A Path to Resilience

[RE]PAIR

Building a Repair Infrastructure for Applied Textiles

[RE]PAIR

Lead Organization: Copenhagen Business School

Project Period: April 2026 - March 2029

Pool: TRACE Pool 4

Project Status: New

[RE]PAIR brings together leading Danish research institutions (CBS, KADK, DSKD, VIA) and a wide network of public and private repair partners to develop the repair infrastructure in Denmark. Over the past few decades, repair services for clothing and textiles have become less common in Denmark. Much of the knowledge and experience needed to repair products has been lost, and many people no longer see repair as a natural option.

Both businesses and public organizations are working to change this. Some companies offer repair services, while public authorities increasingly include repair and reuse requirements in their purchasing processes. Several municipalities have already taken positive steps, such as reusing workwear and considering sustainability when buying new products. Despite these efforts, repair services have not yet become widespread.

Participating partners: Copenhagen Business School, the Royal Danish Academy, Design School Kolding, VIA University College, NN07, Create2Stay, Vibe Vibe, Den Skandinaviske Designhøjskole, Whitewear, Skrædderlauget, Repair Café Denmark, Skals - Højskolen for Design og Håndarbejde, Textile Circle FMBA, Sy Studio, Omklædt, Copenhagen Airports (CPH), Salling Group, Res-Res ApS, MidtVask, TRIMCO, Fikse, Aarhus Bibliotekerne / Dokk1

Funding call: Circular Services and Solutions Extending the Lifetime of Applied Textiles

Project Leader

Esben Rahbek Gjerdrum Pedersen

Mail: ergp.msc@cbs.dk

 

Other Projects

HealthW2R

TRACE Pool 4, In progress

HealthW2R develops and demonstrates a scalable Proof‑of‑Concept Circular Economy System for single‑use plastic consumables in healthcare laboratories.

PROLONGing

TRACE Pool 5, In progress

The project supports Design for Longevity (DfL) and helps reduce overproduction and CO₂ emissions in the fashion industry.

SWARM2SCALE

TRACE Pool 5, In progress

SWARM2SCALE develops and scales circular plastics systems through higher education institution-led hubs in Greece, South Africa, and Nigeria.

 

 

LoopME

TRACE Pool 5, In progress

LoopME develops and tests a new Deposit & Return System (DRS) for reusable take-away packaging with the aim of reducing single-use packaging waste and supporting large-scale adoption of reuse systems.

 

 

SCOPE

TRACE Pool 5, In progress

SCOPE develops and validates a systemic circular solution for food-contact plastics at events and in canteens. By combining reuse systems and food-grade closed-loop recycling, the project aims to reduce single-use plastics and support the transition to a more circular food-service sector.

 

 

RE-SAFE

TRACE Pool 5, In progress

RE-SAFE will establish a PoC CE system investigating the chemical safety of reusable lunch containers in Copenhagen school canteens.

RE:Circulate

TRACE Pool 4, In progress

RE:Circulate develops a critical infrastructure for scaling reuse of furniture and workwear textiles in Denmark’s four largest municipalities.

PaX

TRACE Pool 4, In progress

PaX aims to catalyse a systemic shift in how patientwear is designed, used, and recirculated in Danish hospitals.

 

 

UNBRAND

TRACE Pool 4, In progress

UNBRAND tackles a central barrier in textile circularity, namely that branded workwear is discarded by the thousands long before its useful lifetime is over, simply because logos and graphics cannot be removed efficiently.

RE-CARE

TRACE Pool 4, In progress

RE-CARE accelerates the circular transition in municipal healthcare, where material use is rising as the 2025 health reform moves more care to local services.

ROUNDS

TRACE Pool 4, In progress

ROUNDS will deliver strategic research addressing two key drivers of single-use plastics and textiles in healthcare.