A Danish textile recycling consortium has identified two new methods for recycling polyester waste.
- The announcement has been made by ReSuit (Recycling Technologies and Sustainable Textile Product Design), whose constituents are Danish Technological Institute, Bestseller, Elis, Design School Kolding, A/S Dansk Shell, Naboskab, Aarhus University and Fraunhofer.
THE OUTCOMES: The first method opens the door to textile-to-textile recycling of polyester. It is a dissolution process that can treat clothing waste, separating and purifying the polyester from colour and additives. The result is recycled polyester (rPET) of such high quality that it can be used in the production of new polyester.
- ReSuit has also focused on a process where complex clothing waste can be recycled—textiles that are normally so intricate and processed that they are considered unsuitable for recycling.
- The process involves subjecting clothing waste to heat and pressure, known as hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL), transforming it into bio-oil that can be upgraded into chemical building blocks for fuel and naphtha production.
- The polyester component of the mixed clothing waste is transformed into a substance called terephthalic acid (TPA), which is a primary building block in polyester.
THE SPIN-OFF: A third result of ReSuit is Bestseller's Circular Design Guide, which aims to inspire both the company’s own brands and the rest of the textiles industry to think and act in new ways that extend the lifespan of clothing and make it easier to recycle.
- Bestseller now sells clothing collections designed according to the principles of the design guide.
WHAT THEY SAID:
At Bestseller, we are fully aware of the challenges in the fashion industry, but we also have the size and expertise to be part of the solution. That's why we entered ReSuit with open eyes and an understanding that innovation plays a crucial role in transforming the fashion industry into a more sustainable one.
—Camilla Skjønning Jørgensen
Innovation Manager
Bestseller
