Recycling

Environmental action NGO WRAP has come out with a Design for Recyclability Toolkit for Fashion and Textiles as a practical resource to help businesses integrate recyclability into product development.

With only a fraction of all textiles being recycled today there is an urgent need to change that and a doctoral thesis at the Swedish School of Textiles contributed unique knowledge about mechanical recycling: which processes and materials give the best results.

In a much-needed crucial step forward to create a more resilient, sustainable, circular textile industry, 4 leading recyclers have initiated a textile-to-textile recyclers alliance that would fight for policy changes in a strong voice at key policy discussions.

Austria’s annual production of 220,000 tonnes of textile waste, of which almost 80 per cent is incinerated, could soon be put to good use as researchers look to process it to produce paper for packaging materials.

The T-REX (Textile Recycling Excellence) project, a consortium of 13 industry leaders, committed to developing a blueprint for a harmonised EU framework for textile-to-textile recycling, has emphasised the need for standardised definitions of recyclability, scalable recycling technologies, and policy measures that align with industry realities.

Worn-out jeans, old woollen sweaters, polyester textile waste and recycled linen is what Goor-based Blue Loop Originals uses to craft a high-quality second life for discarded clothing. With the mission “Worn to Reborn”, its Dutch Founder Ron van de Wiel started Blue Loop in 2013 when he realised that 640 million pairs of jeans are discarded annually in Europe. Texfash talks to the man to know more.

Tersus Solutions, founded in 2009, supports a wide variety of needs by leveraging its proprietary CO2 platform that preserves water and electricity, sanitises or sterilises, captures contaminates and microfibres, and ultimately extends the life of textiles. Steve Madsen, Founder and CTO, and Peter Whitcomb, CEO, speak at length about how the future lies in technology.

A new research provides a solution to the mammoth problem of recycling textile waste — perhaps the first effective method for recycling both cotton and polyester components of polycotton with high efficiency.

To make the next textile revolution happen, we need a major shift of mindset – to value a product, appreciate the stages and participants it has taken to manufacture each item, and going back to having less but of better long-lasting quality. While quality is hard to quantify, we can measure and test durability and many other aspects of textiles to ensure they last longer.

To unlock the potential of recycled textiles and second-hand clothing, a new research proposes practical reforms to modernise outdated customs codes, introducing new codes, and create clear standards, and trader incentives that will enhance trust, trade efficiency, and transparency to better support the expanding textile circular economy.