Textination Newsline

ISPO Munich, the world’s leading trade fair for the sports industry and the world’s largest sports business event, is about to begin and will soon present the prestigious ISPO Awards to the most innovative products and newcomers of tomorrow. The ISPO Awards are regarded as a global driving force for the sports industry. Showcasing the latest trends and innovations in product design, materials and digital solutions, these awards set new standards for the future of the sports industry.

The best products of 2024 will be honoured at ISPO Munich in December and can be seen at the ISPO Award area in Hall B1 from 3 to 5 December 2024. At the same time, newcomers to the sports and outdoor industry will be given a stage at ISPO Brandnew, the largest start-up competition in the sports business, where they will present their innovative products in exciting live pitches during ISPO Munich. The grand finale will take place on the second day of the event on the Main Stage.

The ISPO Award seal of quality is given to sports products with a particularly high level of innovation, thus providing a curated overview of the most important trends in the industry. For the brands, innovations are enormously important and indispensable, whether in the textile sector, where much has changed in terms of materials, or in the integration of AI into all sub-sectors of the sporting goods industry. An expert jury of business professionals and regularly changing, sports-loving retail consumers from the ISPO Collaborators Club will review the submitted product innovations in advance and award prizes to the ones that meet the relevant criteria.

The submitted products make it possible to identify and observe trends. In 2024, the spectrum of trends continues to include sustainability in relation to textile innovations, the circular economy and recycling, as well as retail consumers’ desire for multipurpose use of diverse products. The integration of technology and the ever-growing role of AI numbers among the most exciting observations.

SUSTAINABILITY AS THE STANDARD
New EU legislation has led to an acceleration in the development of sustainable, functional materials. At this year’s ISPO Award jury meetings, numerous exciting material innovations were observed, especially in the textile sector. Progress in chemical treatments, such as PFC-free DWRs and textiles, is also remarkable. “Sustainability is increasingly becoming the norm, which means that consumers are coming to expect it as standard”, says juror and textile expert Dr Regina Henkel. “Progress is visible, for example, in the use of mono-materials or bio-based fabrics such as wool-Tencel blends”, which are used, for example, in this year’s ISPO Award winner Icebreaker with the Merino Blend 800 RealFleece Classic Pile LS Zip.

The ISPO Award entries also make it obvious that the performance of sustainable products made from recycled fibres has improved markedly so that the functionality of these products is now fully on a par with non-recycled items. Nevertheless, recycling will not be the solution to all future challenges, which is why manufacturers are increasingly incorporating into their collections natural fibres and biodegradable sports textiles, either in pure form or as a blend.

MULTI-USE REMAINS A TOP TREND
The trend towards multifunctional products reflects consumers’ desire for practical solutions. Particularly in Asia, multifunctional hardware products are perceived positively, while in Europe the focus is on textiles for multifunctional use. “High-quality, high-performance materials and designs are being adapted as everyday fashion, thus appealing to a broader target group”, explains trade journalist Dr Martina Wengenmeir, who is also one of the ISPO Award’s jurors. The “urban outdoor” trend is continuing and multipurpose products are also coming into focus in the area of commitment. One example of this is the Outdoor Backpack 45L from Peak Design, which combines fashionable and multifunctional design with full performance.

ISPO Award juror Dr Wengenmeir has identified another trend: “There is a growing focus on technical sports products designed specifically for women. These include football shoes with a design that is genuinely their own. This development goes beyond simple adjustments and includes well-thought-out designs in terms of fit and functionality.” These also include the BettHer - Bra Antishock+: the bra relies on a patented thermoplastic gel technology that provides excellent shock absorption and protection during intense activities.

INTEGRATION OF TECHNOLOGY
A trend from Asia that is also arriving in Europe is the integration of technology into clothing, for example through sensors and warmth apps. The personalisation of garments using technologies such as AI and sensor technology for temperature regulation is regarded as a potential growth area, despite concerns about sustainability.

Technology is also playing an increasingly important role for brick-and-mortar retailers, for example, when it comes to analysing the right product for the customer. Treadmills for running analysis are well known, but this year’s ISPO Award winner, the Skimulator, is a patented world first for a perfect fit of ski boots. This state-of-the-art simulator precisely simulates slope gradients, thus enabling the perfect fit of the ski boot.

ISPO BRANDNEW AWARD
ISPO Munich also provides a stage for the most innovative and creative newcomers in the sports and outdoor industry. Previous ISPO Brandnew winners include pioneering brands from all over the world that have redefined the boundaries of their respective fields with innovative materials, cutting-edge technology and sustainable action. Four start-ups each from the categories “Outdoor & Adventure & Snowsports”, “Performance, Body & Mind (physical product)”, “Sustainability” and “Sports Technology & Platforms” will pitch their ideas live on the main stage. A sneak peek at the innovations on show includes: BreezeLabs, which monitors breathing patterns during exercise; no normal coffee, coffee in a tube; and the AeroGraph Puffer Jacket, a weather-insulating jacket. The winner will be announced in the grand finale on the second day of the fair (4 December 2024).

Making bags for transporting fresh water by sea: Tarpaulins are large sheets of strong, flexible, water-resistant material used for protection from extreme conditions. The most common material used to make them is PVC-coated polyester, which is characterized by its low price and good resistance. However, recycling these products represents a major challenge because there are no large-scale commercial solutions for tarpaulin recycling. Companies have been trying for decades to replace PVC-coated fabrics with a polymer that is more recyclable. Although some alternatives are available, they are generally too costly to compete with PVC-coated fabrics and do not fully address stringent safety and recyclability requirements.
 
The European TARPAULIFE Project aims to demonstrate the possibility of manufacturing large-area polyolefin coated fabrics such as polyethylene and polypropylene that can compete in terms of cost with PVC-coated fabrics while maintaining their properties of strength, flexibility, impermeability and lower environmental impact. This new material will be used to manufacture bags for transporting fresh water by sea, although this innovative, more sustainable and recyclable fabric can also be applied to other products, such as tarpaulins commonly used in lorries and coverings.

