Textile Leadership

Fiber-to-fiber textile recycling legislation and policies are steadily increasing and are one of the key strategic components to support the transition to a circular economy in the fashion industry.

At the same time, the demand for an infrastructure for collecting, sorting and recycling end-of-life textiles is likely to increase across the EU. Adapting this infrastructure will require significant investment. In order to plan these holistically in the future, it is necessary to understand both the characteristics of the used textiles available on the European market and the business case for monetization through recycling.

Fashion for Good, the global initiative for sustainable fashion presented on September 27, 2022 the final report on the project "Sorting for Circularity Europe", which was launched in May last year with the aim of filling knowledge gaps and studying materials in depth. The project aims to analyze the types of waste generated, the quantities available as raw material for recycling, and the potential for channeling textile waste as raw material for innovative solutions. The report provides preliminary meaningful information on the basis of which informed decisions can be made for further investments, policy developments and next steps towards a circular economy.

Overall, the Sorting for Circularity Europe study concludes that in six European countries - Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the United Kingdom - 494,000 tons, or 74%, of low-value post-consumer textiles are readily available and suitable for closing the loop in the apparel and textile sector each year.

This presents promising opportunities for value recovery through mechanical and chemical recycling, diverting textiles from less circular uses such as downcycling to nonwovens, insulation or filling materials, the wipes industry and incineration. This equates to a potential value gain of EUR 74 million per year if sorted textiles are reintroduced into the textile value chain.

By using innovative near-infrared (NIR) technology to determine the composition of garments - a task traditionally performed manually - the project analyzed 21 tons of used clothing. The on-site surveys took place over two periods, fall/winter 2021 and spring/summer 2022, to account for seasonal changes in garments entering sorting facilities. The project focuses on textiles that cannot be reused in their original form and are therefore considered "non-reusable" and textiles that can only be resold at low prices = "low-value reusable textiles".

Cotton is the predominant fiber with 42%, although a relevant share of this category could be elastane. Cotton is followed by a high proportion of material blends (32%), of which almost half are polycottons (12%). Based on three characteristics: material composition, presence of interfering factors such as zippers and buttons, and color, 21% of the materials studied were considered suitable for mechanical recycling, while 53% appeared suitable for chemical recycling. However, the removal of interfering materials for chemical recycling must be technically and financially feasible, otherwise only about one-fifth of the total potential feedstock would be eligible for chemical fiber-to-fiber recycling.

The amount of low-value textiles collected is expected to increase, partly due to increasing consumption and disposal, but also due to new legislation, such as the Waste Framework Directive, which requires separate collection of textiles across Europe by 2025. However, the current and future potential of these textiles for the circular economy is difficult to exploit; raw material prices for current uses (e.g. wipes) are sometimes more economical than fiber-to-fiber recycling prices. This could change if current recycling technologies are scaled up and further investments are made to integrate operations such as automatic sorting and the removal of impurities in the sorting process.

Overall, a solid business case for low-value textile sorting is needed to maintain and increase sorting capacity in Europe. This also highlights the need for increased investment in infrastructure that can sort and prepare textiles for reuse and recycling. To support the maintenance and further expansion of this sorting capacity in Europe, policy and future legislation will play a key role in ensuring the environmental, social and financial sustainability of these stages of the apparel and textile value chain.

Based on the project results, the authors make the following recommendations:

For collectors, sorters and recyclers

1. Use of the sorters' handbook and the report "Sorting for Circularity Europe" as a guide to conduct further trials and to continue building knowledge on fiber composition, sorting and recycling processes. This could be further supported by local authorities, industry and civil society dealing with textile or household waste streams.
2. Open access to trials and data that can support and guide investment in the necessary infrastructure.
3. Update and use the recycler database to increase knowledge of mechanical and chemical recycling destinations.
4. Joining digital platforms such as Reverse Resources and Refashion Recycle to tap into and connect the supply of and demand for post-consumer textiles.

For brands and manufacturer
74% of low-value used textiles could be used as raw material for recycling. While this is a significant proportion, there still remains 26% that cannot be recycled due to their composition, the presence of multiple layers and/or non-removable contaminants.

1. Priority for the design of an appropriate life cycle.
   For products designed for longevity, there should be a strong focus on durability and long-term performance. Ultimately, recycling textiles in line with the waste hierarchy should be the last resort and not the goal in itself.
2. Further commitment to adopt circular design practices that prioritize mono-materials, reduce disruptive factors as much as possible, and include recycled fibers in the product portfolio, as required by the Ecodesign Regulation for sustainable products in the European Union.

For policy makers
Sorting companies in European countries run the risk of not being able to continue their business as usual if the share of these low-quality textiles in the collected volumes continues to increase. In addition, current sorting and logistics costs may pose a financial challenge for chemical recyclers to acquire these textiles in large volumes.

