GENK – A new European research project which vies to reimagine the make-up of textile fibres used for clothing and fishing gear has been kick-started this month, bringing together 14 partner organisations from across nine countries on the continent.
With a deadline of May 2024, the Glaukos project has been awarded 4.1 million euros by the Bio-based Industries Joint Undertaking, a public-private partnership between the EConsortium (BIC).
Efforts will address the development of “innovative textile fibres” that biodegrade in water quickly, the implementation of end-of-life collection and recycling services that would reduce the vast quantities of textile materials which end up in marine environments, and the scaling of a “disruptive fermentation process” that could increase the use of bio-based content.
“We are looking forward to tackling one of the biggest problems our society is facing with ocean pollution,” said Zsófia Kádár, Glaukos project coordinator.
