This diverse group will work collaboratively to advance the state-of-the-art in bio-based textile technologies and implement the Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) framework throughout the development process.

Key outcomes of the project will include:

• Increased recycling rates for cellulosic textiles

• Reduction in the use of harmful substances like PFAS and PVC

• Development of a decision support tool for implementing SSbD principles in the textile sector

• Contribution to EU environmental and sustainability goals

The BioSusTex project is set to run for 48 months, with results expected to have a significant impact on the textile industry's sustainability practices and contribute to the EU's circular economy and zero pollution ambitions.

About BioSusTex: BioSusTex is a Horizon Europe funded project aimed at developing safe and sustainable bio-based textile solutions. The project brings together 13 partners from 8 European countries to address key challenges in the textile industry through innovative technologies and circular economy principles.