RiVestiTo
In 2022, the city of Turin collected 2,154,390 kg of post-consumer textiles, representing less than 1% of the city’s total separately collected waste. While this is an improvement from 0.54% in 2006, there’s still significant room to grow the share of textiles in separate collection.
A major challenge is the lack of comprehensive data on textile waste, which limits efforts to reduce waste production and improve management. Key gaps include:
- A detailed list of entities involved in textile collection.
- Information on the volume of textiles discarded by businesses.
- Insights into materials that could be intercepted before becoming waste.
Currently, none of the organizations collecting used clothing or pre-consumer textiles records or shares data along the supply chain. As a result, a substantial portion of textiles ends up in landfills, and much of the textile waste that is officially designated for reuse is exported to developing countries, where it frequently ends up in open-air landfills.
To address these issues, we need better data collection, greater transparency, and more proactive measures to intercept textiles before they reach the waste stage. This will help build a more sustainable and circular textile ecosystem in Turin.
The RiVestiTO solution aims to make the collection of discarded textiles in the city more transparent, helping to direct them towards the most appropriate circular destinations (and as local as possible) and encouraging reuse practices before the products become waste.
Technological Solutions
To this end, two technological tools are being deployed:
- Re4Circular, a technology that – through AI and a B2B digital marketplace – helps entities that collect used textiles to classify them, digitize them and direct them to circular businesses that practice reuse, upcycling and recycling of textiles
- The Mercato Circolare App, which helps citizens discover the entities that operate according to the principles of the circular economy.Between April and September, they’ll conduct periodic cataloging using Re4Circular at five textile collection entities. They are also encouraging second-hand shops, artisans, and upcyclers in Turin and Piedmont to source textiles from Re4Circular marketplace to foster a local circular economy.They also expanded Mercato Circolare app to promote to citizens local second-hand stores, artisans, and upcyclers.
Context and regulatory Framework Analysis
As a first step, they analyzed regulations and redefined waste notions, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and future challenges for circularity in textiles, via a mixed methodology using a Citizen Survey, managing stakeholders interviews and mapping textile actors.
Engagement & Awareness Activities
Citizens will also be actively involved through 6 city days aimed at raising awareness and educating on waste prevention, encouraging reuse and circular economy practices.
Experimental Corridor
In partnership with the City of Turin and Città Metropolitana, Rivestito is launching an experimental corridor to promote reuse practices before textiles become waste, as it aims to collaborate with local professionals and companies to direct to them pre- and post-consumer textiles under controlled conditions.
These initiatives aim to create a model for sustainable textile management, promote community involvement, and establish lasting circular practices.
Websites
RiVestiTO: https://www.mercatocircolare.it/rivestito/
Atelier Riforma: https://atelier-riforma.it/
Mercato Circolare: https://www.mercatocircolare.it/
Huulke: https://www.huulke.com/en/
