Sustainable textile use

Using clothes twice as long can cut their climate impact in half. But what does it take for us as consumers to better care for and reuse our textiles? This is the starting point for the project Energy Saving Through Everyday Textile Management, where Hammarby Sjöstad will serve as a testbed for new ways to extend the lifespan of clothing and home textiles. Through repair, reuse, and more sustainable textile care—not least smarter laundry habits—the project aims to test new solutions, raise awareness, and increase knowledge about the issue.

A New Way of Thinking About Textiles
The textile industry accounts for around 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the world’s most resource-intensive sectors. In Sweden, the inflow of new clothing and home textiles continues to rise—even though many of the discarded textiles are still fully usable. The Energy Saving Through Everyday Textile Management project seeks to support a shift: from a throwaway culture to long-term use and circular solutions. The focus is on understanding the habits and structures that drive people to buy new instead of using what they already own—and what is needed to encourage more people to repair, care for, and reuse their textiles.

An important part of this involves how we wash our clothes. Washing affects both energy consumption and the longevity of garments. For example, a T-shirt typically lasts 23 washes at 40°C, but 36 washes at 30°C. If all Swedish households lowered their washing temperature from 40°C to 30°C, it would save 261 million kWh per year—while also making clothes last longer. Small changes in our everyday routines can make a big difference.

Testbed in Hammarby Sjöstad
In Hammarby Sjöstad, new ways to save energy and resources in daily life are being developed and tested. Households, property owners, and local stakeholders are taking part in a process where we explore:
• Incentives for longer garment use
• Services for repair and remake
• Resource-efficient laundry that saves energy and extends the lifespan of clothes
• New models for reuse and sharing of textiles

Insights and experiences are collected and shared, with the goal of developing methods that can be applied in other neighborhoods and municipalities. In the long term, the project aims to contribute to a shift in norms: less new consumption, more textile care, and greater utilization of existing garments.

The Energy Saving Through Everyday Textile Management project runs for three years and is a collaboration between Electricity Innovation, Remondis, Slow Fashion Hub Stockholm, and IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. It is funded through the research and innovation program Design for Energy-Efficient Everyday Life in 2025. The program is managed by the Swedish Energy Agency and coordinated by SVID, the Swedish Industrial Design Foundation.