Redesigning Textile and Fashion Education towards a Circular Economy (RETEX)

The textile industry’s shift to “fast fashion” has created an environmental problems in the EU, where annual textile consumption reaches 19 kg per person, with most waste ending up in landfills or incineration. While upcoming EU legislation mandates separate textile collection by 2025, many vocational education and training (VET) curricula in tailoring and fashion remain focused on traditional linear production. To bridge this green skills gap, the RETEX initiative brings together six partner organizations—including five VET providers and a circular economy NGO—across Estonia, Latvia, Iceland, France, and Spain. The project leverages cross-border collaboration to transition VET tailoring and fashion programs from traditional linear craftsmanship to circular economy practices. 

       Objectives:

  • Co-create “Reduce, Repair, and Redesign” (3R) training resources and publish the e-materials in five partner languages on an open-access platform.
  • Innovate VET practices by training educators to implement the challenge-based ETHAZI learning model, fostering active, real-world problem-solving among students.
  • Integrate the 3R training materials and ETHAZI model into tailoring, fashion, and textile educational programmes.
  • Promote sustainable textile consumption and circular habits among VET students, local citizens, and broader educational networks.

    Main activities:
  • Organising and participation at co-creation seminars for 3R teaching resources and ETHAZI seminar to learn challenge-based training methodology.
  • Producing structured training modules, instruction sheets, and video tutorials covering 3R competencies, followed by translation into five languages and publication on a dedicated WordPress platform.
  • Integrating the 3R teaching resources and applying the ETHAZI model within partner schools, guiding students to generate and document an online “Idea Bank” of 100 practical circular solutions.
  • Organizing localized awareness initiatives—such as repair cafés, workshops, and exhibitions—alongside national and international dissemination seminars for educational stakeholders.

    Expected results:

  • A strengthened cross-border network of at least 22 VET educators equipped with enhanced capacity to teach green skills and challenge-based methodologies.
  • Fully developed 3R teaching packages (including 30 repair and redesign worksheets/videos plus waste reduction resources) published in 5 languages.
  • An open-access e-bank featuring 100 student-generated circular textile solutions created by at least 60 participating students.
  • Direct engagement of over 1,000 local community members in sustainable consumption practices through public student-led events.
  • Dissemination of project outcomes and teaching tools to at least 125 national stakeholders and 75 international participants.

Partners:
Tartu Vocational College (EE)
CIFP BARAKALDO LHII (SP)
VSIA Rigas Turisma un radosas industrijas tehnikums (LT)
IFPRA Normandie (FR)
Tækniskólinn – skóli atvinnulífsins (IS)
Zero Waste Estonia (EE)

Duration:
01.10.2026 – 30.11.2028

Project Manager: Kaire Mets (kaire.mets@voco.ee)