Zero Waste Scotland launches new textile and apparel fund

Scottish energy efficiency organisation Zero Waste Scotland is launching a new textile and apparel fund to Scottish designers with the aim of reducing textile waste.

The Circular Economy Textile and Apparel Fund is the first of its kind in Scotland and is designed to help textile and apparel designers to reduce textile waste by adopting new innovative methods for a more circular economy, one where materials are kept in a high value state for as long as possible.

The fund is available to support the prototyping of new textile design and construction techniques, exploring alternative fibres and materials, design assembly and resource efficient practices such as designing out waste, as well as the exploration of new business models like leasing or hiring out of products and services.

It is open to Scottish textile and apparel designers with a minimum of two years of professional experience across performance, technical textile and clothing, fashion and couture, who can apply for grants up to 5,000 pounds each. Successful applicants will also receive mentoring from industry experts such as From Somewhere’s Orsola de Castro, who is often dubbed the ‘Queen of Upcycling’, who helped launch the scheme at the Scottish Textile Symposium in Glasgow.

Zero Waste Scotland launches fund to close the loop on textile design

Iain Culland, CEO of Zero Waste Scotland, said: “We know from recent research that there are currently no truly circular textile products or services in Scotland, but that the characteristics of our country’s textile industry – heritage, provenance, durability, globally recognised quality manufacturing and production make it well placed to develop new ideas.

“This is therefore a great opportunity for designers to play a leading role in identifying new innovative products and services for Scotland which could demonstrate how the sector can become truly circular in the future. The Scottish textiles industry has a great heritage and this fund will encourage ideas to ensure the sector grows sustainably.”

Designers have until January 30 to apply for the Circular Economy Textile and Apparel Fund; the applications will then be assessed by a selection panel, with the successful applicants finding out in March.