Today’s fashion industry still operates in a mostly linear lifecycle: from Raw Materials, Manufacturing, Distribution and Retail to Consumer use and finally Disposal. It is at this end-of-life stage where some of the biggest inefficiencies appear: Most garments are worn only for a short time, before being discarded. And unfortunately - the majority end up in landfills or incineration. In the EU alone, we have around 16 million tons of textile waste every year, with less than 15% collected for reuse or recycling. This model is wasteful and inefficient. And shows clearly why change is urgent. REFASHION is a blockchain and AI-powered recommerce platform that adds a sustainable new route to the traditional linear model. It allows users to buy, sell or donate their pre-owned fashion items, and keep products in use for longer. It also supports recycling, by channeling items into appropriate recovering streams, and enables upcycling, giving textiles a second life in creative ways. In short, REFASHION aspires to turn end-of-life into a new beginning.

PI: Prof. Stavros Ponis