1. SPINNING IT AROUND Valorizing used textiles in Rotterdam
Hilde van Duijn

2. Spinning it around Innovation Design approach
As cities face a growing mountain of used textiles, there is no business case to increase their separate collection. Spinning it around turns cities from exporters of used textiles (as waste) into producers of valuable polyester yarn for the textiles industry, starting in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Design approach
The complexity of the used textiles challenge, multitude of actors involved and innovative character of the initiative are structured using a networking approach involving experts and its prospective users (sheltered workshops, sorters, collectors). The outcome of this first phase being a feasibility study, its design is now turned into a proof of concept test to determine and improve its usability and performance for all actors involved.

3. Spinning it around Relation to the urbanscape Scaling up prospects
As the pace of consumption and disposal of textiles is increasingly fast, urban areas struggle to find suitable destinations for their used textiles - as the alternative to export are increased incineration costs. This initiative unites the municipality with collectors, sorters, sheltered workshops and key textiles industry players (brands, spinners) in their common interest to turn textiles waste into valuable resources.
Scaling up prospects
All urban areas face a growing used textiles mountain and struggle to create the right incentives for their separate collection. The solution designed for Rotterdam is transferable to any urban area with the infrastructure to export the yarn created to the textile producing regions. With the support of the city of Rotterdam (both financial as through its networks), Designscapes (financial and design methodologies) as well as knowledge partners including BlueCity, this initiative is now ready to prototype its activities.