The Nordic-Baltic Textile Circularity Forum took place on 7–8 October 2026 at H2O 6 in Riga, Latvia, jointly hosted by the EU-funded tExtended project and the Nordic-Baltic textile circularity initiative supported by the Nordic Council of Ministers' offices in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. Researchers, innovators, public officials, businesses and NGO representatives attended to discuss how to reduce textile waste through longer product lifespans, improved collection systems and new regeneration models. The event was free for those who registered in advance.

Key points

  • The forum also served as the closing conference of the four-year tExtended project funded by Horizon Europe, which combines textile recycling, reuse, waste valorisation, regeneration and data tools, aiming to demonstrate a pathway to an 80% reduction in textile system waste.
  • Day one focused on tExtended's practical results, including experimental collection and sorting methods, mechanical regeneration of workwear, use of post-consumer recycled materials in new home textiles, and demonstrations of digital tools; day two shifted to regional cooperation, extended producer responsibility (EPR) and policy discussions.
  • Latvian public officials, circular economy experts, researchers and businesses engaged in collection, textile services and waste management took part in the agenda, with company showcases covering automated collection, repair, reuse platforms, digital product passports and fibre-to-fibre regeneration.

From research results to regional action
tExtended's positioning meant the Riga meeting was more than a routine exchange. Through modelling, the project identified several possible pathways toward the 80% waste-reduction target, including curbing consumption, extending product lifespans, raising collection rates, expanding reuse and regeneration capacity, and reducing material losses during sorting; it also studied how to separate discarded textiles and channel them into different forms of reuse, remanufacturing or regeneration. The European Commission describes tExtended as supporting textile circularity through recycling, valorisation, regeneration and data-driven solutions. The structural problem it addresses is clear: too little secondary raw material currently returns to textile production, while collection, sorting and labelling systems remain uneven.

An agenda built around usable cases
Day one featured speakers from research institutions and industry, covering topics such as mechanical regeneration of workwear and the use of post-consumer recycled materials in new home textiles. The organisers stressed the importance of digital tools and information — what materials a product is made of, where it has been used, whether it can be repaired, and which recycling route is technically and economically viable all determine how circularity works in practice. Forum organisers said the event connected European innovation with Nordic-Baltic regional priorities and market-ready solutions.

Why the Nordic-Baltic dimension matters
Day two turned to regional collaboration: the current state of textile circularity in the Nordic and Baltic countries, the conditions for replicating successful practices, and the role of extended producer responsibility mechanisms — that is, producers and brands taking greater responsibility for the collection, treatment and recycling of post-consumer products. The agenda included policy discussions with brands, producer responsibility organisations and industry operators, followed by company showcases. For Riga, the forum allowed municipal departments, businesses and researchers to compare practical experience and identify gaps in cooperation. The Nordic and Baltic countries face many shared challenges: small markets, cross-border supply chains, and the need to build infrastructure capable of handling different types of textile materials.

Environmental narrative and industrial competitiveness
Textile circularity is often discussed as a waste issue, but the forum also treated it as a question of industrial competitiveness and innovation. More durable products, better sorting and new uses for regenerated fibres can reduce material losses while creating opportunities in repair services, remanufacturing, specialised regeneration and new business models. The conference did not promise immediate transformation, but offered a pragmatic path: better data, improved collection, more durable products, collaboration between research and business, and a policy framework that can scale reuse and regeneration. For the used clothing and textile recycling industry, the value of this forum lies in translating waste-reduction targets into operable, replicable production and consumption steps, and in providing a regional cooperation reference for export and recycled raw material supply chains.

Source: Riga hosts Nordic-Baltic forum on textile circularity · Originally published 2026-10-07