Deputies Bennema and Meeuwissen of the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe and alderman Rink of the municipality of Emmen today awarded a subsidy of €14,927,479.42 to the SORTED project in Assen, a consortium of fourteen parties led by the Sympany foundation. The subsidy was granted by the Northern Netherlands Cooperation and comes from the European Just Transition Fund (JTF), including 6 million euros co-financing from the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Unique to the SORTED approach is the multidisciplinary approach to the entire textile chain. SORTED focuses on innovation, recycling, behavioral change, and new collaborations throughout the chain: from collection and sorting to reuse and fiber-to-fiber recycling.
With this four-year project, Northern Netherlands takes a big step towards a circular textile chain. “This subsidy shows that Northern Netherlands is serious about a sustainable economy,” emphasize the deputies and the alderman. “With SORTED, we invest in new technology, employment, and behavioral change. That is exactly what the Just Transition Fund is intended for.”
Collaboration for structural change
Charles Graft, director of Sympany, is proud of the grant: “This subsidy enables us to take a big step forward in making the textile chain circular. We do this with a unique consortium of fourteen parties – from recyclers and technologists to researchers and social entrepreneurs. Only together can we truly renew this chain.”
Five work packages for a circular textile chain
The SORTED project consists of five interconnected work packages. For example, Sympany works on automating the sorting of collected textiles using artificial intelligence and robots. Other partners focus on high-quality chemical recycling of discarded textiles, where polyester fibers are reused as raw material for new clothing.
A third important component is behavioral change. Led by the University of Groningen, research is conducted on how consumers can make their clothing use more sustainable – by buying, wearing, and discarding less, better, and more consciously.
Additionally, work is being done on setting up new circular business models and on education and labor market development in the region.
About the Just Transition Fund
The Just Transition Fund (JTF) is a European subsidy program that provides financial support to regions most economically and socially affected by the transition to a climate-neutral economy. In the Netherlands, six areas have been designated, including Groningen and Emmen. The fund focuses on stimulating innovation, creating sustainable employment, and supporting the transition to a greener and competitive industry.
Responsibility and implementation
The JTF program is developed by the provinces of Groningen, Drenthe and Fryslân, the municipality of Emmen, and the Labor Market Table Northern Netherlands. The Northern Netherlands Cooperation (SNN) executes the subsidy schemes of the JTF program.