Rina Consulting is coordinating this project co-financed by the European LIFE Programme with the participation of the companies Ziplast, Nowa and Giovanardi, and AIMPLAS.

The main result of the project will be a production facility of three-metre-wide polyolefin-coated fabrics with a production capacity of 250,000 m²/year one year after termination of the project, which started in May 2024 and will last for two years. The main application selected is water bags, which represent an innovative way of transporting large amounts of fresh water by sea, as opposed to the usual forms of transport in tankers.

Solving water supply problems in a sustainable way
This technology was developed mainly to transport water from high-production areas that are relatively close to areas with supply problems due to episodes of drought, seasonal increases in demand due to tourism and even to respond to emergency situations. This initiative has already resulted in the REFRESH and XXL-REFRESH Projects financed by the European Commission, in which AIMPLAS, RINA and Ziplast participated, and which successfully tested a floating water bag with a modular design and a zip connection. The aim of the TARPAULIFE Project is to go one step further with the coating material of these polyester bags and replace PVC with polyolefins so they are more sustainable and easier to recycle.
 
As demonstrators of the project, two 2,500 m³ water bags will therefore be made with the new material for testing in two locations in Europe. Demonstration of the water bag will provide a backup freshwater reservoir in the North Sea off the coast of Iceland and in the Mediterranean.

Thanks to this new production plant for polyolefin-coated fabrics, which will be located at the Ziplast facility in Milan, it is anticipated that more than 100 water bags will be produced three years after project end and more than two million cubic metres of water will be stored at three fresh water storage sites. The proposed solution will help avoid incineration of more than 2,000 tonnes of PVC and prevent more than 13 tonnes of CO2 from being released into the environment.
 
General goals

• PRODUCTION
  the set-up of a production facility of a monomaterial POLYOLEFIN-based coated structural fabrics, width 3 metres, with a production capacity of 250.000 square meters per year already 1 year after the project end.
• PROTOTYPING
  the prototyping of two 2.5 million litres waterbags made with the new POLYOLEFIN-based coated fabrics and the quantification of the environmental and LCA-LCC benefits compared to the use of PVC-coated fabrics.
• DEMONSTRATION
  the demonstration of the waterbag to be used as backup freshwater reservoir in two locations in Europe, offshore Iceland and in the Mediterranean.
• EXPLOITATION and REPLICATION
  Exploitation and replication of project results in other sectors, namely for the production of eco-friendly truck tarps and glacier ice covers, and demonstration of sustainability with the quantification of the environmental and LCA-LCC benefits compared to the use of PVC-coated fabrics for all the intended applications.
• DISSEMINATION & COMMUNICATION
  An effective dissemination and communication of the project results, targeting stakeholders worldwide.    

Specific goals

• Processing plant with a new coating machine capable of coating up to a fabric width of 3,000 mm.
• Procurement of equipment: a weaving machine for production of high-strength textiles with a width of 3,000 mm from polyolefin fibres.
• Integration of components and testing: checking and monitoring that the different system components are fully integrated and meet expectations in terms of performance is fundamental.
• Production runs, fixing errors and validation.
• Prototype design.
• Procurement of raw materials and ancillary components.
• Production of zip and tarpaulin patterns.
• Waterbag demo under dry conditions.
• Waterbag demo at sea (Northern Europe).
• Waterbag demo in the Mediterranean.
• Economic and environmental sustainability.
• Management of project innovation by using a careful exploitation and IPR management strategy, and ensuring the economic viability of all key project results.
• Studying replication of the developed solutions for different markets and applications. Initial exploitation of the TARPAULIFE results will be in Europe.
• Preparation of communication material.
• Dissemination across different channels.
• Compliance with EU indications in terms of alternative products to PVC and additive-free products.

The project also includes replication of the results in other sectors, namely, the production of eco-friendly truck tarps and glacier tarpaulins, and a demonstration of the sustainability of the new polyolefin fabric coating solution by quantifying the environmental and LCA-LCC benefits compared to the use of PVC-coated fabrics for all intended applications.

The TARPAULIFE Project is co-financed by the European Union through the LIFE Programme with file number 101147948 – LIFE23-ENV-IT-TARPAULIFE.   

Together with Fiber Engineering GmbH, the DITF presents a process for the production of biodegradable plant pots. The products are cost effective and competitive. At the same time, the production process combats the spread of the invasive water hyacinth, whose biomass serves as the raw material for the plant pots.

Combating an invasive species and reaping economic benefits at the same time? What sounds like a contradiction in terms has been successfully achieved by DITF scientists in a joint project with several companies.

Water hyacinth is a rapidly spreading plant that has been recognized as a threat to existing ecosystems in many countries around the world. In particular, Lake Victoria in Africa is suffering from the widespread spread of water hyacinth. Fish deaths due to oxygen depletion, the production of climate-damaging methane gas during decomposition, and the obstruction of shipping and energy production are among the most prominent problems. They offer a grim preview of what is on the horizon in many other countries. As an invasive species, water hyacinth is spreading into many ecosystems around the world as a result of human activities, threatening the quality of human life.

Several approaches have been taken to control the spread of water hyacinth. The main focus is on removing the carpet of plants from the water and then recycling the resulting biomass. This is also the starting point for the research project co-led by the DITF, which aims to produce a new, cost-effective composite material from the fibrous plant material. The result is a prototype plant pot that is competitive and meets all the technical requirements of the project objectives.

At the beginning of the project, the project partners defined the material requirements for the plant pot. These include good dimensional stability, which must also be ensured when the pot is filled with wet soil. The use of physiologically harmless materials for contact with food plants is also an important requirement, as is a cost-effective and therefore competitive production method. However, the main focus is on complete biodegradability and thus the unrestricted compostability of the plant pot.

