Now Borås is going one step further and testing collection in public urban spaces as part of SorTex.

Container in the city - closer to citizens
Borås Energi och Miljö will install a specially designed textile container in a public, easily accessible urban location during a test period. The aim is to make it even easier for citizens to return end-of-life textiles and at the same time investigate how access and location affect quantity and quality.

Test purpose and collection

During the test period - which runs from a few months to a year - Borås Energi och Miljö will follow up with citizens to find out how they experience the new collection solution. At the same time, the amount and type of textile waste delivered will be measured.

Collection tests in Borås: Three environments, one mission

As part of the SorTex project, Borås Energi och Miljö is also testing different collection methods for textile waste in three different environments: a large workplace, a public area and a housing association. The tests run from April 2025 to April 2026 and aim to investigate the amount, type and quality of textile waste collected - and which collection method and location gives the best results.

Test 1: Multi-family house (HSB Brotorp)
Approximately 125 apartments participate in the test, where a level sensor is also tested to measure the degree of filling and the need for emptying. The collected textiles are transported to Borås Energy and Environment's textile hub, where they are stored before further transportation for sorting at Wargön Innovation.

Test 2: Public environment (Textile Fashion Center)
The container is located at the reception of the Textile Museum, in the middle of an area with daily activities and many visitors - including a restaurant, Textile College and business hotel. The purpose is to test the willingness and ability of citizens to properly dispose in an open and busy urban space.

Test 3: Workplace (Volvo Bussar, Viaredsfabriken)
Approximately 300 employees are part of the trial, which explores how textile collection can function as an integrated part of the workplace's daily life. The collected textiles are also stored in the textile hub before sorting.

Common to the tests
All three tests use a common collection system where both textile donations and textile waste are delivered in the same container. The collected material is analyzed and sorted for reuse or recycling.

Why are we doing this?
The aim is to identify the type of setup that best supports future textile collection - both in terms of the quality of the collected material and citizen participation. In the long term, the tests will contribute to more efficient, user-friendly and sustainable textile management in Sweden and Denmark.