1. Consider the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes with sufficient financial support to alleviate pressure on the business base of sorting companies to manage future volumes of collected textiles.
2. Introduce an environmental subsidy to lower the price of recycled fiber as the industry expands. This subsidy could alleviate cost pressures on recyclers, potentially facilitating the purchase of non-renewable raw materials at prices competitive with other commercial destinations such as wipes.
3. Introduce legislation at different stages of the clothing and textile life cycle to influence the potential for recycling the non-depletable portion of PCT (post-consumer textiles), such as the introduction of mandatory eco-design requirements that include a fiber-to-fiber recyclability perspective for products.
4. Assessment of any unintended consequences that might result from setting mandatory targets for preparation for reuse and recycling (to be considered by the European Commission by 2024).
5. Align rules on sorting criteria for reuse and recycling across the EU to help harmonize standards and requirements of the sorting industry for preparing textiles for reuse and recycling.
6. Examining how digital labeling and product passports can improve the traceability of materials in the textile value chain at the end of their useful life in the long term.

For consumers
Purchasing and disposal decisions also have an impact on the end of the use of textiles. Priority should be given to purchasing products made of a single material or blends that are limited to two components, as well as aesthetic decorations and accessories. Clothing and home textiles must be disposed of according to regulations. To extend the life of products, repairing, reselling and exchanging are options.

After a Corona-related break of three years, the leading trade fairs Techtextil and Texprocess are once again presenting the renowned Innovation Awards. The award-winning new developments from areas such as New Products, Sustainability and Automation demonstrate: Textile innovations and technologies provide impulses for many branches of the industry and promise market and sales success far beyond their own sector. 13 winners from seven categories will be honored at a public awards ceremony at Techtextil and Texprocess on 21 June, 2022.
 
As is the case for many other industries, times are challenging for the textile industry: the consequences of Corona, the Ukraine war, strained supply chains, sustainability issues, rising energy prices and recruitment problems - the industry is under pressure from many sides. But more than almost any other industry, it is also very adept at meeting these challenges with new ideas, developments and business models. This year's Innovation Awards at the leading trade fairs Techtextil and Texprocess are another example of this. With their new products, materials, solutions and processes, the 13 award winners are demonstrating in an exemplary manner that textile innovations are the ideal way to create market opportunities and boost future business revenues, out of the challenges of the present.

Techtextil Innovation Award and Texprocess Innovation Award
The Techtextil and Texprocess Innovation Awards will be presented on 21 June, 2022 in Hall 9.0. Textile innovations selected by international expert juries will be awarded prizes and presented publicly on the four days of the trade fair in Hall 9.1 (Techtextil) and 9.0 (Texprocess), in some cases for the first time.

World's first: first woven heart valve without postfabrication
In the "New Product" category, the Techtextil Innovation Award goes to the Institute of Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology (ITM) at the Technische Universität Dresden. Together with medical product manufacturers and heart surgeons from the Cardiovascular Center Würzburg and the Universitätsklinikum Würzburg, textile researchers from the ITM have succeeded in developing the world's first woven heart valve that does not require a single seam or other joining technique. "Our new development should also help children with heart valve defects in the future by growing with the heart of the young patients - avoiding repeated surgical interventions," says Dr.-Ing. Dilbar Aibibu, research group leader for biotextiles and medical textiles at ITM. Worldwide, cardiovascular diseases are among the most common causes of death; several million people die from them every year. When patients receive heart valve replacements, artificial mechanical or biobased solutions are usually used. If ITM has its way, the woven valve, which won the Techtextil Innovation Award, should become a beneficial alternative in the future.

Reuse of waste from a natural source
In the "New Material" category, RBX Créations (France) receives the Innovation Award for a novel cellulose fiber made from hemp waste. The material, named Iroony®, was developed with regard to the following question: Hemp is now grown either to make fiber or to produce hemp oil - but could not the two be combined? RBX Créations has now succeeded in developing a process for extracting cellulose from the waste of oilseed hemp. Spun into textile fibers, it can be used to produce sustainable textiles, packaging and other "green" products. The award is given to RBX Créations for its continuous and successful efforts to convert waste from a renewable source into a valuable cellulose fiber that meets the highest sustainability standards.

Fiber shielding technology for hospitals, electric cars and server farms
The Techtextil Innovation Award in the "New Technology" category goes to Aachen-based FibreCoat GmbH and Deutsche Basalt Faser GmbH from Sangerhausen (Saxony-Anhalt) for the joint development of an aluminum-coated basalt fiber. It combines the strength of basalt with the electrical conductivity of aluminum. According to FibreCoat, electromagnetic shielding as wallpaper in buildings in hospitals or server farms, among other places, should be up to 20 times cheaper than with conventional aluminum foil thanks to the new development. Another attractive and particularly fast-growing market is shielding solutions for electric cars. Robert Brüll, CEO of FibreCoat: "For a young company like ours, winning the Techtextil Innovation Award is an important milestone. We are honored to receive this prestigious award from the independent jury of experts. In particular, the confidence of our customers and visibility gained as a result are crucial for a start-up like FibreCoat on the road to market success."
 
