Hemp as a driver of circularity in the textile industry: from field to recycled fibre

ongoingprojectoutputs

Hemp4Circularity aims to implement an innovative, local, biobased ecological fibre, the long fibre hemp, in the textile value chain, from growers to weavers/knitters. The project wants to be a part of the solution towards NWE’s challenges such as the transition towards a circular economy, resource-efficiency, limited innovation capacity in rural areas and climate change. The project is in line with the EU strategy for a sustainable and circular textile sector and the CAP. Hemp is an ecological crop: it needs no pesticides, few fertilizers, no irrigation, it absorbs 1.65 tons of CO2 per ton straw. The crop is innovative. It relies on recently developed machinery that will be improved in the project. All stages of the production have to be optimized in order to be durably implemented. Therefore, the project will set up pilot actions at several stages of the value chain (cultivating, primary processing, data-driven farming, spinning, fabric production). It can count partly on transfer of practices from the flax sector. To achieve its goal, the project will gather the complementary knowledge of the partners, spread over NWE through intense transnational cooperation. It will test recycling solutions and produce eco-designed prototypes for demonstration. It will organize trainings to increase the stakeholder’s capacity. The brands and end-users will be informed through several communication activities to enhance their knowledge on hemp and circular economy. The project aims to bring solutions to: - farmers by implementing a profitable crop with a positive impact and by introducing the data-driven to this crop - the flax sector with a complementary fibre in order to strengthen this sector. Hemp is a resilient crop that is quite resistant to drought and heavy rains - the textile industry in general and the brands, in demand for local and sustainable materials - end-users who are also in demand for local and sustainable textile and lack information about natural fibres.

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