Share2Us – calls for textile waste recycling

According to the Portuguese Environmental Agency around 200.756 tonnes of textiles in urban rubbish were collected, mostly in undifferentiated household waste, in 2017, which represents around 4% of the total waste produced in Portugal.

In order to give a new lease of life to these textiles and boost the circular economy, Zero Desperdício (Zero Waste) has come up with a project called ‘Share2Us’ which looks to find new uses for textile waste which can be recycled.
Zero Desperdício applied for co-funding from the Environmental Fund as part of the funding line ‘Environmental Education + Sustainable – Sustainable Production and Consumption’ with the Share2Us project.
This cooperation platform launched on 2 December will have an implementation phase in pilot project format with strategic partners.
It aims to spread the word and share surplus and left-over textiles between beneficiaries and donors with the aim of reducing waste and increasing the lifecycle of pieces of clothing or home textile furnishings and then reuse, recycle or recover them in accordance with the principles of the circular economy.
This project seeks, in a similar way to what happens foodstuffs flow managed by Zero Desperdício, to create a movement to tackle textile waste and ensure that the harmful impacts on the environment, society and economy are offset in the textile chain while raising awareness of these impacts on the community in an innovative and educational way, to encourage a change in behaviour for the sake of the planet and society.
According to Paula Policarpo, president of Zero Desperdício who is coordinating the project, “this communications campaign will, together with organisations and partners, emphasise the need to provide practical information about textile waste and how to tackle it as well as the importance of implementing policies and campaigns that promote the circular economy.”