Posted by Lorenzo van Sichem
on July 10, 2023
i-did is one of four projects in The Hague recently awarded a grant by Kansen voor West! The grant is available to companies committed to transitioning to a circular economy. The grant allows the i-did Factory to innovate, resulting in higher production speeds and greater applicability of textiles.
Opportunities for West
Kansen voor West (Opportunities for the West) is a partnership between the four Randstad provinces and the cities of Amsterdam, The Hague, Rotterdam, and Utrecht to boost the regional economy through innovation. This is achieved by providing European subsidies to businesses in the region. The program focuses on the main themes of innovation, climate, and sustainable urban development and aligns with the European Green Deal.
i-did is one of four projects in The Hague recently awarded a subsidy. In addition to i-did, the projects include a circular fruit processing plant by Yespers , a company also located in The New Farm , an innovative energy network by Stedin, and finally, 235 homes in Moerwijk will be accelerated to become natural gas-free.
Project
i-did is a social enterprise in The Hague with a mission to make a social impact through employment. By offering work and coaching to people who have been unemployed for extended periods, i-did provides them with a springboard to sustainable participation in society.
Now that the i-did Factory is up and running, a new phase has begun. The grant allows i-did to innovate the i-did Factory's processes and production lines, resulting in higher production speeds and greater applicability of the textiles. This will allow i-did to serve even more local businesses and thus recycle more discarded industrial textiles. The goal of the project is to deliver the highest possible quality of 100% recycled textiles. This eliminates the need to add new materials, such as melt-resistant and strength fibers. Furthermore, the goal is to produce the highest possible quality fiber, suitable for further processing into yarn.
i-did is looking forward to testing the Factory's various applications and recycling even more types of textile waste into high-quality fibers. Machine expertise, stocking additional parts, and smart innovations will increase production speed. These include an automatic cleaning system, using different types of needles, improving the fire suppression system, adjusting the air exhaust more effectively, and building direct pipes from the fiberizing line to the felting line.