The biomaterial for the production of the plant pots comes from Louisiana and is directly marketed by In-Between International under the product name CYNTHIA®. This raw material has been extensively tested and modified at the DITF with regard to its composition and suitability for technical processing. It consists mainly of cellulose and must first be screened and treated with a hydrophobic agent for further processing. Hydrophobing is necessary to give the plant pots a certain resistance to moisture.

The prepared raw material now needs to be combined with a binder. The binder binds the plant fibers and ensures the dimensional stability of the plant pot. Laboratory tests with various binders have identified those that guarantee good processability and dimensional stability of the fiber composite. A thermoplastic was selected that was easy to process in a hot press and that fully met the requirements for biodegradability.

Further laboratory tests determined the ideal ratio of binder to fiber raw material. Tests in an industrial composting plant showed that the material was fully biodegradable and that the plant pots would decompose within a reasonable period of time - a stability of 4-6 weeks was the project goal.

The researchers produced test samples for all these preliminary tests in the form of fiber composite panels on a hot press. The next step was to produce the first prototypes of plant pots from the pre-treated fiber material with the appropriate binder. This part was carried out by the project partner, Fiber Engineering GmbH from Karlsruhe. This company has extensive expertise in the field of fiber injection molding (FIM), which makes it possible to produce 3-dimensional molded parts from fibers in simple and fast process steps. Fiber Engineering GmbH has optimized its existing process for processing the water hyacinth fiber material. It produced a series of plant pots and thus realized the last step of the project objective.

A cost calculation, taking into account all the materials and processes used, confirmed that the plant pots could be produced extremely cheaply at a production price of less than five cents per pot, making them marketable. In daily use, garden centers will appreciate the haptic advantages - strength and moisture resistance despite the fact that the material is completely biodegradable. The fact that the material used is helping to solve a global environmental problem should be another plus when it comes to marketing the product.

Textile Exchange launched the first Materials Market Report in 2013 as a comprehensive, annual publication that provides unique data and insights into global fiber and raw materials production.

The Materials Market Report shares best available data on global fibre and material production volumes alongside program-specific volumes and other insights such as the number of certified sites. For the purpose of this report, leather, rubber, and down are considered non-fibre raw materials and are therefore included separately from the section and charts on ‘global fibre’.

It helps inform the textile industry’s efforts to reduce emissions associated with raw material production in line with a 1.5-degree temperature rise pathway. The report highlights the urgency to accelerate the transition to fibres from preferred sources, intensify efforts to significantly reduce reliance on virgin fossil-based materials, and invest in strategies that separate value creation from the need for extracting new materials.

It’s important to note that the compilation of global market data for fibres and raw materials is challenging and the quality of available data is often limited. The collection of primary data from suppliers is beyond the scope of this report so Textile Exchange relies on secondary data from industry associations, international organizations, governmental organizations, standard setters, and research institutes.

While Textile Exchange has collected, analysed, and compiled this information in all good conscience and has cross-checked it wherever possible, the report is intended for general guidance and information purposes only. Data gaps and inconsistencies are common in global market data, so modelling has often had to be applied.

Global fibre production reached an all-time high of 124 million tonnes in 2023, according to the latest Materials Market Report– which looks at total volumes used for apparel, home textiles, footwear, or any other application.

The data shows that the market share of virgin fossil-based synthetics continued to increase in 2023, with a decline in that of cotton and recycled fibres. Other key takeaways from the report’s data include:

• Record fibre production: Despite industry efforts, global fibre production has more than doubled since 2000. The last year’s 124 million tonnes represents a 7% increase from 116 million tonnes in 2022, and is expected to rise to 160 million tonnes in 2030 if current trends continue.
• Synthetics continue to dominate: The production of virgin fossil-based synthetic fibres increased from 67 million tonnes in 2022 to 75 million tonnes in 2023. Polyester remained the most produced fibre globally, accounting for 57% of total fibre production.
• Recycled synthetics face challenges: Although recycled polyester fibre production slightly increased in 2023, the overall market share of recycled polyester decreased from 13.6% to 12.5%. For polyamide (nylon), the second most used synthetic fibre, recycled fibres constituted only 2% of the total market share. These trends are attributed to the lower prices and continued production of virgin synthetics, as well as current limitations in recycling technologies. Less than 1% of the global fibre market came from pre- and post-consumer recycled textiles.
  
  The combined share of all recycled fibres slightly decreased in 2023, from around 7.9% to 7.7%, mainly due to an increase in the production of fossil-based polyester, which had lower prices than recycled polyester. Fossil based synthetics production increased from 67 million tonnes in 2022 to 75 million tonnes in 2023. Meanwhile, less than 1% of the global fibre market came from pre- and post-consumer recycled textiles.
• Cotton production saw a slight decline: Total global cotton volumes fell slightly from 25.1 million tonnes in 2022 to 24.4 million tonnes in 2023. However, the share of cotton produced under sustainability programs remained stable, accounting for 29% of all cotton produced.
• Certified wool climbs: Data showed positive trends for wool produced under standards such as the Responsible Wool Standard (RWS), ZQ, SustainaWOOL (GREEN and GOLD), Sustainable Cape Wool Standard (SCWS) and Climate Beneficial programs. This increased from 4.2% in 2022 to 4.8% in 2023. Recycled wool continued to account for around 6% of the global wool market.
• Certified mohair and cashmere reached almost half of market share: Certified fibres such as mohair and cashmere saw notable growth, both with market shares of 47%.
• Manmade cellulosic fibres production increased: Overall MMCF production increased from 7.4 million tonnes in 2022 to 7.9 million tonnes in 2023, representing 6% of the global fibre market.

