The global sustainability initiative Fashion for Good has completed its Sorting for Circularity Europe project in collaboration with the social initiative Circle Economy and published the results of the 16-month investigation in a report.
A key finding is that 74 percent or a total of 494,000 tonnes of low-value (non-reusable) end-of-life textiles in six European countries is available for fiber-to-fiber recycling in six European countries. This results in a potential to generate an additional value of 74 million euros per year by reintroducing sorted and recycled textiles back into the value chain by reintroducing fiber recycling.
“As commitments and policies for fiber-to-fiber recycling of textiles increase, as well as the amount of textile waste collected, the infrastructure needed to drive the transition to circular systems will require significant investment. In order to make informed investment decisions and assess the business case for monetization through recycling, a deeper understanding of the characteristics of the current European landscape of used textiles is required. This project creates the knowledge base that will enable the key players to get moving,” comments Katrin Ley, Managing Director of Fashion for Good, in a statement.
The project was created to fill this knowledge gap by examining used textiles in depth and providing meaningful information on which to base investment decisions, policy developments and the next steps towards a circular economy. In addition, the project aims to improve harmonization between the sorting and recycling industries and create a recycling market for obsolete textiles, which can create new revenue streams for sorters and new demand for recyclers and brands.
“Great Opportunity for the Circular Economy”
The analysis was carried out in six European countries – Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain and the UK. She used innovative near-infrared technology to determine the composition of garments – a task traditionally done manually. A total of 21 tons of old clothes were analyzed in autumn/winter 2021 and spring/summer 2022. The two periods should take into account the seasonal changes in the garments entering the sorting facilities. The analysis thus offers the most comprehensive and representative snapshot of the composition of textile waste in Europe to date.
Cotton was the predominant fiber (42 percent), followed by a high proportion of blended materials (32 percent), almost half of which were polycotton (12 percent). Based on the three characteristics of material composition, the presence of interference factors such as zippers and buttons, and color, 21 percent of the materials examined were considered suitable feedstock for mechanical recycling, while 53 percent are suitable for chemical recycling. This represents a major opportunity for the circular economy, as currently only 2 percent of all textiles are recycled fiber-to-fiber after consumption.
“The results show promising opportunities for recovering value by moving textiles away from downcycling and incineration. The results also provide guidance to brands on the best circular design practices they should adopt, as well as to textile collection points and organizations to build the necessary infrastructure and to better educate and inform consumers about proper sorting and disposal practices,” concludes Fashion Good together.
In addition to the report, which can be viewed on the Fashion for Good website, two other resources developed by Circle Economy were made available: a ‘Recycler’s Database’ on the skills of textile recyclers and an open-source handbook for sorters , intended to guide the sorting industry and to stimulate and support further analysis.
Building on the project, two open digital platforms, Reverse Resources and Refashion Recycle, which bring together textile waste from sorting operations with recycling operations, have been identified as key tools to enable the connections needed for a more circular economy in the years to come. Reverse Resources currently lists 39 active recyclers and 32 active waste recyclers and sorters on its platform, while Refashion Recycle lists 103 recyclers and 66 sorters, reflecting a large part of the European circular economy.