The Nordic Textile Collaboration

The Nordic Textile Collaboration is a collaboration between Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish authorities, funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers. The project addresses the common environmental and climate challenges associated with the rising consumption of textiles in the Nordic countries.

The aim of the Nordic Textile Collaboration is to:

Support the transition towards a circular textile economy
Reduce unnecessary consumption of textiles
Strengthen digitalization and traceability in the fashion and textile industry
Strengthen collection, sorting, reuse and recycling of textile

The project will run in the period 2022-2024.

Organisation

The Nordic Textile Collaboration is coordinated by the Danish EPA and led by a steering committee consisting of representatives from the EPAs of the participating countries:

Steering committee:

Janne Birk Nielsen, Ministry of Environment, Denmark
Nina Espegård Hassel, Environmental Protection Agency, Denmark
Helena Dahlbo, the Finnish Environment Institute SYKE, Finland
Ingunn Dale Samset, Miljødirektoratet, Norway

Project activities

In 2022, the target of the project was to map out sustainable textile initiatives in the participating countries (Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden) to create recommendations for new initiatives. The Danish EPA carried out this work in close collaboration with the steering committee and with involvement of relevant stakeholders across the Nordic countries, including authorities, ministries, ngo’s and industry associations. The mapping report can be accessed here.

Based on the mapping, the steering committee have selected two initiatives to launch in 2023 under The Nordic Textile Collaboration to support the Nordic fashion and textile industry in the transition towards a circular economy:

Active Textile Society

This initiative brings together companies and citizens across the Nordic countries in a joint effort to break down barriers for circularity in the textile sector. The aim is to extend the lifetime of textiles, promote circular business models and change consumer behaviour. Participating in this initiative will provide companies with valuable insights on how customers perceive circular business models and inspiration on how to implement circularity in their existing business, whether the company have already implemented circular business models or wish to start their circular journey. Participating citizens will gain support in their effort to challenge their consumption habits and the opportunity to engage in a direct dialogue with companies on how circular business models can better accommodate their needs. The initiative is particularly relevant to companies already working with or wishing to incorporate circular business models such as resale, rentals, and repairs.

Sharing Nordic Circular Competences

The initiative aims to ensure knowledge sharing between the Nordic countries as well as increasing the development and dissemination of circular competences across the value chain. Through webinars and workshops, the participating companies and organizations create a forum where knowledge is shared across the Nordic countries in the areas of circular design; infrastructures for collection reuse, sorting and recycling of textiles; as well as treatment of textile waste. Providing access to knowledge from Nordic front-runners, the initiative gives participants the opportunity to develop competences related to circular economy at both employee and organizational level. The initiative is particularly relevant for actors working with circular design practices and collection, sorting and recycling of textiles.

How to participate

The Nordic Textile Collaboration is for all stakeholders across the Nordic fashion and textile industry. When participating, you get the opportunity to raise your opinion about where and how we should focus our efforts the next years, and you will be part of a large network that allows you to share experiences and ideas with peers in neighboring countries. Participation is free of charge.

Want to know more?

If you want to stay updated on The Nordic Textile Collaboration and the possibilities of taking part in the project, please contact project coordinator Louise Munkholm Obfuscated Email.