Advancing sustainable textile practices in a leading role: Constructor University to head EU Horizon Project SORT4CIRC
Constructor University has been officially appointed as the primary coordinator and Work Package 4 (WP4) leader of the EU Horizon project SORT4CIRC: Intelligent Textile SORting for enable (sic) CIRCularity (HORIZON-CL6-2024-CircBio-02-1-two-stage). This confirmation marks a significant milestone for the university, reinforcing its leadership in sustainable digital innovation and circular economy research.
SORT4CIRC focuses on advancing circularity in the textile sector by developing innovative sorting, recycling and traceability solutions. The project contributes directly to the European Green Deal objectives by tackling textile waste and promoting sustainable production and consumption models.
With a total project budget of €5,097,767, the consortium is composed of leading partners in the sector, including 14 beneficiaries and 1 affiliated entity, coming from 8 European countries (Germany, Luxembourg, France, Belgium, Netherlands, United Kingdom, Slovakia and Spain). Bringing together expertise from the fields of academia, research and industry, the project involves two universities, one publicly funded research organization, as well as ten industrial companies—including seven SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises).
As the newly appointed coordinator, Constructor University is responsible for ensuring the project’s scientific and administrative success. In addition, by leading WP4, the university will lead the development of blockchain-enabled Digital Product Passports (DPPs), alongside the work on IoT integration, token-based incentives, and API interoperability. These efforts will create transparent, reliable, and scalable systems for tracking textiles throughout their lifecycle, paving the way for a circular textile industry across Europe.
Currently, Europe discards about 12.6 million tons of textile waste per year, of which just a small fraction is recycled into new textile products. Increasing textile to textile recycling rates to even 10% could save approximately 440,000 tons of CO₂ annually and conserve some 8.8 billion cubic meters of water. Under the EU’s sustainable and circular textiles strategy, all products placed on the market should by 2030, be "durable, repairable, reusable and recyclable," pushing the European Union toward a more circular economy and contributing to climate, resource and biodiversity goals.
“Acting as the primary coordinator for SORT4CIRC is both an honor and a responsibility. At Constructor University, we are committed to driving innovation in blockchain enabled digital product passports and circular textile solutions. This leadership role allows us to contribute directly to Europe’s transition toward a more sustainable, transparent, and resilient textile value chain.” emphasized Prof. Dr. Omid Fatahi Valilai, project coordinator and faculty member at Constructor University. Constructor University’s role as project coordinator reflects its growing commitment to driving solutions for global sustainability challenges through pioneering research, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and strong international partnerships.