The report highlights a continued reliance on new virgin fossil-based synthetic materials, threatening to undermine the industry’s commitments to its climate goals. It also shows the current limitations of textile-to-textile recycling and an urgent need for innovative solutions, with most recycled polyester still coming from PET bottles.

Amid these concerns, one positive trend that stands out is the increased industry demand for responsible animal fibres through programs like the Responsible Mohair Standard (RMS) and Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS), both contributing to better animal welfare and environmental management. This indicates the potential of farm-level standards of this kind to increase market recognition of more sustainable practices on the ground.

“We hope this data serves as a clear call to action for the industry, highlighting both the successes and the critical areas where we must intensify our focus to meet climate targets,” said Claire Bergkamp, CEO of Textile Exchange.

“Unlocking textile-to-textile recycling pathways will be essential to reducing reliance on virgin synthetics. Equally important is continuing to support those on the ground who are driving the transition from conventional systems to preferred materials. It is more urgent than ever to support those who have already invested in preferred systems, while also enabling the transition away from conventional at scale.”

Download of the Materials Market Report 2024.

The recycling of used textiles is facing a potential collapse. Industry experts agree that the current crisis is more serious than the COVID-19 crisis at the time.

In the case of Covid-19, there was a foreseeable period of a few months, after which the industry recovered quite quickly and the effect of pent-up demand caused prices to return to a normal level within a short period of time.
 
“We now have a completely different situation that threatens the existence of many of the established used textile recyclers in the industry,” says Stefan Voigt, Chairman of the bvse's Textile Recycling Association (FTR).
 
The global market for used textiles has been in a deep crisis for some time, which has now reached a level that can only be described as a free fall. Since the spring, the prices for original collected goods no longer cover the enormous costs for container provision, collection and administration.

The price of original goods traded on the market has now reached an all-time low, causing existential hardship for many market participants.

The sale of original and sorted goods has become almost impossible. The loss of established market players has destroyed supply chains that have been tried and tested for years, and stocks of original and sorted goods have reached unprecedented record levels. Some market participants are forced to replace the usual sales business with bartering.

According to industry information, downstream players in the recycling chain, such as shredding and spinning mills, are also under pressure and have made massive staff cuts. The production of cleaning cloths has also reached an all-time low. Due to the relocation of production abroad and reduced domestic production, demand for cleaning cloths has fallen and prices have slipped to a very low level.

Consumer behavior and international markets exacerbate the crisis
Due to the generally high cost burden on the population, the consumption of textiles has collapsed. The negative trend of consuming low-quality fast fashion is now being reinforced by ultra-fast fashion of even poorer quality. This has disastrous effects on value creation within the recycling chain for used textiles.

“During the sorting process, increasingly large quantities of relatively new textiles are being found that are already so defective that they are no longer suitable for further use and therefore have to be fed into the recycling process,” explains Voigt. However, there is no money to be made here either, as the same cost structures apply to this part of the original goods as to wearable goods and the recycling process is also very cost-intensive.

Industry calls for the introduction of an EPR system
Until now, the recycling of the proportion of sorted goods has been subsidised by the proceeds from wearable goods, but this system has not worked for some time. The industry is desperately waiting for the introduction of a national EPR system for textiles in order to stabilise costs.

The EU Commission's recently published draft of the revised EU Waste Framework Directive provides for the introduction of a system of extended producer responsibility for textiles. The existing collection and recycling structures in Germany, which enable the separate collection of used textiles close to the public, are to play a central role in this.

The draft of the National Circular Economy Strategy (NKWS) of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) also emphasises the importance of the national recycling industry for used textiles. Without it, the establishment of a closed-loop system for textiles would not be feasible.

Crisis not limited to Germany
The crisis has also made ripples internationally. Countries such as the Netherlands, traditionally the largest buyer of used textiles from Germany, have already addressed the crisis in the national media. Almost 250 companies there are involved in the collection, sorting and international marketing of used textiles.

Around 60 per cent of the original goods are recycled as sustainable clothing after sorting, meaning that the industry is reliant on stable markets in which recycling proceeds can be generated. But this is precisely the problem. ‘Due to the effects of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, the Eastern European market can only be served in fragments,’ explains Voigt.

In addition, despite its potential, the African market is currently facing enormous challenges because there is practically no money left in the system, he adds, explaining the concerns he receives from many interviewees in the industry: ‘The enormous drop in the value of many currencies in various African countries    means that it is becoming increasingly difficult for African customers to buy urgently needed second-hand clothing for hard currency,’ Voigt continues.

For example, the currency in the extremely important African market of Ghana has lost roughly 20 per cent against the euro over the last six months of 2024. In addition, the transfer of foreign currency now takes up to two months, meaning that it now takes up to six months to return the proceeds of realisation.

In addition, the African market is increasingly dominated by Chinese influence. ‘The actually better quality of high-quality used European second-hand clothing can hardly compete with new Asian goods,’ reports Voigt. Ultra fast fashion from China is flooding the market with extremely low prices, making it increasingly difficult to market sorted, second-hand clothing.

In addition to economic problems, there are also logistical challenges. ‘Our customers are reporting increasing difficulties in obtaining the necessary visas for a business visit to Europe within an acceptable waiting period,’ explains Voigt. The waiting time for an appointment at the consulate can currently be up to two months.

Call for short-term measures
In order to prevent the system from collapsing in the short term, Voigt believes that the usual remuneration structures for local authorities and providers of parking spaces for collection containers need to be reconsidered. ‘Recycling revenues have not been realised for some time now, so they can no longer be paid out or must be adjusted to the current situation,’ says Voigt.

The industry expects the current crisis to last even longer. ‘Not everyone will survive,’ predicts Voigt. Many collection areas are already being offered on the open market and various collection capacities are being cancelled without replacement. The future of the used textile recycling industry remains uncertain and there is no end to the crisis in sight.

