The project will receive funding of up to 450,000 euros from the Environmental Fund and aims to “study and develop a method for returning used textiles, changing not only the logistics and operations of companies but also adapting and altering consumer behavior,” stated the ministry in a release.
The agency and APED, which comprises retail and wholesale companies in the textile sector, have signed a technical collaboration agreement for this purpose, and the project will span one year, concluding by September 2026.
Textile waste, the Ministry recalls, is a major source of water pollution, responsible for the release of microplastics and generators of greenhouse gases, exacerbating climate and environmental crises.
Led by Maria da Graça Carvalho, the ministry emphasizes that this project is “particularly relevant in the context of the revision of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste, which will establish extended producer responsibility systems.”
For the Minister of Environment and Energy, this “is an opportunity to accelerate the transition to a circular economy in the textile sector, which is not just an environmental responsibility but a requirement for companies aiming to be competitive and sustainable.”
