The RETEX project ("Regenerated Cotton for Electronic Textiles") responds to urgent environmental and industrial challenges at the intersection of textile sustainability, material circularity, and the rapidly expanding e-textile sector. The textile industry is one of the world's most resource-intensive and polluting sectors—generating over 92 million tons of waste and 715 million tons of CO2 emissions annually. Cotton, while being a natural and biodegradable fiber, demands an enormous amount of water and energy, making the need for regenerative and circular alternatives critically important.
Simultaneously, the rise of smart textiles and wearable electronics is creating a growing demand for flexible, breathable, and functional materials. However, the current smart textile market is heavily reliant on virgin synthetic materials and often overlooks sustainability. The integration of electrical functionality (e.g. conductivity, sensing) into recycled or renewable textile materials remains an unmet technical and market need.
RETEX aims to fill this gap by pioneering an eco-innovative approach to regenerate cotton from post-consumer textile waste and functionalize it with advanced conductive materials like silver nanowires and carbon nanotubes. The regenerated, conductive textile fibers developed in the project are designed to be scalable, washable, cost-effective, and suitable for multiple applications—ranging from wearable electronics and healthcare garments to sustainable fashion.
Project Pathway to Impact
The pathway to impact is structured through:
- Regenerating cotton via green chemistry and embedding conductivity without compromising biodegradability or performance.
- Developing electrospinning and wet spinning techniques for scale-up and optimization.
-Through consortium secondments, technology transfer, and participation in trade fairs (e.g. Techtextil), RETEX builds early-stage industry adoption and awareness.
-Training early-stage researchers across disciplines and sectors, laying a foundation for future innovation leadership in sustainable smart textiles.
Expected Scale and Significance of Impact
RETEX is expected to:
Reduce textile waste through high-value regeneration,
Lower environmental footprint of e-textiles,
Create new business opportunities at the nexus of circular economy and digital fashion,
Advance EU leadership in sustainable materials and wearable technologies.
