Technologies 4.0 to extend the useful life of rugs and reduce the environmental impact of the sector
The LONG LIFE TEXTILES project, led by the Barcelona Design Center with the participation of Nutcreatives and four other entities, resulted in a digital model of traceability and transparency designed to extend the useful life of home textiles and ensure their correct end-of-life management.
Every year in Spain, between 21.5 and 26 kg of textile waste is generated per inhabitant, with 30% corresponding to household textile products. Of this total —which includes fashion, household and industrial textiles— only 11% is collected, and merely 1% is recycled into new products. In the specific case of rugs and carpets, about 1.6 million tons end up incinerated or in landfills annually across the European Union.
LONG LIFE TEXTILES addressed this challenge through an industrial research project that designed, developed and prototyped a model to extend the useful life of rugs and enable their recovery at the end of their life. By applying Industry 4.0 technologies, the project tackled key causes of low recyclability —notably the lack of data and transparency across the value chain, from raw material extraction to end-of-life management. Environmentally, the project demonstrated the potential to save raw materials and reduce waste generation, lowering the carbon footprint by an estimated 40–60%.
The initiative was developed around the ecosystem of Nanimarquina, a brand dedicated to the design and distribution of rugs and textile goods. Nutcreatives played a key role in the project, drawing on our +two years of collaboration with Nanimarquina in the brand’s transition towards more sustainable practices throughout its value chain. Thanks to this experience, Nutcreatives was able to design a holistic traceability model that covered the entire life cycle of rugs—facilitating their maintenance, recovery and recycling, while enhancing the value of materials and artisanal techniques.
Within the project, Nutcreatives led the design-related tasks, ranging from product and system design to user experience, working closely with experts in technology, textiles and environmental consultancy.
LONG LIFE TEXTILES was led by Barcelona Design Center and co-driven by MODACC cluster, Nutcreatives, Nanimarquina, Inèdit and Retexcycle. The total cost of the project was €261,886, of which €209,509 was financed by the Ministry of Industry and Tourism (Mincotur) under the Support to AEIs program, contributing to the competitiveness of the Spanish industry and supported by the European Union’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
This project represented a significant step for Spain’s design and textile sectors, aligning with global efforts to advance circular economy models and reduce the environmental footprint of one of the world’s most resource-intensive industries.
