Waste

Samsara Eco's enzymatic depolymerisation technology makes it possible to rebuild worn or contaminated textiles into virgin-equivalent materials through breaking down synthetic fibres into original building blocks. The partnership with Deakin University addresses textile additives like dyes, finishes and coatings that affect recycling effectiveness for synthetic materials processing applications.

Textile waste traceability gets a major boost as Textile Exchange launches enhanced tracking capabilities. The development addresses supply chain transparency gaps that have long prevented brands from making accurate sustainability claims about their recycled content sourcing and circular economy progress.

French researchers have developed a revolutionary approach to recycling mixed polyester waste from textiles and appliances. By combining controlled heating with smart mixing techniques, the method eliminates sorting requirements whilst achieving 90% recycling efficiency. The breakthrough could transform how the fashion industry handles synthetic textile waste streams.

The UK is preparing to turn its textile waste crisis into an economic opportunity with a proposed national recycling hub. Backed by industry and government partnerships, the initiative is projected to create jobs, cut waste management costs, and advance circular economy goals. The plan includes advanced sorting facilities and chemical recycling to tackle over a million tonnes of textile waste annually.

CircularFabrics is tackling one of synthetic fashion’s toughest challenges—recycling nylon from blended waste—through its pioneering Nyloop technology. Unlike conventional methods, Nyloop preserves polymer integrity without high energy input, offering a sustainable and cost-effective alternative. CEO and Co-Founder Josephine Mayer explains how this process could help brands meet EU circularity goals while building scalable, decentralised recycling systems.

Circula-TEX, a new EU-funded project under Horizon Europe, aims to harmonise textile waste management across Member States by developing unified Extended Producer Responsibility schemes and circular innovations. With 19 partners from nine countries, the four-year initiative will create scalable solutions.

A new European study by the Solstice project has exposed glaring inefficiencies in the continent’s textile sector. Analysing Berlin, Grenoble, Prato, and Catalonia, researchers found critical disparities in services, material flows, and consumer behaviour. The findings call for coordinated territorial approaches to shift the industry towards sustainable circular practices.

A well-intentioned law requiring separate textile collection in Sweden from 2025 could backfire by damaging reuse markets. By mixing worn clothing with textile waste, the new system may undermine existing global reuse chains that already support sustainability, jobs, and landfill reduction. Experts argue that without better collection design, circular fashion efforts risk serious setbacks.

A powerful coalition of sustainability advocates, cultural economists, and supply chain experts has filed a groundbreaking amicus curiae brief to expose and challenge the harmful influx of second-hand clothing waste into Ghana.

A new report from the Netherlands’ Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate warns that fast fashion is derailing global efforts to build a circular textile economy. With low-quality, disposable clothing flooding the system, the report outlines urgent structural, financial, and policy reforms needed to keep circularity from collapsing under its own weight.