"The European textile industry is confronted with a constant increase of ecological awareness. For instance, soft PVC is coming under ecological pressure. The polymer not only has high halogen content, but also requires the use of plasticisers. Some of these (e.g. specific phthalates) are toxic and can alter the expression of gender characteristics and are leading to a lowered fertility. Some of these chemicals are already banned from selected textile applications (e.g. baby’s clothing) via legislation or eco-labels such as Ökotex. Consumer organisation and ecologists are raising the pressure further to limit the use of these products. As a result voices are raised to ban soft PVC containing textile articles further. This is not only to be considered as a thread but also as an opportunity for the textile industry and the SMEs involved. Indeed, if appropriate eco-friendly alternatives are developed, offering in addition technological advantages, a new route for innovative and high-end textile articles comes available. The present project, Decocoat, is focussing on development of PO based functional polymers for the textiles industry. Recent developments within the PO production generate new sets of polymers, belonging to the most environmental friendly of all synthetic polymers. Thanks to the integrated functionalities and the (block)copolymer composition, a large range of mechanical properties and softnesses can be reached without the use of plasticisers. Within the project implementation of these novel polymers on textiles will be explored; using application routes offering the highest flexibility and requiring minimum new invest. The novel developed textiles will offer an ecologic alternative for the soft PVC coated or printed articles."