New European Regulations

European Directive 2018/851^[1] that modifies the Framework Directive 2008/98 /EC down measures to protect the environment and human health by preventing or reducing the generation of waste, the adverse impacts of the generation and management of waste and by reducing overall impacts of resource use and improving the efficiency of such use, which are crucial for the transition to a circular economy and for guaranteeing the Union’s long-term competitiveness.

With the entry into force of the new European regulations, textile industry is obliged to change its production model towards a sustainable and circular economy model.

Latest trends

In the last forty years, fiber production has grown by 215% while the population only has brown by 75%. This indicates that trends have changed increasing the consumption of the population., specially by fast fashion.

This phenomenon promotes the consumption of cheap items, constantly renewing collections, creating a continuous need for the consumer to be fashionable and urgent since the constant rotations make the garment available for a limited time.

This linear consumption model is characterized by:

• The constant collections renewal requires smaller productions, increasing the consumption of water, energy, transport, etc. for their production.
• The manufacture is carried out based on forecasts not on orders, appearing the overstocks, garments that remain unsold.
• To reduce prices, production is delocalized to countries with lower costs, increasing inequalities due to social and environmental legislation more permissive.
• This relocation of production increases the pollution produced by transport.
• Decrease in the lifecycle of the garments due to the reduction of quality to lower the costs.
• Obsolescence appears, clothing is discarded without having reached the end of its lifecycle.
• Increased consumption: low prices invite people to buy, although sometimes they are not even used. 60% of the models are basic and “need” accessories (scarves, vests, necklaces, etc.) to obtain a distinctive look.

.

MY-FI is going providing new bio-based textiles, based on myco-fibres, mycelium is the vegetative part of fungi.  It´s a promising material characterized by a soft structure and a velvety touch.

The project is studying the use of textile waste to upcycling it in a new textile products proposing a circular economy model. Different lines an under studying:

• Using the textile waste as a nutrient:

The mycelium needs a lignocellulosic material and other nutrients to grow. The vegetable fibers can be used due are composed by cellulose, lignin, and hemicellulose.

Cotton is the second most important fiber in terms of volume added to the other plant-based fibers, that include jute. linen, hemp, and others, had a market share of about 29.1 % of global fiber production that are around 32.2 million mt.

• Using the textile waste as a support material to enhance mechanical properties to the material to comply the stringent standards of textile industry.