End of product life technologies focus on scaling fiber-to-fiber recycling and transforming pre- or post-consumer textile waste into new fibers and/or other textile products. Mechanical recycling is a mature and efficient process by which textiles are cut and shredded into fibers that can be used for diverse applications. Chemical recycling is more suitable for multicolored textiles as fibers are broken down to basic building blocks at either polymer or monomer level.
There has been a surge in innovative recycling technologies that can handle multiple varieties of textile materials (Fashion for Good and Circle Economy, 2022). However, while chemical recycling can help address the challenge of recycling blended materials that contain for instance polyester, it is much more energy-consuming than mechanical recycling and could distract from efforts that aim to increase the recyclability of textiles through their design and composition.
Managing textile waste
Textile waste is highly varied, so automated sorting technologies are utilized to increase sorting efficiency of nonrewearable items according to fiber composition/color. Examples of technologies to enable automated sorting solutions for textile waste include near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, color optical sensors, AI and robotics, and hyperspectral imaging systems with AI to accurately detect fiber composition and presence of contaminants.
Garments need to be prepared for recycling and there are technologies to enable preprocessing, for example heat-dissolvable thread to enable fast removal of zips and buttons on an industrial scale and delamination of multimaterial products. Some technologies aim to separate mixed blends for easier recycling using depolymerization, oxidation, enzymes or molecular regeneration. Others are able to deal with the complexity of the textile waste stream including unsorted, dirty end-of-life plastics and fibers (which cannot typically be recycled owing to complex blends, dyes, contaminants and so on) and transform them into virgin-grade raw materials without separating blends. Further technologies focus on material regeneration processes to turn textile waste into valuable alternative products for interior decoration and shopfitting.
Although significant investment is still required to enable scaling of fiber-to-fiber recycling, there are a number of technologies that enable the transformation of textile waste into new textile fibers through circular processes that utilize pre- and post-consumer textile waste. While it is promising to see multiple technological innovations in this aspect, infrastructure development is needed to collect, sort and prepare textile waste for distribution to processors so that they can use it as feedstock in the production of regenerated textiles or to otherwise valorize the waste.
Fiber-to-commodity product recycling is the first stage of scaled-up recycling but “downcycling” can be perceived negatively as the end products are less valuable than the original clothing items. However, the process for downcycling textile waste into industrial materials such as insulation, felts or rags is well established, creates local employment and utilizes local supply chains (Leal Filho et al., 2019).
The EU Horizon 2020 research and innovation project RESYNTEX (2015–2019) successfully demonstrated the viability of transforming textile waste into feedstocks for chemicals and textiles. Industrial symbiosis between textile recycling and chemical industry sectors underpinned the conceptualization of a new value chain from textile waste collection to generation of secondary raw materials.
Innovation example
Upcycling: an ancient cultural traditionThe skillful art of turning used materials into something valuable has been practiced in many different cultures for generations. It serves as a way to showcase cultural traditions while also being mindful of the resources used to produce a garment. In India it is practiced in the production of kantha, an embroidery technique done by layering and stitching together old saris and cloth scraps. In Japan, a mending technique called sashiko involves a running stitch and geometric patterns. In the People’s Republic of China, bai jia yi is a traditional patchwork technique used to create garments and other lifestyle items by stitching together small scraps of fabric. Several contemporary luxury brands have recently followed this trend, for instance Prada diffusion brand Miu Miu through its limited collection of Upcycled by Miu Miu dresses dating from 1930s to the 1980s and Hermès’s Petit h workshop, which transforms scraps of leftover materials into precious objects (Bala, 2021).
Technology solutions
Chemical recycling technology for blended textiles
Circ (Database ID 148614)US-based B Corp Circ is a chemical recycling technology that addresses one of the industry’s biggest recycling challenges by providing a solution for recycling blended textiles without destroying either fiber. It uses patented hydrothermal processing to separate polyester and cotton fibers into virgin-equivalent, market-grade dissolving pulp and petroleum monomers that can be sold to manufacturers and fiber producers. Previous attempts to separate polyester from cotton in polycotton blends resulted in the destruction of one fiber or the other, but Circ enables both fibers to be recovered and reused for textile applications. As polycotton makes up half of all textile waste, this technology could potentially divert a significant amount from landfill back into circulation. Circ closed two rounds of funding in 2022 and 2023, in which a number of large fashion companies participated, including Inditex, Zalando and Youngone, and which will enable it to build facilities for industrial scaling.
Contracting type: For sale
Readiness level (TRL): Scaling up (TRL 9)
Country of origin: United States
Contact: WIPO GREEN Database
High-quality regenerated polyester for textile industry
Ambercycle (Database ID 148750)Ambercycle has pioneered an award-winning molecular regeneration technology to produce high-quality regenerated polyester material, which enables materials to be used over and over again and offsets almost half the carbon emissions associated with virgin-polyester production. Industry-wide adoption of the material is predicted to offset more than 15% of fashion’s overall global emissions. To date, Ambercycle has raised around USD 50 million to support commercial-scale production of its premium regenerated polyester.
