Textiles Circularity Centre
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Textiles Circularity Centre funded by UK Research & Innovation (2021–24). The Textiles Circularity Centre will turn post-consumer textiles, crop residues and household waste into renewable materials for use in textiles, developing new supply chains, textile production, design and consumer experience.

Explore Future Lifecycles, Katrine Hesseldahl, 2019
About the Textiles Circularity Centre
The Textiles Circularity Centre (TCC) proposes materials security for the UK by circularising resource flows of textiles. This will stimulate innovation and economic growth in the UK textile manufacturing, SME apparel and creative technology sectors, whilst reducing reliance on imported and environmentally and ethically impactful materials, and diversifying supply chains. The TCC will provide underpinning research understanding to enable the transition to a more circular economy that supports the brand ‘designed and made in the UK’. To enact this vision, we will catalyse growth in the fashion and textiles sector by supporting the SME fashion-apparel community with innovations in materials and product manufacturing, supply chain design, and consumer experiences.
Led by the RCA’s Professor Sharon Baurley, with Professor Phil Purnell (University of Leeds) as co-director, and working in collaboration with Cranfield University, University of Cambridge, University College London, University of Manchester and University of York, the TCC supports better social, economic and environmental outcomes – working also with a wide range of partners from industry, the NGO sector, and the public sector.
The TCC is a four year award of £5.4m; one of five circular economy centres funded by the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Centres Research programme, and coordinated by the Circular Economy Hub.
The TCC research programme has three interconnecting Research Strands: Materials Circularity (MC), Circular Supply Chain (SC), and Consumer Experience (CX).
Materials Circularity Research Strand
The Materials Circularity Research Strand will establish an integrated approach that transforms waste feedstocks into functional and regenerative textiles designed for circularity. Our pioneering biotechnology will convert waste into building blocks for new polymer and fibre production. Innovations in the fabrication and design of circular textiles will enable technology-driven processes that use local materials. The Materials Circularity group includes:
Dr Miriam Ribul, Materials Science Research Centre, Royal College of Art [lead]
Professor Neil Bruce, Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, University of York [co-lead]
Dr Alexandra Lanot, Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, University of York
Professor Prasad Potluri, Department of Materials, University of Manchester
Professor Paulo Bartolo, School of Engineering, University of Manchester
Dr Sameer Rahatekar, Enhanced Composites & Structures Centre, Cranfield University
Professor Phil Purnell, School of Civil Engineering, University of Leeds
Dr Cian Vyas, School of Engineering, University of Manchester
Dr Haseeb Arshad, Department of Materials, University of Manchester
Dr Daniel Upton, Centre for Novel Agricultural Products, University of York
Roberta Morrow, Materials Science Research Centre, Royal College of Art
Former team members:
Professor Simon McQueen-Mason, University of York
Dr Vivek Koncherry, The University of Manchester

Wheat Crop Residues, Miriam Ribul, 2019
Circular Supply Chain Design Research Strand
The Circular Supply Chain Design Research Strand will establish narrow, slow and closed resource flows through better tools for Circular Supply Chains. We will study which novel supply chain configurations and technologies are needed for bio-based textiles circular supply chains. The Circular Supply Chain Design group includes:
Professor Steve Evans, Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge [lead]
Professor Gareth Loudon, School of Design, Royal College of Art
Dr Doroteya Vladimirova, Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge
Former team members:
Mr Chipp Jansen, Royal College of Art
Consumer Experience Research Strand
The Consumer Experience Research Strand will establish a coupling between the resource flow and human wellbeing by building a Product Cultures Lab and a Circular CX Framework with which to design consumer experiences that engage people in interactive, meaningful, co-creative and sustainable cultures around products, transforming their role from ‘consumers’ to ‘active co-creators’ in a sustainable product cycle. The Consumer Experience group includes:
Dr Bruna Petreca, Materials Science Research Centre, Royal College of Art [lead]
Professor Carey Jewitt, UCL Knowledge Lab, Institute of Education, University College London [co-lead]
Professor Nadia Bianchi-Berthouze, UCLIC, Division of Psychology & Language Sciences and Department of Computer Science, University College London
Dr Youngjun Cho, Department of Computer Science, University College London
Professor Aikaterini Fotopoulou, Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, University College London
Professor Marianna Obrist, UCLIC, Department of Computer Science, University College London
Dr Danielle Barrios-O'Neill, School of Communication, Royal College of Art
Ms Lili Golmohammadi, UCL Knowledge Lab, Institute of Education, University College London
Dr Temitayo Olugbade, UCLIC, Department of Computer Science, University College London
News, events and activities
News
UKRI interdisciplinary circular economy centres
Circular economy centres to drive UK to a sustainable future
Five new centres were announced on 11 November 2020 as part of a £22.5 million government investment. They will explore how reusing waste materials in the textiles, construction, chemical and metal industries could deliver huge environmental benefits and boost the UK economy.
RCA-led consortium to establish the TCC
The Royal College of Art (RCA)-led consortium has been awarded a grant of £5.4m by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) to establish the Textiles Circularity Centre (TCC) to enable the transition to a more ‘circular’ economy.
Upcoming events
- TCC Seminar Series – Materials Circularity led by Professor Prasad Potluri, postponed – new date to be confirmed.
Past events
- TCC Seminar series: Engaging people with material through low cost technology, May 2022
- Transforming local bio-based waste streams into circular textile and building materials, co-hosted with Bioeconomy Cluster Builder (BCB), May 2022
- TCC Seminar Series – Eco-Textiles – Regenerated Cellulose Fibres Manufacturing using an Environmentally Benign Process, April 2022
- TCC Seminar Series – Current and future technologies in textile recycling, March 2022
- TCC Seminar Series: Innovative methods for designing circular consumer experiences, February 2022
- TCC Seminar Series – Forces & Scenarios for Circular Textile Supply Chains, January 2022
- Seminar Series: Additive Manufacturing, October 2021
- TCC Annual Showcase, September 2021
- TCC Annual Symposium, September 2021
- Empowering citizen-consumers in a fashion-textiles Circular Economy, debate and mapping event with Circular Economy Club London, June 2021
Watch the virtual tour of the TCC's Annual Showcase in 2021:
Staff
Contact us
Get in touch to find out more about the Textiles Circularity Centre and partnering on projects.
[email protected]
