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TEXTILE ECOSYSTEM IN EUROPE

Optimal Utilisation Routes for Discarded Textiles

One of the challenges of circular textile ecosystem is of how flows of discarded textile wastes are to used in most optimal way by maximizing value retention and reducing waste in a safe and sustainable way. tExtended has built a knowledge-based approach to optimizing the circulation of textile products and materials within a circular economy. Basis of the framework is what is technically possibly, so it combines information on collected and sorted textile waste properties with available reuse and other R-strategy and recycling pathways as presented in the chart. Optimization of utilization route for a given textile flow also considering economic and environmental impacts, as well as social, circularity, and logistics aspects are to be considered for making informed decision-making across the circular textile ecosystem.

Utilization routes for discarded textiles
Post-industrial Textiles Pre-consumer textiles Post-consumer textiles Post-consumer textiles Post-consumption technical textiles Inspection & Rough Sorting Pre-Sorting Material Sorting Sorting Recycling R Strategies Note Note Fibre Mechanical Recycling Chemical Recycling Thermo-Mechanical Recycling Biochemical Recycling Textile Recycling

Post-industrial Textiles

Materials can be utilized in recycling, fabrics also for remanufacturing

Pre-consumer textiles

Products should be reused; defective one's may be suitable for Preparing for reuse or Remanufacturing; defective also suitable for recycling.

Post-consumer textiles

Depending on condition, all utilization routes possible. Some products, like discarded police & military uniforms, may need to be recycled.

Post-consumer textiles

All utilization routes possible depending on condition. Very inhomogeneous fraction - sorting is essential.

Post-consumption technical textiles

Sometimes remanufacturing and recycling possible. Contaminants may limit processing and utilization possibilities, and sometimes incineration is the only feasible and safe use for these.

Inspection & Rough Sorting

  • This kind of stage may not exist in collection systems, however, it would be beneficial for efficiency and higher quality outputs in next stages if items that do not belong and items that may spoil other textiles are removed as early as possible.

Pre-Sorting

  • Relevant in this stage:

    • Is product or its materials technically suitable for reuse?

    • Do products or materials have value and market demand?

  • Not relevant in this stage:

    • Color,

    • Material construction

    • Exact material composition

Material Sorting

Relevant in this stage:

  • Color,

  • Material construction

  • Exact material composition including chemistry and contaminants

Note

Textiles considered as recyclables.

Note

  • Non-textile items not belonging to collection; Smelly, contaminated and wet textiles;

  • Non-recyclable textiles, i.e. textiles which recycling is not sustainably feasible.

Fibre Mechanical Recycling

  • All types of discarded textiles, if clean. Industrial textiles may have limitations.

  • Sorting based on colour and material structure beneficial.

  • Certain components prevent this route: high amount of EL; lamination; coatings and thick prints; certain finishes.

  • Hard parts needs to be removed (beforehand or during the mechanical process).

Chemical Recycling

  • Needs to be high content of CO, LI, and/or MMCF.

  • All types of discarded textiles, cleanliness not always critical.

  • Some contaminants prevent this route.

Thermo-Mechanical Recycling

  • Containing PP, PE, PA, and PES. Blends ok in some cased, (see next stage) but composition needs to be known.

  • Thermoplastic hard parts may be tolerated.

  • Certain contaminants are preventing this route.

Biochemical Recycling

  • Needs to be almost pure PET or PA6.

  • Certain contaminants may be problem in this route.