The rise of fast-fashion, marked by rapid turnover of collections, has led to a sevenfold increase in the global trade of used clothing in the last 4 decades. With more than 80% of all purchased clothing items globally (62% in the EU) being disposed of as general garbage, which is incinerated or landfilled, this represents a massive waste of resources, causing severe environmental and health impacts. A report recently published by UNECE and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) contains an in-depth analysis of second-hand clothing trade between Europe and Chile, offers policy recommendations to the industry, exporting and importing countries to remedy this situation.

According to UN Comtrade data, in 2021 the European Union (30%), China (16%), and the United States (15%) were the leading exporters of discarded clothes, while Asia (28%, predominantly Pakistan), Africa (19%, especially Ghana and Kenya), and Latin America (16%, mainly Chile and Guatemala) were the leading importers.  

This has been facilitated by the advent of low-cost synthetic fibres and by trade liberalization that allowed the offshoring of production to countries with low-wage labour. Large proportions of clothing are made from difficult-to-separate blended fibres, making opportunities for economic reuse and recycling rare, particularly in developed countries.

“When did we normalize throwing clothes away?”, questions Lily Cole, Climate Activist and Advisor to UNECE. “As the world, mostly the Global North, has produced and consumed fashion at an unrelenting rate, a handful of countries, mainly in the Global South, have become cemeteries for the world’s unloved clothes. While visiting the Atacama Desert, my attention was brought to the textile mountains and the shifting cultural, economic, and political landscapes that birthed them. Consumer awareness is very helpful, yet, ultimately, we need policies to curb systemic trends, which is why this report and its recommendations are so necessary.”

Europe: sorting and recycling capacities lag behind  
In Europe only 15-20% of disposed textiles are collected, usually through containers, door-to-door collection and donations. About half of the collected textiles are downcycled to be used as, for example, insulation, filling, and single-use industrial wipes. Only 1% is recycled into higher value outputs such as new clothing, while the remainder is exported to developing countries.  

Of the 55% of collected clothes that are reusable, only 5 percentage points have a value on second-hand markets in the EU, while 50 percentage points have a value on export markets.  

The European Union has thus tripled its exports of used clothes over the past 2 decades, from 550,000 to 1.7 million tons. Europe, including the United Kingdom, accounts now for more than a third of global used clothing exports, and this share could continue to grow as collection rates are expected to rise.  

A design-led circular economy approach to clothing is still in its infancy. The EU Circular Economy Action Plan (CEAP) was adopted in 2020, the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles was adopted in 2022, and the EU Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation was adopted in 2023. However, these policies are still to bear fruit in the form of large-scale upstream solutions to the problems of textile waste. 

“The used clothes global market is constantly growing, and with it, its negative impacts. The textile industry has a key responsibility to adopt more sustainable practices, exporters and importers to adopt relevant policy decisions to foster traceability, circularity and sustainability. UN/CEFACT policy recommendations and standards will support this transition. And of course, we all have a role to play, as consumers, to make sustainable choices,” stressed UNECE Executive Secretary Tatiana Molcean.

The case of Chile: mountains of used clothes visible from the moon  
Most countries in Latin America (including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru) have introduced clothing import bans to protect their national textile and fashion industries and avoid the threats posed by clothing dumps.

By contrast, Chile levies zero tariffs, and applies no quantity restrictions in imports, only requiring shipments to be sanitised (by fumigation). It has thus become one of the top 10 importers in the world, and the first in Latin America, receiving 126,000 tons of textiles in 2021. 40% of these entered the country through the northern port of Iquique, where they are manually sorted, primarily by women, and separated into first, second, and third quality.

75% of all imported used clothes were deemed non-reusable, 30,000 tons of which are covering today 30 hectares of the Atacama desert, generating pollution and creating hazard to local communities’ health. At the same time, trade in second-hand garments also provides employment and formal and informal income for national and migrant populations in established stores and open-air markets across the country, and this must be factored in when redefining public policies.

“To address the environmental and social issues of used textile trade, the EU and Chile must work together on creating robust regulatory frameworks. A partnership between the European Union and Chile could pioneer innovative approaches to regulate and reduce the impact of second-hand textile trade, including by setting global standards for the trade of used textiles, focusing on sustainability and social responsibility." Highlights UNECLAC Executive Secretary, Mr. José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs.  

Multifold recommendations
The report contains a series of recommendations to the textile industry, exporters and importers.   

To exporting countries

• Make circular economy considerations central to the design of clothing, with mandatory targets for fibre composition that improve quality, durability, repairability, and recyclability  
• Introduce an Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) system holding producers responsible for the products they manufacture  
• Develop more sorting and recycling plants, through financial incentives  
• Develop minimum EU criteria for second-hand clothing exports through the use of digital product passports (DPPs)  
• Run awareness-raising campaigns to encourage consumers to make more informed choices about their clothes

To importing countries – the example of Chile

• Improve customs procedures & administrative measures at the port of Iquique to ensure digital traceability of flows of used clothing and textile based on the UN/CEFACT traceability standard   
• Establish a Circular Economy Strategy for Textiles  
• Set-up public-private alliances for recycling projects through tax extension schemes and funds to support entrepreneurship, innovation, and job creation for vulnerable groups, particularly in the Tarapacá region  
• Improve the legal framework for waste management   
• Implement a Regional Solid Waste Control Plan, involving inspections of sanitary landfills, clean points, and dumps to increase the enforcement capacity of regional health authorities  
• Accelerate the adoption of the Chilean draft law on environmental quality of soils.

The report also recommends making changes to international trade agreements, such as the2023 Interim Trade Agreement between the EU and Chile, which includes a chapter on Trade and Sustainable Development, to step up bilateral cooperation, and using it as a template for other bilateral trade agreements between the EU and other countries.   

