The objective is to find methods to extend separate waste collection to fabrics and spread good practices regarding textile waste, not only those deriving from industrial waste but also those generated by citizens and families, also involving these materials in the logic of circular economy.
In fact, currently: «Only one percent of textile waste is recycled, everything else ends up in landfill or in waste-to-energy plants – he explains Elena Provenzano of the Varese Chamber of Commerce – Every European citizen consumes 26 kilograms of textiles per year and throws away 11. The problem of recycling is first and foremost technological and this project will help us understand which technologies are useful for recycling them».
This is why he was born Ecotess: an experimental initiative that brings together a territorial network of businesses, public bodies, third sector entities and civil society, which also aims to promote training and capacity building activities aimed at the Public Administration to stimulate more virtuous behavior also on the part of individual citizens on the topic.
The entire initiative was presented on the morning of May 7 toChamber of Commerce infopoint Of Varese: promoted byEnvironment and Work Association and from Legambiente Lombardy with the contribution and support of Varese Chamber of Commercesees the participation of ten local textile companies involved together with trade associations Confindustria, Confapi and Confartigianato Varese, the unionsfour municipalities – Malnate, Vergiate, Cuasso al Monte and Luvinate – in addition to separate waste collection managers.
To these is added the technical support of Centrocot, whose laboratories will receive samples of the textile scraps and waste that will be collected. In fact, it will be up to the researchers at the Centrocot MultiLab in Busto Arsizio to analyze them and experiment with their possible recycling and reuse: «Centrocot’s role is to support the project partners and the Chamber of Commerce in finding technological solutions that can lead to the recycling of textile waste present in the territories, both at a pre-consumption and post-consumption level – he explains Claudio Brugnoni by Centrocot – We currently study industrial waste a lot, but in the future we will have more and more post-consumer fractions, that is, what we citizens have in our homes, which becomes waste and must be increasingly recovered for a second life.”
The textile to be recovered and subjected to experimentation is not all that we come into contact with, and above all it is not that linked to clothing: for simplicity, we thought of home textilemainly made of cotton, and until now not collected in a differentiated form: «Given that it is an experiment we wanted to facilitate possible recovery by citizens – comments Brugnoni – For this reason, home textiles were chosen which are easily recognizable and not it still has a real second life like used clothing.”
The project was born as part of the call “ECO effect” Of Cariplo Foundationaimed at promoting good circular economy practices, immediately obtaining important recognition, including economic recognition, in this area.
«Cariplo finances environmentalist third sector bodies that deal with project activities in the area. We presented this project together with Legambiente in this province, which has the perfect economic and social characteristics, imagining it in an absolutely innovative sector which is that of textile recovery – He explains Wolfango Pirelli, president of the Environment and Work association – A project that has also been significantly funded, 70 thousand euros. Obviously, Cariplo asks in exchange for there to be a territorial network to support the project, as we have done, and wants replicability. But this is an absolutely replicable project, not only from an experimental point of view but also from an industrial point of view”
An initiative made to demonstrate what opportunities can be opened up for the Varese area and its economic system, operating not only in a logic of diffusion of environmentally friendly practices but also by supporting public administrations in the path towards better separate waste collection: «From 2025 in Europe, and in Italy from 2022, we must begin to proceed with the collection of textiles – He explains Monica Meggetto, president of Legambiente Lombardia – Unfortunately, not many municipalities have already adapted to the system, it is a slow supply chain that does not “break through” as it should. The project wants to do exactly this: to say that it is possible to give them a second life on the most noble fibers such as cotton and linen. Through a detailed analysis it will be possible to see that it is possible to recover these materials also as fibers to be able to implement an industrial process”.
Ecotess, which began on January 1, 2024, will last 18 months, the deadline is scheduled for June 30, 2025.
THE TEN COMPANIES INVOLVED IN THE TRIAL
Enrico Sironi weaving
Masa spa
Gaspare Tronconiindustrial srl
Erica Textile industry
Grassi spa
Penta textile services
Besani srl
Parotex srl
Maglificio Alto Milanese
Giovanni Clerici and sons
