Five links in the circular textile chain unraveled

How can we accelerate the transition to a circular textile chain? After mapping out the chain, Invest-NL is now unraveling the first steps in the transition at each link: independent second-hand sales, brand-led second-hand sales, repair, sorting, and chemical recycling.

The insights build upon the report The Common Thread of a Circular Textile Chain (2024) and demonstrate that the transition is indeed underway, but still highly fragmented. Business cases are under pressure due to high costs, limited scale, and insufficient demand for circular materials. At the same time, clear opportunities exist to accelerate progress: technology, data, collaboration along the chain, and targeted policy tools can help the market scale up and attract investments.

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The report provides policymakers, companies, supply chain partners, and financiers with direct insights into each part of the chain. How is it doing in the Netherlands? What are the bottlenecks and what are the opportunities? By gaining better insight into where the biggest barriers lie, it becomes clear where targeted interventions, financial or policy-related, are needed to accelerate the transition.

With these insights, Invest-NL aims to further the discussion and stimulate new projects and partnerships that contribute to a future-proof, circular textiles sector. Are you working in or with the (circular) textile chain and want to contribute your ideas? Contact Eva Käller.