TCBL Association is proud to be a partner in BE CIRCULAR – Local circular economy practices starting from textile waste, an interregional project led by the Sartoria Sociale of the social cooperative Al Revés (Palermo) and supported by Fondazione CON IL SUD through its call for the circular economy in Southern Italy.
The project brings together three social tailoring workshops — the Sartoria Sociale in Palermo (lead partner), the social tailoring of the Soleinsieme cooperative in Reggio Calabria, and the La Matrioska textile lab in Quartu Sant'Elena, Sardinia. Together they are building a local, transparent and ethical supply chain for textile reuse and upcycling, turning discarded clothing into social, environmental and employment opportunities.
At its heart, BE CIRCULAR creates training and work-inclusion pathways for people in vulnerable situations, including migrants, women in difficulty, homeless people and former prisoners. The project also responds to a pressing concern: the growing exposure of the used-clothing and textile-waste sector to organised crime, illegal trafficking, labour exploitation and irregular disposal. By keeping the supply chain local and traceable, BE CIRCULAR links environmental sustainability directly to legality and social justice.
In Palermo, activities include Pop Up Vintage Shops for quality second-hand and regenerated garments, a textile bank for collection and redistribution, and a new social laundry serving people without shelter. Students from the Industrial Design course at the University of Palermo are contributing the project's logo, packaging and gadgets made from textile offcuts.
As a Europe-wide association, TCBL's role is to act as a bridge — connecting BE CIRCULAR to similar experiences and best practices across Europe, and supporting co-creation processes that bring all actors together around shared circular and social goals. By linking this local initiative to a wider European network, TCBL helps the project learn from, and contribute to, the growing movement for sustainable and inclusive textile value chains.
The project was publicly presented on 18 June 2026 at the Bottega di Libera in Palermo, a symbolic space dedicated to the social reuse of assets confiscated from the mafia.
