The ‘Exploring sustainability policies for the textile chain’ tool was developed by CE Delft on behalf of the Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management (Rijkswaterstaat) and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat). The tool is intended to help policymakers formulate policy goals for a more sustainable textile supply chain. The tool is also intended to support prioritisation and policy decisions in the future. This involves ecological sustainability of the textile chain.
Circular strategies, as defined in the Nationwide Circular Economy Programme (Rijksbreed programma Circulaire Economie), can be calculated using the tool. These are: 1. Fewer textiles (narrow the loop). 2. Extending life cycle (slow the loop). 3. Improve recyclability (close the loop). 4. Application of sustainably produced materials (substitution).
In addition, the tool addresses sustainability in the four chain stages of fibre production: cloth and textile product production, use and end of life cycle. It examines measures and framework conditions for a sustainable textile system. The tool includes three assessment methods for this: