Re.store is a finalist in the Portuguese European Funds Awards

This is the second edition of the Portuguese European Funds Awards, and re.store, which received funding of approximately €55,400 from the Norte 2020 programme, is competing against four other candidates, all from sectors outside the textile and clothing industry. The Portugal + Verde category rewards «projects that contribute to combating climate change, support the green transition, increase energy efficiency, expand the use of renewable energy and drive innovation, the circular economy and sustainable mobility», according to the organisers.

Sílvia Correia, founder and CEO of re.store, believes that the project’s selection recognises the possibility of combining environmental sustainability, innovation, social inclusion and the creation of economic value. «More than recognising a project, this nomination acknowledges a vision: that waste does not have to mark the end of a cycle but can represent the beginning of new opportunities for materials, companies, territories and, above all, people. Naturally, this recognition brings us greater visibility and credibility, two particularly important aspects for a company that is challenging conventional production and consumption models. It allows us to reach new audiences, raise awareness among more organisations of the potential of textile upcycling and open doors to partnerships that could be decisive for our ambitions for growth and expansion into other territories», she states.

The public can vote on the official Portuguese European Funds Awards platform. The finalists will present their projects to the jury on 5 November at the Lisbon Congress Centre, followed by the jury’s deliberations and the awards ceremony.

Technical and economic challenges

Founded in 2020, re.store transforms industrial textile surpluses into new products through a model that connects 19 material-supplying companies with a network of 30 social partners, indirectly involving 60 people. Since its creation, the brand has reused 10 tonnes of textile materials and carried out 73 awareness-raising initiatives, including workshops and conferences.

Sílvia Correia identifies the inconsistency of textile waste as one of the main obstacles to expanding reuse, due to variations in the composition, size, colour, condition and quantity of available materials. «This requires sorting, technical creativity, adaptability and development processes that are much more flexible than those of linear production», she explains.

From an economic perspective, the founder of re.store highlights the costs associated with collection, sorting, cleaning, development, labour and small-scale production. «Furthermore, the market still often compares circular products with conventional products solely on price, without taking into account the environmental, social and educational value associated with reuse», she adds.

«Our approach is not just about “making products from waste”. It is about demonstrating that textile waste can give rise to new value propositions for companies, municipalities, institutions and communities», Sílvia Correia concludes.