The process involves shredding and purifying textiles at a molecular level, transforming them into regenerated pellets. These pellets are then utilized to create Cycora® fabrics through spinning. The resulting fabrics mirror the strength and versatility of conventional petroleum-based alternatives, but with a considerably reduced environmental impact.
Contracting type: For sale
Readiness level (TRL): Scaling up (TRL 9)
Country of origin: United States
Contact: WIPO GREEN Database
Fabrics identification solution for waste sorting
Matoha (Database ID 148763)Matoha was established in 2017 to improve the accuracy of manual sorting of plastic and textile waste for recycling. The founders developed an easy-to-use handheld spectroscopy machine for identifying the material composition of textile waste. NIR scanners are used to measure how different materials interact with infrared light. The spectra are processed by material identification machine learning algorithms that determine the composition of the material, which is displayed as the weight percentages of the detected textile components. Challenges arise from surface coatings, finishing variations and the thinness of fabrics, influencing recognition outcomes. Matoha’s expertise in harnessing NIR spectroscopy addresses these challenges, ensuring accurate identification and segregation of textile materials in recycling lines.
Contracting type: For sale
Readiness level (TRL): Scaling up (TRL 9)
Country of origin: United Kingdom
Contact: WIPO GREEN Database
Advanced recycling solution capable of transforming unsorted and contaminated end-of-life fibers into high-quality raw materials
DePoly (Database ID 148764)DePoly’s chemical recycling technology is able to deal with unsorted, dirty and mixed plastics and fibers from post-consumer packaging, textiles, fashion and post-industrial streams, which cannot typically be recycled owing to complex blends, dyes and contaminants. Depolymerization converts all PET plastics and polyester textiles back into their original monomers, which are virgin quality and can be sold back to relevant industries to make new products. The technology works at room temperature and standard pressure. As it does not require waste inputs to be washed, presorted, premelted or separated, it is a solution for materials that are not suitable for conventional recycling systems and would otherwise be incinerated or landfilled, for example polyurethane blended polyester items from the sportswear industry. DePoly was founded in 2020 and by 2023 was operating a pilot plant capable of processing 50 tonnes. After raising USD 13.8 million in seed funding for scaling, it plans to build a showcase plant capable of processing 500 tonnes of waste input.
Contracting type: For sale
Readiness level (TRL): Scaling up (TRL 9)
Country of origin: Switzerland
Contact: WIPO GREEN Database
Regenerated cellulosic yarn from cotton textile waste
Evrnu (Database ID 148601)Pre- and post-consumer textile waste with a high cotton content is collected, shredded, chemically purified into a liquid pulp, then extruded into a lyocell fiber, which can be tailored to meet desired performance properties. The fiber can then be spun into yarn and the resulting textiles can be regenerated through the same process over again. The regenerated fibers are soft, absorbent and stronger than virgin cotton and polyester, offering high performance across a range of textile and fashion applications. While regenerated synthetic fibers are well established, this is the first commercially available technology that can transform cotton textile waste into new textiles. Launched in 2022, Nucycl® was also recognized as one of Time magazine’s 200 Best Inventions of 2022. The producer company Evrnu has collaborated with fashion brands including Zara, Pangaia, Levi’s, Bestseller’s Object and Adidas × Stella McCartney on capsule collections, and its first commercial manufacturing facility is due to be completed in 2024 for large volume production of Nucycl®.
Contracting type: For sale
Readiness level (TRL): Scaling up (TRL 9)
Country of origin: United States
Contact: WIPO GREEN Database
Low impact regenerated fibers from textile waste
PurFi (Database ID 148837)This technology combines chemical and mechanical recycling of mixed textile waste in a rejuvenation process that maintains the integrity of the underlying fiber to produce virgin-quality fibers that can be rejuvenated a further 17 times, and at scale. While recycled fibers must usually be blended with virgin fibers to make textiles, the PurFi process enables textiles to be produced with 100% recycled fibers. The process is less resource intensive than manufacturing virgin polyester, polyamide or cotton, using up to 96% less water and 90% less energy, and generating 85% to 90% fewer GHG emissions. The proprietary process meticulously disassembles fabric into original yarn, refining it to its initial fiber state, preserving length, and removing undesirable short fibers. The quality of the revitalized fibers makes it suitable for various textile applications. Partnering with Arvind Ltd, an Indian textile company, PurFi’s technology offers a traceable 360-degree circular solution.
Contracting type: For sale
Readiness level (TRL): Scaling up (TRL 9)
Country of origin: United States
Contact: WIPO GREEN Database