Recycling

The US’ measurement institute could have made textile sorting a tad easier with the development of a database that contains the molecular “fingerprints” of 64 different fabric types.

The RegioGreenTex initiative has published a paper outlining the development of a framework for classifying textiles for recycling, which is central to establishing efficient and regionally adaptable waste channelling models.

An OECD study on ‘Extended producer responsibility in the garments sector’ contends that EPR is a promising approach for addressing environmental impacts of garments. Its focus on producers and post-consumer products lends it well to addressing impacts at the end-of life and production stages. However, complementary policies can amplify its effect.

Nonprofit Global Alliance for Textile Sustainability Council (GATS) is a collaborative platform for recyclers, manufacturers, brands, policymakers, academic institutions and industry experts to address challenges related to circular economy practices. Founder-Director Parvinder Singh talks about the GATS mission to make the Indian textile and fashion industry more sustainable, competitive, and future-ready.

A plan to develop the UK’s first wetsuit recycling facility is among eight new projects funded by Future Fibres Network Plus. The neoprene recycling project is one of the eight mini projects newly funded by the network.

In October, a statement from the European Recycling Industries' Confederation (EuRIC) warning that the textile reuse and recycling sector in Europe was on the verge of collapse, had sent alarm bells ringing. EuRIC Secretary-General Julia Ettinger tells texfash why the situation is so grim.

Circle Economy has come up with the first-of-its-kind ‘Circularity Gap Report’ that examines how materials flow throughout the entire textile value chain, from design to post-consumer management. It explores how materials are extracted, transformed and managed at their end-of-life—from cotton farming and petrochemical production to spinning, weaving and dyeing to product assembly and distribution—and delves into the resource and energy inputs of each stage.

Technical textiles for construction sector can now use waste carpet material and other discarded textiles including clothing fabrics and firefighting uniforms to make concrete stronger. Field trials are on.

In a significant step ahead towards 100% textile circularity, French green innovation start-up, Carbios, and its five fibre-to-fibre consortium partners have come up with the world’s first enzymatically recycled polyester garment made from textile waste to spin out 100% biorecycled fibres.

Polyester, the most widely used fibre worldwide, and a key pollutant to boot, poses many systemic and tech challenges when it comes to sorting, pre-processing and recycling, says a new study by nonprofit Accelerating Circularity.