A project titled "Transform Textile Waste into Feedstock" has been launched, aimed at addressing the issue of textile waste in the European Union.

The circular service specialist, Texaid has the support of major stakeholders in the textile value chain and plans to build and operate scalable sorting facilities across Europe. The project will involve renowned companies like Lenzing, Inditex, and Worn Again, jointly evaluating technologies and the business case for scaled sorting for reuse and recycling.

According to estimates, only 30-35 per cent of the 7-7.5 million tonnes of textiles discarded annually in the EU are collected separately, with just 15-20 per cent sorted by medium and large facilities within the EU. This has prompted the need for fibre-to-fibre recycling to preserve valuable resources. Texaid is leading the project, with a blueprint for sorting factories that meet the future needs of fibre-to-fibre recycling among its major outcomes. The first facility will have a capacity of 50,000 tonnes by the end of 2024.

ITA Academy GmbH, in cooperation with RWTH Aachen and CETIA, will assess technologies to create an innovative sorting system 4.0, building on cross-functional technologies with digitalisation and automation at the heart. If the project is successful, the recycling rate for textile waste could reach 18-26 per cent in 2030, creating economic, social, and environmental value that could total €3.5-4.5bn.