Download the Executive Summary

In collaboration with industrial partners, researchers at the Fraunhofer WKI have developed a vehicle underbody made from natural fibers and recycled plastics for automotive construction. The focus at the Fraunhofer WKI was directed at the development of the materials for injection molding as well as the hydrophobization of flax and hemp fibers for natural-fiber-reinforced mixed-fiber non-wovens.

The component fulfills the stringent technical requirements in the underbody area and could replace conventional lightweight vehicle underbodies in the future. With this development, the climate and environmental balance is optimized throughout the entire product life cycle.

The project partners Fraunhofer WKI, Thuringian Institute for Textile and Plastics Research (TITK), Röchling Automotive SE & Co. KG, BBP Kunststoffwerk Marbach Baier GmbH and Audi AG have succeeded in developing a sustainable overall concept for vehicle underbodies. The researchers have thereby taken a challenging component group with a high plastic content and made it accessible for the utilization of natural materials. Until now, natural-fiber-reinforced plastics have predominantly been used in cars for trim parts without significant mechanical functions. Structural components such as vehicle underbodies are, however, exposed to enormous loads and place high demands on the bending and crash behavior of the material. In modern lightweight vehicle concepts, high-performance materials made from glass-fiber-reinforced plastics are therefore utilized.

The project team was able to replace the glass fibers with natural materials such as flax, hemp and cellulose fibers and to produce underbody components with a natural-fiber content of up to 45%. In the area of polymers, virgin polypropylene was completely dispensed with and solely recyclates were utilized. All the challenges associated with this material changeover – both the lower initial mechanical properties of the materials and the temporally restricted processing windows – were solved by means of skillful compound combinations.

At the Fraunhofer WKI, materials for injection molding were developed. “Natural-fiber injection-molded compounds have so far been known primarily for their increased strength and stiffness compared to non-reinforced polymers. In the development of the vehicle underbody, we have furthermore succeeded in fulfilling the stringent requirements for low-temperature impact strength through an innovative combination of selected post-consumer recyclates (PCR) as a matrix and natural fibers of varying degrees of purity - without forfeiting the required stiffness and strength,” explained Moritz Micke-Camuz, Project Manager at the Fraunhofer WKI.

Within the framework of the development, fiber-composite components made from natural-fiber-reinforced mixed-fiber non-wovens (lightweight-reinforced thermoplastic, LWRT) were realized for the first time at the TITK and at Röchling. The developed product not only fulfills the mechanical requirements: It also withstands in particular the challenges posed by the humid environment in which it is used. For the hydrophobization of flax and hemp fibers for LWRT components, a continuous furfurylation process was developed at the Fraunhofer WKI. Through furfurylation, moisture absorption can be reduced by up to 35 percent without impairment of the bending strength of the subsequent components. The furfurylated fiber material can also be easily processed on a non-woven production line.

The prototype components produced were subsequently extensively tested both at component level and in road tests. Amongst others, the vehicles from the VW Group’s new “Premium Platform Electric” (PPE) were used for this purpose. Long-term experience has already been gathered within the framework of the series testing. The gratifying result of these tests: The newly developed biocomposites fulfill all standard requirements for underbody components and have proven to be suitable for series production. Neither the use of natural fibers nor of (post-consumer) recyclates leads to a significant impairment of the properties.

One major advantage of the innovation is the significantly improved carbon footprint: Compared to series production, 10.5 kilograms of virgin material (PP/glass fiber) can be replaced by 4.2 kilograms of natural fibers and 6.3 kilograms of post-consumer recyclate. As a result, CO2 emissions during production, use and product life have been reduced by up to 40 percent.

Within the scope of the development project, an innovative, holistic overall concept for vehicle underbodies, including recycling with cascading re-use of the components, was developed. From a technical point of view, vehicle underbodies can be manufactured entirely from the new, high-performance lightweight bio construction material in the future.

The project was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) via the project management organization TÜV Rheinland.

In a world first for the fashion industry, in October 2020 twelve pioneering players came together to break new ground by demonstrating a circular model for commercial garment production. Over more than three years, textile waste was collected and sorted, and regenerated into a new, man-made cellulosic fiber that looks and feels like cotton – a “new cotton” – using Infinited Fiber Company’s textile fiber regeneration technology.
 
The pioneering New Cotton Project launched in October 2020 with the aim of demonstrating a circular value chain for commercial garment production. Through-out the project the consortium worked to collect and sort end-of-life textiles, which using pioneering Infinited Fiber technology could be regenerated into a new man-made cellulosic fibre called Infinna™ which looks and feels just like virgin cotton. The fibres were then spun into yarns and manufactured into different types of fabric which were designed, produced, and sold by adidas and H&M, making the adidas by Stella McCartney tracksuit and a H&M printed jacket and jeans the first to be produced through a collaborative circular consortium of this scale, demonstrating a more innovative and circular way of working for the fashion industry.
 
As the project completes in March 2024, the consortium highlights eight key factors they have identified as fundamental to the successful scaling of fibre-to-fibre recycling.

The wide scale adoption of circular value chains is critical to success
Textile circularity requires new forms of collaboration and open knowledge exchange among different actors in circular ecosystems. These ecosystems must involve actors beyond traditional supply chains and previously disconnected industries and sectors, such as the textile and fashion, waste collection and sorting and recycling industries, as well as digital technology, research organisations and policymakers. For the ecosystem to function effectively, different actors need to be involved in aligning priorities, goals and working methods, and to learn about the others’ needs, requirements and techno-economic possibilities. From a broader perspective, there is also a need for a more fundamental shift in mindsets and business models concerning a systemic transition toward circularity, such as moving away from the linear fast fashion business models. As well as sharing knowledge openly within such ecosystems, it also is important to openly disseminate lessons learnt and insights in order to help and inspire other actors in the industry to transition to the Circular Economy.

Circularity starts with the design process
When creating new styles, it is important to keep an end-of-life scenario in mind right from the beginning. As this will dictate what embellishments, prints, accessories can be used. If designers make it as easy as possible for the recycling process, it has the bigger chance to actually be feedstock again. In addition to this, it is important to develop business models that enable products to be used as long as possible, including repair, rental, resale, and sharing services.

