The Nordic Textile Collaboration, which ran from 2022 to 2024, addressed the shared environmental and climate related challenges associated with the consumption of textiles in the Nordic countries. The project was launched by Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish environmental authorities and funded by the Nordic Council of Ministers.

The project started out by mapping sustainable textile initiatives in the Nordic countries to identify knowledge gaps and positions of strength. Findings showed three areas for potential Nordic collaboration in regard to circular textiles: 1) circular business models and consumption cultures; 2) competences and knowledge sharing; and 3) digital tools and communication. These were subsequently formulated into three initiatives: Active Textile Society, Sharing Nordic Circular Competences, and EU & Textile Coffee Breaks.

Active Textile Society focused on the uptake of circular business models and consumption by involving citizens and brands in a six-month challenge. During these six months, participating companies had access to knowledge and inspiration about ways to develop and implement circular business models, while participating citizens were challenged not to buy new clothes, but instead to seek circular business models in society to fulfill their changing wardrobe needs.

Sharing Nordic Circular Competences focused on knowledge and competence gaps related to the circular transition of the fashion and textile industry. The initiative presented participants with cutting-edge knowledge, methods, and tools from Nordic researchers, project managers, and other experts focusing on topics of relevance to the whole value chain, spanning from textile waste to design, production, and consumption.

Both initiatives included a series of webinars and online workshops featuring presentations and discussions on barriers to the circular transition of textiles and ways of overcoming them. Active Textile Society also included surveys for citizens and brands that made it possible to track the progress of their challenge. The surveys provided insights into how circular business models were used and the extent to which they fulfilled citizens’ needs.

As an add-on, the EU & Textile Coffee Breaks updated participants on the EU framework they will be working under in the coming years.

Results from the project have been consolidated into a list of actions that, according to participants in The Nordic Textile Collaboration, may help further the development of a circular textile economy. The report presents these actions grouped into three overall recommendations: 1) Support the growth of circular business models; 2) Engage citizens in the circular transition; and 3) Make design for circularity the standard. In this way, the report aims to serve as a reference tool for future initiators of Nordic collaboration on circular textiles.