What is CirTex?
Current Situation
Every year, approximately 120 million metric tons of clothing end up in landfills. Today, only 1% of all used textiles undergo high-quality recycling—that is, they are processed into new textiles in a closed-loop system (fiber-to-fiber recycling). This is not sustainable from an environmental, economic, or social perspective.
Vision
Our vision is a circular textile economy: materials should remain in the cycle, business models should be designed to conserve resources, and the consumption and production of textiles should become more sustainable overall.
Shaping this transformation is an opportunity for everyone—but it requires collaboration and joint action among many stakeholders from academia, business, politics, and society.
What Makes CirTex Unique
To ensure this succeeds, the CirTex team takes a holistic approach and involves all stakeholders who can contribute: from academia, industry, politics, and society. This makes CirTex more than just a traditional research network.
By 2028, CirTex will support approximately 20 projects funded by the BMFTR that are working toward the circular textile economy of the future. However, even without funding, you can become a member of the open community to stay informed, participate in events, and get involved.
Our Mission Statement: The Quadruple Helix Model
Our approach is based on the Quadruple Helix model. As a guiding framework, it brings together four key areas of activity: politics & governance, science & technology, society & behavior, and business & the economy. This creates an innovation platform where knowledge, ideas, and expertise from all four areas converge.
