How can we make textile repair the norm in Berlin? 🧵
As part of the SOLSTICE Project, we’re exploring how cities can drive circular solutions—rethinking business models, policies, and incentives to extend the lifespan of textiles.
Last Friday, we took a big step forward: Together with city partners, fashion brands, and repair experts, we co-created ideas for a Repair Bonus System in Berlin. The goal? Making textile repair more accessible, attractive, and rewarding for consumers while ensuring it remains viable for businesses.
🔍 What we learned:
– Berlin’s repair gap is massive—only 0.33% of textiles are repaired, despite widespread awareness of alteration services.
– Barriers remain high—cost, time, and accessibility issues prevent people from repairing more.
– Pricing is a paradox—repairs are often too expensive for consumers yet not profitable enough for businesses.
– Fashion brands can play a key role—by offering trusted repair locations and normalizing repair in their services.
– Community engagement is crucial—real-life connections between consumers and repair experts increase emotional attachment to clothing and shift behaviors.
🛠 Co-creating a repair ecosystem
We envision a collaborative repair system where multiple stakeholders—from consumers to brands, repairers, and policymakers—work together to lower barriers and create incentives. Our key objectives:
✅ Building the right infrastructure—ensuring accessibility and scalability.
✅ Establishing a repair bonus use case—to test and refine financial incentives.
✅ Fostering a thriving repair culture—where repair becomes a natural, easy, and valued choice in Berlin.
A huge thank you to our incredible participants for bringing in their expertise, ideas, and energy:
Stefanija Pejchinovska (Embroidery - Damaja),
Ala Hadji (à la Mode Schneiderei),
Tomo Pook (Toolly Repair),
Albrecht Fritze (Senatsverwaltung für Mobilität, Verkehr, Klimaschutz und Umwelt),
Moritz Biel-Peretti (Givn Berlin),
Luis Luger (IRIEDAILY),
Pauline Jolanda Yasul (Blutsgeschwister GmbH),
Ines Rust und Alessandra-Isabel -Alisa- Hager (DAWN Denim),
Erik Roos Lindgreen, PhD, Hannah Beisel, Wen-Yu Chen (Circle Economy),
Nicolle Prochowska, Laura Llonch, Arianna Nicoletti, Sarah Keller (Circular Berlin),
Maximilian Mauracher (NEW STANDARD.STUDIO)
📌 What’s next?
Over the coming weeks, we’ll refine our action plan, set SMART goals, and define key KPIs—while tackling crucial questions:
– Should the system be centralized or decentralized?
– Do customers prefer drop-off points or direct repair services?
– How can we create a smart, seamless infrastructure to track repairs and bonus payments?
🔎 Your insights matter—What do you think? How can we make textile repair a go-to choice in Berlin? Let’s exchange ideas! 👇
#SOLSTICEProject #TextileRepair #CircularEconomy #CircularBerlin #SustainableFashion #CoCreation #CircularCity