Building and scaling sorting and recycling infrastructure is critical
In order to scale up circular garment production, there is a need for technological innovation and infrastructure development in end-of-use textiles collection, sorting, and the mechanical pre-processing of feedstock. Currently, much of the textiles sorting is done manually, and the available optical sorting and identification technologies are not able to identify garment layers, complex fibre blends, or which causes deviations in feedstock quality for fibre-to-fibre recycling. Feedstock preprocessing is a critical step in textile-to-textile recycling, but it is not well understood outside of the actors who actually implement it. This requires collaboration across the value chain, and it takes in-depth knowledge and skill to do it well. This is an area that needs more attention and stronger economic incentives as textile-to-textile recycling scales up.

Improving quality and availability of data is essential
There is still a significant lack of available data to support the shift towards a circular textiles industry. This is slowing down development of system level solutions and economic incentives for textile circulation. For example, quantities of textiles put on the market are often used as a proxy for quantities of post-consumer textiles, but available data is at least two years old and often incomplete. There can also be different textile waste figures at a national level that do not align, due to different methodologies or data years. This is seen in the Dutch 2018 Mass Balance study reports and 2020 Circular Textile Policy Monitoring Report, where there is a 20% difference between put on market figures and measured quantities of post-consumer textiles collected separately and present in mixed residual waste. With the exception of a few good studies such as Sorting for Circularity Europe and ReFashion’s latest characterization study, there is almost no reliable information about fibre composition in the post-consumer textile stream either. Textile-to-textile recyclers would benefit from better availability of more reliable data. Policy monitoring for Extended Producer Responsibility schemes should focus on standardising reporting requirements across Europe from post-consumer textile collection through their ultimate end point and incentivize digitization so that reporting can be automated, and high-quality textile data becomes available in near-real time.

The need for continuous research and development across the entire value chain
Overall, the New Cotton Project’s findings suggest that fabrics incorporating Infinna™ fibre offer a more sustainable alternative to traditional cotton and viscose fabrics, while maintaining similar performance and aesthetic qualities. This could have significant implications for the textile industry in terms of sustainability and lower impact production practices. However, the project also demonstrated that the scaling of fibre-to-fibre recycling will continue to require ongoing research and development across the entire value chain. For example, the need for research and development around sorting systems is crucial. Within the chemical recycling process, it is also important to ensure the high recovery rate and circulation of chemicals used to limit the environmental impact of the process. The manufacturing processes also highlighted the benefit for ongoing innovation in the processing method, requiring technologies and brands to work closely with manufacturers to support further development in the field.

Thinking beyond lower impact fibres
The New Cotton Project value chain third party verified LCA reveals that the cellulose carbamate fibre, and in particular when produced with a renewable electricity source, shows potential to lower environmental impacts compared to conventional cotton and viscose. Although, it's important to note that this comparison was made using average global datasets from Ecoinvent for cotton and viscose fibres, and there are variations in the environmental performance of primary fibres available on the market. However, the analysis also highlights the importance of the rest of the supply chain to reduce environmental impact. The findings show that even if we reduce the environmental impacts by using recycled fibres, there is still work to do in other life cycle stages. For example; garment quality and using the garment during their full life span are crucial for mitigating the environmental impacts per garment use.
          
Citizen engagement
The EU has identified culture as one of the key barriers to the adoption of the circular economy within Europe. An adidas quantitative consumer survey conducted across three key markets during the project revealed that there is still confusion around circularity in textiles, which has highlighted the importance of effective citizen communication and engagement activities.

Cohesive legislation
Legislation is a powerful tool for driving the adoption of more sustainable and circular practices in the textiles industry. With several pieces of incoming legislation within the EU alone, the need for a cohesive and harmonised approach is essential to the successful implementation of policy within the textiles industry. Considering the link between different pieces of legislation such as Extended Producer Responsibility and the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, along with their corresponding timeline for implementation will support stakeholders from across the value chain to prepare effectively for adoption of these new regulations.

The high, and continuously growing demand for recycled materials implies that all possible end-of-use textiles must be collected and sorted. Both mechanical and chemical recycling solutions are needed to meet the demand. We should also implement effectively both paths; closed-loop (fibre-to-fibre) and open -loop recycling (fibre to other sectors). There is a critical need to reconsider the export of low-quality reusable textiles outside the EU. It would be more advantageous to reuse them in Europe, or if they are at the end of their lifetime recycle these textiles within the European internal market rather than exporting them to countries where demand is often unverified and waste management inadequate.

Overall, the learnings spotlight the need for a holistic approach and a fundamental mindset shift in ways of working for the textiles industry. Deeper collaboration and knowledge exchange is central to developing effective circular value chains, helping to support the scaling of innovative recycling technologies and increase availability of recycled fibres on the market. The further development and scaling of collecting and sorting, along with the need to address substantial gaps in the availability of quality textile flow data should be urgently prioritised. The New Cotton Project has also demonstrated the potential of recycled fibres such as Infinna™ to offer a more sustainable option to some other traditional fibres, but at the same time highlights the importance of addressing the whole value chain holistically to make greater gains in lowering environmental impact. Ongoing research and development across the entire value chain is also essential to ensure we can deliver recycled fabrics at scale in the future.

The New Cotton Project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101000559.

Protection for snow and ice: Cellulosic LENZING™ fibers offer solution for preservation of glacier mass

In field trials on Austrian glaciers, nonwovens made of cellulosic LENZING™ fibers are being used to cover glacier mass. They are showing promising results and offer a sustainable solution for glacier protection. Nonwovens containing fossil-based synthetic fibers might cause negative environmental consequences such as microplastics on glaciers.

