The program centered on the question of how post-consumer textiles are collected, sorted, and repurposed as a specific waste stream. Isabell Lange and Melanie Börmel, members of the Chair’s Textile Research Group, provided an overview of current projects in research and teaching.

The session included a guided tour of current sorting of post-consumer textiles in the technical center of the b.is institute, as well as a demonstration of a handheld NIR device used for material identification. The visit was further enriched by a tour of the university’s textile studio. It concluded with a creative workshop led by textile artist Anne Marx. Here, students had the opportunity to transform discarded textiles from the technical center into new functional items, such as seat cushions or doormats, using braiding and weaving techniques. In doing so, the materials were given a new purpose and a second life.