Empowering Future Innovators 

‍WHITECYCLE Meets Master’s Students in Climate Change Management at Høgskulen på Vestlandet(HVL) Sogndal, Norway 

The textile industry faces significant challenges due to resource-intensive production, waste generation, and carbon emissions, requiring innovative solutions to address its climate,environmental, and social impacts. 

Students from the international Master’s in Climate Change Management at Høgskulen påVestlandet (HVL) took part in an interactive week centered around the vision ofbuilding a sustainable and circular textile economy. 

As part of the Towards a Low Emission Society course, weorganized hands-on activities, including strategic learning games and a visit to SIMAS, the waste management company for the Sogn and Fjordane region, where students explored local reuse and recycling opportunities for various materials, including textiles.  

In the interactive Seminar on Innovation in Textile Recycling, students were introduced to WHITECYCLE’s mission to advance textile recycling. Samples of Mandals AS lay-flat hoses were used to demonstrate the diverse applications of PET textile yarn. Later, the students role-played as textile producers, designers, and supply chain managers, collaborating to develop creative strategies for a more sustainable textile economy. 

Students presented several forward-thinking ideas to drive climate action in the textile industry: 

• Optimising Product Design: Reducing material consumption through 3D printing and exploring lower-impact raw materials. 
• Improving Transparency in the Supply Chain: Tracking materials from production to disposal for better accountability. 
• Promoting a Repair & Recycling Culture: Using social media campaigns to promote repair and reuse practices. 
• Measuring Impacts → Data-Driven Innovation: Applying Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to measure environmental impacts and inform sustainable business (strategy, product and process) development. 
• Adopting Digital Product Passports: Displaying LCA results for consumers through QR codes on labels, with pyrography as a sustainable, ink-free labeling method. 
• Prioritizing  Low-Carbon Energy & Transport Options: Transitioning to renewable energy sources to cover power consumption in textile factories and using electric trucks for eco-friendly transport of products. 

The students participated inresearch by completing a “Survey on the Social Acceptance of Recycled PET Products” by WHITECYCLE partner University Clermont Auvergne (UCA), which will provide insights into public perceptions ofrecycled textiles. 

👉 Ready to make a difference? Join the Master’s Program in Climate Change Management at HVL and shape the future of climate action.