Euratex ReHubs tackles operational phase
01/07/2022
A Techno Economic Master Study (TES) has just been finalised. It allows the organisation to set down a textile recycling roadmap based on a clearer vision of waste streams and opportunities for recycling in Europe.
As the report notes, Europe has a 7 to 7.5 million tonnes of textile waste problem, and only 30 to 35% is collected. The situation should change when a European Waste Law comes into effect in the course of the next two to three years as a separate collection of textile waste becomes mandatory and measures are progressively taken throughout all 28 member states. The study estimates that 85% of textile waste comes from private households.
It has further calculated that a capital expenditure investment in the range of €6 to 7 billion will be needed to reach a fibre-to-fibre recycling rate of 18 to 26% by 2030. It notes the need to optimise and scale up sorting and processing infrastructure for post-consumer textiles. “The economic, social and environmental value which could be realised potentially total an annual impact of €3.5 to 4.5 billion by 2030,” it also found.
ReHubs is now moving on to the operational stages of its announced plan to recycle 2.5 million tonnes of textile waste by 2030.
The first of these is a project to improve current sorting technologies. It will specifically focus on developing and scaling automated sorting technologies. Swiss used textile collector Texaid leads this research project whose ultimate goal is to build a 50,000-tonne facility by the end 2024.
Companies that have engaged in the ReHubs initiative and supported the TES study include Lenzing, Recover, Concordia, BASF, Ratti, Alsico, Soex, Inditex, Boer Group, Radici Group, Decathlon and Saati.
Image: an automated sorting machine in operation at Texaid
Share this story:
