In Turin, old Local Police uniforms are getting a second life thanks to a collaboration with local artisans who received these materials to process, transform, and reintroduce them to the market through the creation of a pilot corridor that treats discarded textiles as resources rather than waste.

The initiative has already led to the recovery of over a thousand garments. Of these, 817 were distributed among 12 upcyclers—local artisans interested in receiving and transforming them. Once all identifying elements were removed, the garments were sent through upcycling processes to bring them back to life by creating something new that could be reused and repurposed.

This valorisation of discarded Local Police uniforms was made possible by a Protocol that allowed for a temporary and experimental derogation from current legislation.

“The experiments launched through RiVestiTo as part of the Climaborough project share the common goal of reducing waste and limiting the use of raw materials and energy. At the same time, they foster a culture of reuse, raising awareness of sustainability and the value of resources, while also offering job opportunities,” said Chiara Foglietta, Councillor for Ecological Transition.

“The issue of illegal waste dumping is strongly felt by the Local Police, which has created a new operational unit, the Environmental Protection Division, dedicated to monitoring, prevention, and enforcement,” emphasised Marco Porcedda, Councillor for Legality and Security. “That’s why we’re proud to have supported the project by donating our decommissioned uniforms, which will gain new life thanks to the creativity and skilled hands of the artisans involved.”

The initiative is now expanding, with the goal of directly involving Turin’s citizens, who will be able to donate their unused textiles to artisans and tailoring shops through September 2025. Textile companies and fabric stores can also participate by donating what, for them, represents waste they are unable to reuse internally.

The experiment is part of RiVestiTo, a project designed by Atelier Riforma, Mercato Circolare, and Huulke, in collaboration with the City of Turin. It is funded by the Horizon Europe Climaborough project, which involves twelve European cities piloting innovative urban planning solutions for the ecological and digital transition toward climate neutrality, as well as two observer cities.

“It was a delicate and important job to study the existing legislation and constantly engage with local authorities,” said Nadia Lambiase, CEO of Mercato Circolare, a project partner. “We’re very satisfied with the agreement reached, and we are confident this trial can pave the way for future experiments capable of redefining the concept of waste.”

In Italy, current law does not allow people to donate their old clothing or textiles to artisans for upcycling. The same goes for unsold or defective items from shops, or company uniforms: they can only be transferred to artisans through a purchase—and even then, they cannot be further processed.

According to the law, “any substance or object which the holder discards or intends or is required to discard” is considered waste, as stated in Article 3 of the Waste Framework Directive 2008/98/EC. Therefore, the mere fact that a private citizen or company wants to dispose of something automatically classifies it as “waste,” which must be managed solely by authorized waste handlers. Artisans and tailors, who are not authorized, can only legally obtain discarded textiles by purchasing them. Unfortunately, this strict interpretation prevents many textiles from being reintroduced into circulation through upcycling.

How does the pilot corridor work?

Citizens, businesses, and retailers can donate their unused clothing or household textiles (e.g., sheets, pillowcases, tablecloths, curtains) to a selected list of artisans, tailors, and local designers, who will then have the opportunity to rework, transform, and circulate them locally.

The list of participating artisans, which is constantly updated, is available online on Mercato Circolare’s website: https://www.mercatocircolare.it/vuoi-donare-i-tuoi-tessili-inutilizzati/. It also indicates which types of materials they are interested in and how to contact them.

To avoid burdening participants with unsuitable materials for their creative work, artisans may partially or fully decline donations—either during initial discussions or after examining the materials. In such cases, it is the donor’s responsibility to dispose of any rejected materials properly.

In the case of production scraps, it is important to draft a written agreement with the company providing the materials.

To join the initiative and be listed as a textile recipient, professionals must email info@atelier-riforma.it with the following information:

• Name of the business/professional

• Location where the textiles can be delivered

• Contact email and/or WhatsApp Business number and/or social media page

• Types of textile materials they wish to receive (if no preference, please specify)

Using a digital form managed by the RiVestiTo team, records will be kept on the quantity and type of textile materials received.

“In this way,” said Elena Ferrero, CEO of Atelier Riforma and project partner, “we want to document the project’s results: the number of stakeholders involved, the volume of intercepted and valorised textiles, and the amount of new textile waste avoided. If the results are positive and significant, the City of Turin could become a best-practice case study to help push for improvements to the regulatory framework in support of circular practices.”