The SINTEC project - Intersectoral synergies for the circular economy is making steady progress in building new collaboration models between industrial sectors to address one of today's major environmental challenges: the circularity of technical textile waste with a high polymer load. The initiative is jointly promoted by the Clúster de Residus de Catalunya (CREC), the Clúster de Materials Avançats de Catalunya (Clúster MAV), Tèxtils.CAT and the Packaging Cluster and is part of the Grants for circular economy promotion projects of the Catalan Waste Agency (ARC).

SINTEC aims to study and activate new ways of valorizing and reusing technical textile waste, especially those that are difficult to recycle, for their possible reintroduction as new materials in the container and packaging sector and other industries. The initiative is committed to an innovative approach based on industrial symbiosis and intercluster cooperation, with the aim of generating a positive environmental, economic and social impact in Catalonia.

The project, which started in May last year and will last until April 2026, is structured in an itinerary of co-creation days and workshops that combine expert knowledge, business experience and practical work between companies from different sectors.

The first day took place on May 15, 2025 at the ALBA Synchrotron and was used to present the project and identify the main challenges, needs and opportunities shared between more than 80 representatives of the four participating clusters. From this first diagnosis, priority lines of work linked to waste management, the recycling of polymeric materials and the development of new circular business models began to be defined.

The project took a step forward with the Intercluster Conference held on December 11, 2025 at the headquarters of Tèxtils.CAT – CECOT (Terrassa). The meeting brought together companies, technology centers and key agents from the textile, packaging, advanced materials and waste management sectors, with the aim of deepening the possible cross-sector synergies.

The session included a detailed presentation of the conceptual and operational framework of the SINTEC project, highlighting the need to give a second life to technical textile waste and explore its fit in new industrial applications. Subsequently, a very participatory co-creation session took place, where attendees worked in groups to address key issues such as the types of polymeric waste available, the technical and economic challenges of valorizing them, the possibilities of incorporating this waste into new materials and the identification of technological needs, R+D+i opportunities and business alliances.

This dynamic made it possible to detect real points of connection between companies from different sectors, as well as opportunities for the development of prototypes and pilot projects in later phases.

The SINTEC project will continue its journey with two more days. The next one will be on February 12, with a new Intercluster Conference at Barcelona Circular (BAC), aimed at advancing the definition of business models and collaborative projects based on the ideas identified in the first workshop. This session will focus on the practical landing of the detected synergies and the presentation of the first results.

Finally, the project will culminate with a final day on April 29, 2026, where the conclusions of the study, the opportunities for industrial symbiosis identified and a roadmap for intercluster collaboration in the circular economy will be presented. The aim is for this work to serve as a basis for promoting new collaborative projects and future funded initiatives in the area of the circular economy.

A step forward towards a more circular and collaborative economy

With SINTEC, the four promoting clusters reinforce their commitment to collaborative innovation as a key tool to face the challenges of industrial sustainability. The project is positioned as a meeting and co-creation space between strategic sectors of Catalonia, with a high potential for replicability and ambition to generate real impact in the transition towards a more circular, competitive and resilient economy.