“Threads of Change” THOCH Project

Programme: CERV – Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme
Donor: European Union (European Commission)
Project Leader: Zelena Istra
Partners: Ekologi brez meja (Slovenia), Zelena akcija (Croatia), KNOF (Slovenia), Faculty of Textile Technology (Croatia)
Collaborators: Tehnološki park Ljubljana (Slovenia), Ekotekstil (Slovenia), Zero Waste Europe
Total Project Budget: €229,780.00
Project Duration: 1 January 2026 – 31 December 2027

Project leader for TTF: prof. Katarina Nina Simončič, PhD

The Threads of Change project brings together citizens, organizations, and institutions to promote sustainable and circular fashion while supporting the local implementation of European policies. The project addresses the challenges of fast fashion and textile waste and contributes to a fair and inclusive transition towards a circular textile economy in Southeast Europe.

The project has three main objectives:

1. increase citizens’ knowledge and awareness of sustainable fashion and EU textile policies,
2. encourage active citizen participation in shaping and implementing public policies,
3. strengthen inclusive engagement in circular fashion, with a focus on women and persons with disabilities.

Through fashion labs, repair and upcycling workshops, advocacy activities, and circular economy pilot projects, the initiative will directly involve 785 citizens, 110 small businesses, 41 public bodies, and 40 representatives of marginalized groups. Special attention is given to communities often present in textile reuse sectors but excluded from decision-making processes.

In collaboration with public authorities, businesses, and civil society organizations, the project will develop practical and locally applicable policy recommendations aligned with the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, and the Waste Framework Directive.

Expected outcomes include increased civic engagement in policymaking, development of textile repair and upcycling skills, concrete legislative proposals, new circular business models, and greater inclusion of marginalized groups. The project includes a series of activities, including international conferences, roundtables, workshops, campaigns, policy documents, and the EU-level Zero Waste Fashion Call initiative.