Many in the textile recycling industry are quite taken in by chemical recycling's big promise to transform complex fibre blends into virgin-quality materials. There are investment flows increasingly towards companies claiming breakthrough technologies that can separate polyester from cotton or dissolve specific components chemically. Yet, while billions chase these chemical solutions, mechanical recycling—despite its proven track record and immediate applicability—often gets dismissed as outdated or insufficient.
What was till the other day a technological dichotomy has now become a technological hierarchy, something that critics argue may represent a rather dangerous oversimplification. With Europeans producing 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste annually and most still ending up burned, dumped, or exported, the industry needs solutions that can deliver impact today, not in decades. The frenzied rush towards chemical recycling, while potentially transformative, risks creating expensive, exclusive pathways that leave the majority of textile waste unaddressed.
The reality is more nuanced than the divisive either-or technology choices suggest. Different materials require different approaches, and the most effective recycling systems will likely combine multiple technologies strategically. However, this requires honest assessment of each technology's current capabilities, limitations, and realistic deployment timelines rather than promotional narratives that often characterise industry discourse.
The Sorting Revolution
When asked which single part of the textile recycling value chain would create the most impact if redesigned, Chloé Salmon Legagneur, Director of CETIA, chooses sorting without hesitation: "If I had to select just one, I think I would choose to act on the sorting part. Automated detection and sorting solutions can be used to qualify the textile collected, so that it can be channelled towards the best recycling routes."
This perspective challenges the industry's current fascination with end-of-pipe chemical solutions. Rather than developing new ways to process mixed materials, improving sorting could ensure each material type reaches its optimal recycling pathway. The ripple effects could transform the entire value chain's economics and effectiveness.
Salmon Legagneur elaborates on sorting's potential: "The detection part can include recognition of composition (pure material, mixture, %), colour (multicolour, single-colour, red, white, etc.), but there can also be extensive image processing via artificial intelligence, such as recognition of logos/brands, typologies (t-shirts, trousers, jackets, etc.)."
CETIA's own work integrates multiple sensor technologies to achieve comprehensive material characterisation. "We are working in particular on these subjects at CETIA, integrating a multi-sensor approach (SENSOR HUB project)," she explains. This approach recognises that effective sorting requires combining different detection methods rather than relying on single-sensor solutions.
Koen Warmerdam, Co-founder and Brand Director of Aware, supports this sorting-first approach: "Recycling is complex, and while sorting technologies are improving, they need time and trusted input to scale. Verified data from fibre to finish would streamline operations, reduce loss, and unlock trust."
The economic impact of improved sorting extends beyond individual facilities. When materials are properly characterised and routed to appropriate recycling technologies, overall system efficiency increases dramatically. Chemical recycling plants receive better-suited feedstock, mechanical recycling achieves higher quality outputs, and reuse channels capture materials still suitable for direct application.
Luna Aslan, Project Manager at Noosa, identifies the systemic barriers: "EU legislation is slow and there's no harmonised systems between countries. Many players hesitate to invest in harmonised systems due to uncertain ROI and the complexity of coordinating across diverse stakeholders and regions."
However, sorting technology offers a pathway to harmonisation that doesn't require coordinated regulatory change. Standardised detection and classification systems could operate across borders, creating common material characterisation protocols that enable efficient resource flows regardless of local regulations.
Tetiana Pushkarova, Development Manager at Re:inventex, emphasises sorting's practical importance: "Even if every brand adopted eco-design principles today, we'd still face a legacy of billions of garments made from complex fibre blends. These materials won't disappear, and we urgently need to develop technologies that can handle what's already on the market."
Advanced sorting provides this capability by identifying which materials can benefit from mechanical recycling, which require chemical processing, and which might be better suited for energy recovery or other applications. This triage function maximises value recovery across the entire waste stream.