Building the fashion’s future. How to turn textiles’ wastes into ecological building products

The textile is play a crucial role in the third economic sector in several European Countries. The fashion industry is considered as a benchmark of excellence in Italy and Italian fashion revenues are remarkable (Crivelli, 2017). But at the same time the textile system is extremely polluting and wasteful. This is likely due to the currently manufacturing system that operates trough an almost linear way (Ellen Macarthur foundation, 2017). Although the framework highlighted some good practices have been already carried out, showing how it possible use textile wastes in several sectors, including the building one. Transforming the textile industry according to Systemic Design principles is possible, proposing a well known but fundamentally change: wastes and by-products due their properties might be assumed as inputs of new production systems. Such methodological approach makes it possible to meet the circular economy goals set out in current European Directive (European Parliament, 2018). Based on these premises a research project titled EDILTEX – Innovation for reusing in textile companies – was carried out. The project was aimed at meeting needs to reducing environmental impacts of Small Medium Enterprises, in two textile and fashion districts (Tuscany and Lombardy). DAD’s research team of Politecnico di Torino was partner of the project dealing with some aspects related to reuse and recycling processes. The research was developed with the economic support of Fondimpresa inter-professional fund. Commitment and collaboration were implemented sharing knowledge, analysing the production systems and defining different waste disposal opportunities. Bearing in mind the Systemic design objectives the research was split-up into stages: Need findings; Ideation and Prototyping; Monitoring; and new Business Strategy. On the whole the outcomes show that a new perspective in textile production is actionable. It is based on the principles of circular economy and in accordance to a systemic approach matching together sectors such as fashion and building. Despite it is required to managing properly situations of complexity and uncertainty - in which there are no simple answers and lot of efforts are still necessary - a systemic addition is however possible: building and fashion makes “building the fashion future”.