Three-year EU-funded textiles recycling project concludes
The EU-funded T-REX (Textile Recycling Excellence) Project has presented a blueprint for scaling textile-to-textile recycling, showcasing products produced through recycling polyester, polyamide 6 and cellulosic materials within Europe.
More than 6.95 million tonnes of textile waste are generated annually in the European Union, according to the European Environmental Agency. Most of this waste is still landfilled or incinerated, with only a small fraction being reused or recycled.
During the three-year project, the 13 partners assessed the technical feasibility, economic viability and environmental impact of the recycling value chain.
While the partners say market potential for textile-to-textile recycling in Europe is clear, realising a viable business case remains challenging due to two interconnected barriers: limited access to quality feedstock, and a lack of infrastructure at scale.
There is insufficient post-consumer material suitable for recycling available, due to low collection rates in most EU member states and lack of incentive for sorters to provide feedstock quality needed for recycling. What exists often lacks the specifications needed for most current recycling technologies.
Current inefficiencies in sorting and pre-processing result in high material losses, driving up overall costs. Energy and labour costs are major cost drivers in Europe.
The partners said: “Scaling textile-to-textile recycling in Europe requires coordinated financial, regulatory, and industrial efforts to stimulate demand, reduce costs, and mobilise the necessary capital and should complement broader circular strategies including reuse, repair, and smarter design to unlock a circular approach to textile waste management.
“Despite the challenges, the projected rise of post-consumer textile waste to 7.3 million tonnes by 2030 makes it crucial to explore recycling as an alternative to landfill, incineration, or export. While recycling can help manage the growing volume of non-reusable textiles, it must be integrated into a broader strategy that also prioritizes reuse, repair, and demand management.”
The partners on the project were adidas, Fashion for Good, Fulgar, Aalto Uniersity, Arapaha, CuRe Technology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Infinited Fiber Company, Quantis, Veolia Group and Linz Textil.
The full blueprint is available at the T-REX website.