More sustainable hygiene products such as diapers
Kelheim Fibres GmbH from Kelheim in Bavaria and the Saxon Textile Research Institute (STFI) in Chemnitz receive the Techtextil Innovation Award in the "New Concept" category for the development of novel, thermally bonded nonwovens based on cellulose for the production of reusable products with high absorbency. Consumers should no longer have to choose between high-performance or environmentally friendly products. Nature and performance of hygiene products go hand in hand thanks to the innovation of Kelheim, STFI and the Berlin-based start-up SUMO. Dr. Marina Crnoja-Cosic, Director New Business Development at Kelheim Fibres: "It is a great honor and pleasure for us to receive the Techtextil Innovation Award together with our partners. We see the award not only as a distinction for the project presented, but also as recognition of our innovation strategy. After all, in dialogue with partners we can react more quickly to current trends, develop in a more targeted manner and accelerate the commercialization of innovative solutions."

Waste from the automotive industry as a resource
Another Techtextil Innovation Award in the category "New Approaches on Sustainability & Circular Economy" honors a process that uses natural leather waste from the automotive industry to produce innovative textile coatings. It was developed by CITEVE, the Technology Center for Textile and Clothing in Portugal, and partners ERT Têxtil Portugal, CeNTI and CTIC (all Portugal). After CITEVE researchers discovered that cutting operations in the automotive industry generate a large amount of natural leather classified as waste, they sought a solution to reuse it. The expert jury recognizes the development as a successful industrial symbiosis: "Waste from one industrial sector is used here as a resource in another. The work of the CITEVE researchers thus supports an important trend toward a resource-efficient, environmentally friendly and sustainable textile industry."

Compostable textile coating
The Techtextil Innovation Award in the category "New Approaches on Sustainability & Circular Economy" goes to the textile research institute Centexbel (Belgium) for a bio-based and compostable dispersion for textile coatings and printing inks. The new development does not require solvents and brings a completely new type of polymer for coatings and printing inks to the market. According to the expert jury, the innovation is an important step for the textile coating industry towards more products based on renewable resources.

Fashion from pineapple peel
The Italian company Vérabuccia is honored in the "Performance Fashion Award" category for an innovative production process for the fashion and design sector. The patented process is designed to transform fruit waste into fashion highlights. A first material is the so-called "Ananasse". According to Vérabuccia, the special feature of this is that unlike other plant leathers, which tend to imitate real animal leather, it retains the original appearance of a pineapple skin; this emphasizes the origin of the raw material. With the Techtextil Innovation Award, the jury honored the unconventional thinking of the young Italian label, whose originality proves that innovative and appealing fashion can be developed from surprising materials.
 
100 percent compostable binder for nonwovens
In the "New Technology" category, the company OrganoClick (Sweden) receives the Techtextil Innovation Award for the development of a 100 percent bio-based binder for nonwovens applications that is made from waste components and is therefore said to be fully compostable. The innovation is designed to replace plastic-based binders. Because nonwovens are often made from non-degradable plastics, the Swedish company specializes in developing compostable material alternatives from wheat bran, fruit or crab shells, among others. This convinced the jury of the Techtextil Innovation Awards: "OrganoClick receives the award for its efforts to find bio-based raw material alternatives to replace oil-based materials."

Formaldehyde-free & bio-based coating system
The third award in the category "New Approaches on Sustainability & Circular Economy" goes to Deutschen Institute für Textil- und Faserforschung Denkendorf (DITF) from Baden-Württemberg and the company TotalEnergies - Cray Valley (France). Together, they have developed a novel, formaldehyde-free coating system. It is based on non-toxic hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) derived from biomass waste. These HMF-based dip formulations are capable of replacing formaldehyde-based adhesion promoters on a one-to-one basis. For background: in tires, conveyor belts or V-belts, rubber materials are reinforced by cord. The quality of such cord composite systems with high-strength fibers such as polyester, aramid or polyamide and rubber is determined by the adhesion properties of the fibers to the matrix. In the established manufacturing process, adhesion promoters made of resorcinol-formaldehyde-latex (RFL) are used. However, formaldehyde has been classified by the EU as a proven carcinogen and mutagen since 2014. The jury therefore welcomes the health and environmentally friendly new development. It contributes to a more sustainable textile industry and the reduction of harmful chemicals.