An Industry Armed with Recycling Technology Now Confronts the Harder Problem of Scale

This year, Andritz is releasing the AI-based teXscan predictive sorting unit which evaluates fabric quality prior to recycling. It provides non-destructive quality measurements with the target of improving process speed, objectivity and fit-for-purpose outputs.

In a second, the teXscan generates ‘the teXscore’ scoring system which is paired with recommended processing options for ring-spinning, open-end spinning, nonwovens production or chemical recycling. This output enables operators to make decisions without human inaccuracy, aligning material quality with the suitable process.

Sorting has been identified as a key bottleneck in establishing fully automated recycling systems, and alongside Andritz, Belgium-based Valvan is also supplying dedicated solutions.

Reliable feedstock preparation and automated material identification are increasingly recognised as foundational requirements for textile-to-textile recycling at industrial scale.

Valvan’s Fibersort predicts the concentration of fibres in bales based on near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) scans. It can also sort textiles based on colour using an RGB camera and the waste textiles can then be fed into the Trimclean unit which leverages AI and computer vision to extract zippers, buttons and labels from the sorted textile materials.

From manual sorting to fully automated lines

Also at ITMA 2023, Spain’s Picvisa introduced its Ecosort AI-based optical sorting technology and this year has announced its eighth installation to date.

It is currently collaborating with fellow Spanish company Girbau – a specialist in laundry and automation solutions – on a new plant in Northern Europe integrating Girbau’s feeding and separation system with the Ecosort as a single continuous and fully automated line.

Picvisa’s Ecosort technology identifies and classifies used garments by textile composition, colour and type, generating homogeneous, higher value-added fractions for both the second-hand market and textile recycling companies. The integration of Ecosort with an automated feeding system enhances process stability, increases line productivity and enables more precise and consistent sorting while reducing reliance on manual labour.

Mechanical recycling gains commercial traction

Germany’s Trützschler also introduced its TRUECYCLED mechanical recycling system designed to convert pre and post-consumer textile waste into high-quality spinnable fibres at ITMA 2023.

TRUECYCLED combines opening, cleaning and blending technologies to process cotton-rich waste while preserving fibre length as far as possible. The system integrates seamlessly into existing spinning preparation lines, enabling the production of yarns with significant recycled content.

This machine combination has gone on to find wide acceptance, with ten lines installed in India alone since its debut at the Milan exhibition.

Spinning systems adapt to recycled fibres

Leading staple spinning technology suppliers Rieter and Saurer have also continued to fine-tune systems for successfully processing recycled fibres into yarns.

Spinning recycled staple fibres presents several technical difficulties. The raw material often exhibits high variability in fibre length, strength and fineness due to prior processing and mechanical degradation. This inconsistency disrupts drafting, leading to uneven yarn structure and increased end breakage. Contamination from foreign particles or blends further complicates carding and cleaning, reducing efficiency and quality.

For textile manufacturers, these developments signal that recycling technologies are increasingly being integrated into mainstream spinning and production systems rather than remaining standalone pilot operations.

In addition, shortened fibres limit cohesion requiring higher twist which compromises softness and productivity.

At ITMA ASIA + CITME, Singapore 2025, Rieter presented its fully automated spinning mill concept, including ring and compact yarn production with recycling capability, suggesting recycling is no longer a niche add-on but being bundled into complete new mill projects.

Rieter also continues to push its Com4recycling spinning system, which enables up to 40% recycled fibre in ring/compact yarns and is now part of the Com4 branded yarn ecosystem and linked to licensing with GRS-certified mills.

Even higher recycled content is being achieved on Rieter rotor spinning machines as the company moves to standardise recycled yarn production.

Saurer introduced its Autocoro 11 Recycling Xtreme designed to spin very short mechanically recycled fibres at ITMA 2023 and this debut was followed by the immediate sales of multiple lines which are now operational, especially in Turkey.

The BD 8 semi-automatic rotor system is meanwhile aimed at cost-focused recycling spinning, and here Saurer has secured one of its largest orders to date.

At the end of 2023, Chinese customer Hengbang Zhifang placed an order for ten BD 8 machines, representing 6,000 spinning positions, along with blowroom equipment and carding units.

Within a year, Hengbang Zhifang placed an order for further machines to rapidly build up its current annual capacity to around 120,000 tons.

Circularity requires technology, infrastructure and collaboration

All of these developments show ITMA exhibitors to be at a stage of full technological readiness, yet despite this evident maturity, the transition to true textile-to-textile recycling at scale is still constrained by a combination of structural and economic barriers.

The collection, sorting and processing of post-consumer textiles is inherently more complex than working with virgin raw materials, and the absence of globally aligned economies of scale continues to keep recycled fibres at a price disadvantage in many applications. This is further compounded by the capital intensity of new recycling installations and the need for continuous feedstock streams of consistent quality, which are not yet reliably available in most regions.

At the same time, legislation, while increasingly supportive in principle, remains fragmented in practice. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes are being introduced across Europe, but differences in implementation, timelines and enforcement create uncertainty for investors.

Equally critical is the lack of established, efficient collection infrastructures capable of delivering sorted, traceable textile waste at the volumes required for industrial recycling. Without harmonised systems linking consumers, collectors, sorters and processors, even the most advanced recycling technologies risk operating below capacity.

From recycling readiness to collective action

As a result, the industry now finds itself at a pivotal juncture, where engineering solutions are largely in place, but the scaling of textile-to-textile recycling will ultimately depend on aligning economics, policy and logistics into a coherent and dependable ecosystem.

As the industry works to overcome these barriers, ITMA 2027 offers a timely platform for technology providers, manufacturers, recyclers, brands and policymakers to align around the practical requirements for scalable textile recycling. Beyond showcasing individual innovations, it is where the industry can collaborate to build the interconnected systems needed to advance circular textile production at industrial scale.