ECHT

The Green Deal transition towards a climate-neutral, resource-preserving and non-toxic Circular Economy (CE) creates new challenges for businesses. The EU Textiles Strategy aims to tackle the high waste generation vs. low recycling rates and negative environmental and social impacts   throughout the whole life-cycle. Textile clothing and flooring will become the first product group subjected to Sustainable Product Policies, through the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and the implementation of Digital Product Passport (DPP).

These policies imply value chain actors having access to detailed product information incl. material compositions. Thus, traceability of chemicals in materials is a key enabler for the CE, i.e. developing circular products and business models. Volatility, complexity and established supply chain structures, however, make it difficult for companies to know the chemicals contained in their products.

This is where ECHT comes in with an innovative and future-oriented approach; the project highlights the opportunities that a coordinated and cross-border implementation of the DPP brings. Many textile firms are situated in NWE, most of these however are micros (89%) and SMEs. ECHT will empower actors of the textile circular value chains to implement chemical traceability, thereby increasing networks, innovation and competitiveness. To maximise its outreach, ECHT will be technology neutral, i.e. not bound to specific IT solutions.

ECHT develops and implements the first traceability strategy with three action plans for actors of textile: clothing, flooring value chains and policymakers at different levels. The action plans will draw from the learnings of innovative training schemes (capacity building). Results from the trainings and the insights gained in developing, testing and disseminating practical solutions are upscaled into a Knowledge Platform to support SME´s of the textile and other sectors “beyond pure compliance” towards innovative business models.