Geotextiles are already widely used to protect snow and ice on glaciers from melting. The use of nonwovens made from cellulosic LENZING™ fibers is now achieving a sustainable turnaround. Geotextiles show great success in Austria in protecting glaciers, which are highly endangered by global warming. By covering glacier mass, its melting is slowed down and mitigated. So far, the nonwovens used to protect glaciers are usually made of fossil-based synthetic fibers. The problem with that might occur as microplastics left behind after the summer flow down into the valley and can enter the food chain through small organisms and animals.

Sustainability from production to reuse
An innovative and sustainable solution for the protection of snow and ice is now possible with the help of nonwovens made of cellulosic LENZING™ fibers. "LENZING™ fibers are derived from renewable, responsibly managed wood sources and are produced in an environmentally responsible process. Thanks to their botanic origin, they have the ability to break down, returning into nature after use" explains Berndt Köll, Business & Innovation Manager at Lenzing.

In a field trial on the Stubai Glacier, the covering of a small area with the new material containing cellulosic LENZING™ fibers was tested for the first time. The result was convincing: 4 meters of ice mass could be saved from melting. Due to its success, the project is now being expanded. In 2023 field tests started in all Austrian glaciers, which are used for tourism.

"We are pleased with the positive results and see the project as a sustainable solution for glacier protection - not only in Austria, but beyond national borders," Berndt Köll continues. There should also be a possibility to explore for recycling after the nonwovens are used: These geotextiles can be recycled and ultimately used to make yarn for textile products.

Awarded with the Swiss BIO TOP
The sustainable glacier protection and its results also convinced the jury of industry experts of the BIO TOP, a major award for wood and material innovations in Switzerland. With this award innovative projects in the field of bio-based woods and materials are promoted and supported. At the award ceremony on September 20, 2023, Geotextiles containing LENZING™ fibers were honored with the award for its solution.

Researchers at Fraunhofer have developed an ultra-compact near-infrared spectrometer suitable for recognizing and analyzing textiles. Mixed fabrics can also be reliably identified through the combination of imaging, special AI (artificial intelligence) algorithms and spectroscopy. The technology could be used to optimize recycling old clothing, so old apparel could be sorted according to type. A highly miniaturized version of the system can even fit into a smartphone. This could lead to a host of new applications for end-users in everyday life — from checking clothes when out shopping to detecting counterfeits.

Infrared spectrometers are powerful measuring instruments when it comes to non-destructive analysis of organic materials. The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS in Dresden has recently developed a spectral analyzer system that recognizes and analyzes textile fabrics. The system can also reliably recognize mixed fabrics. Possible applications range from checking fabrics when out shopping to cleaning garments correctly, and even sustainable, sorted recycling. The spectrometer is so tiny, it can be integrated into a smartphone.

Researchers at Fraunhofer rely on near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to achieve the required reliability and accuracy when identifying textiles. The system works for wavelengths between 950 and 1900 nanometers, which is close to the visible spectrum. Advantages of near-infrared technology include being easy to use and having a wide range of applications. “We combine NIR spectroscopy with imaging and AI to achieve higher accuracy when recognizing and analyzing objects,” explains Dr. Heinrich Grüger, research scientist in the Sensoric Micromodules department at Fraunhofer IPMS.

How textile analysis works
Firstly, a conventional camera module captures an image of the garment. The AI selects a specific point from the fabric’s image data to be examined by the spectral analyzer module. Light reflected from the fabric is captured by the spectrometer module. There, it passes through an entrance slit, is transformed into parallel light beams using a collimating mirror and projected onto a grating using a scanning mirror. Depending on the angle of incidence and exit, the grating splits the light beams into different wavelengths. Light reflected from the grating is directed by the scanner mirror to a detector which captures the light as an electrical signal. An A/D converter then digitizes these signals, which are subsequently analyzed in the signal processor. The resulting spectrometric profile for the textile fabric reveals which fibers it is made from by comparing to a reference database.“ The optical resolution is 10 nanometers. This high resolution means the NIR spectrometer can also use AI to identify mixed fabrics such as items of clothing made from polyester and cotton,” says Grüger. Measuring just 10 mm × 10 mm and being 6.5 mm thick, the system is so compact it could easily be integrated into a standard smartphone.

Recycling old clothing
Grüger sees an important application for the AI-controlled spectrometer when it comes to recycling. According to the Federal Statistical Office of Germany, approximately 176,200 tons of textile and clothing waste was collected from private homes in Germany in 2021. NIR spectroscopy could improve recycling efficiency and reduce the mountain of old clothing. This would enable companies that recycle old clothing to sort it more efficiently and faster. Textiles that are still in one piece, for instance, go to the second-hand trade. Damaged textiles are sorted for recycling, and the fibers they are made from, such as linen, silk, cotton or lyocell, can be reused. Severely soiled textiles would be incinerated or processed into insulation mats, for example. Spectroscopic identifies and sorts textiles more accurately and much faster than a human can.

If NIR spectroscopy was to be integrated into a smartphone, end-users might also benefit from the Fraunhofer institute’s technology. When buying clothes, a quick check with a smartphone reveals whether that expensive silk scarf is genuinely made from silk, or whether that exclusive dress from the fashion label is not instead a counterfeit, exposed through an alternative mix of fabrics. And should the label with the cleaning instructions no longer be legible, the smartphone has a textile scanner to identify the fabric and so determine the appropriate wash cycle.

Food check and dermatology
Researchers at Fraunhofer IPMS can even envisage applications beyond the textile industry. Smartphones fitted with spectrometers might be used to provide information about the quality of groceries such as fruit and vegetables when out shopping. The technology might conceivably also be used to examine skin. A quick scan with the cell phone spectrometer could identify particularly dry or greasy patches. Perhaps applications in medical diagnostics might even be conceivable — examining patches of skin where a melanoma is suspected, for example — but this would need professional involvement too.