Source: T-REX

28 May 2025

AMSTERDAM – The EU-funded T-REX (Textile Recycling Excellence) Project consortium today announced the successful completion of the project, presenting a blueprint for scaling textile-to-textile recycling, and showcasing demonstrator products produced through the successful implementation of the recycling processes for polyester, polyamide 6, and cellulosic materials within Europe. The blueprint, which spotlights insights and recommendations for each phase of the value chain, has been informed by in-depth analysis conducted by the consortium throughout the project, assessing the technical feasibility, economic viability and environmental impact of the recycling value chain.

The textile industry remains a major contributor to environmental impacts, with over 6.95 million tonnes of textile waste generated annually in the European Union alone*. Most of this waste is still landfilled or incinerated, with only a small fraction being reused or recycled. In response, the T-REX Project launched in June 2022 with the aim of bringing together 13 leading stakeholders from across the value chain to develop a harmonised blueprint for closed-loop recycling of post-consumer household textile waste in the EU.

The insights outlined below identify key challenges and propose targeted interventions to support scaling a circular textile system across four core areas:

TECHNICAL SCALABILITY

• Sorting efficiency is currently low: Manual sorting, which is still the primary method, remains inefficient and costly. Automation could improve the quality and purity of feedstock available for recyclers. Advancements in automated sorting technologies such as Near Infrared (NIR) and AI-powered systems to improve yield, throughput, and identification of multi-layer or blended garments is essential. It is also important to prioritise R&D funding for enhanced detection technologies capable of distinguishing material blends and contaminants more accurately.
• Pre-processing is critical: It is important to recognise preprocessing as a critical step in the recycling value chain, with direct impact on the recyclability and quality of the final product. Harmonised mechanical pre-processing for post consumer textile waste, ideally co-located with sorting facilities for improving yields and efficiency is vital to improve feedstock consistency. To improve feedstock consistency and purity, further mechanical and chemical pre-processing steps are required, mechanical can be co-located in sorting facilities whilst chemical processes can be integrated into the recyclers’ operations to match the specific technologies.

BUSINESS VIABILITY

• While the market potential for textile-to-textile recycling in Europe is clear — with volumes of post-consumer textile waste suitable for fibre-to-fibre recycling projected to reach 1.2 million tonnes by 2030** and increasing regulatory pressure — realising a viable business case remains challenging due to two interconnected barriers: limited access to quality feedstock, and a lack of infrastructure at scale.
• Feedstock is limited and expensive: Despite the abundance of textile waste, recyclers face both scarcity and high costs of feedstock. 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 OPEX. When feedstock quality does not meet recyclers’ requirements, it further undermines the overall process efficiency. While R&D is needed to make sure recycling technologies are capable of handling more complex inputs, tackling feedstock complexity at the source will be equally critical, making the enforcement of Ecodesign principles a key lever for future-proofing textile-to-textile recycling.
• High operational costs in Europe: Energy and labour costs are major cost drivers. Labour costs could be significantly reduced through automation, especially for the collection, sorting, and preprocessing step while energy-efficient operations and access to low-cost renewable energy are key for recyclers. Policies should enable recycling innovations and also address structural cost imbalance for conventional production that does not consider environmental and social impacts.
• 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.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

• Textile recycling has strong potential to reduce the environmental impacts associated with fibre production. However, the magnitude of these benefits depends heavily on both the type of material being recycled and the specific recycling technology used. Different fibre types and recycling processes vary in their efficiency, yield, and overall environmental performance, meaning that outcomes can differ significantly across materials and methods.
• One of the main contributors to environmental impact typically arises from the most energy-intensive
  stages of the process. This highlights the importance of improving energy efficiency and sourcing low-impact energy. This is true as well for the recycling process as for the rest of the manufacturing and supply chain, where downstream processes include energy intensive processes such as dyeing. It is therefore essential that the recycling process produces fibres compatible with advanced, environmentally friendly manufacturing techniques.
• While recycling is a vital tool in improving sustainability across the textile value chain, it is not a stand-alone solution. The manufacturing and use stages remain significant contributors to environmental impacts. Designing for durability will increase the lifespan of garments by focusing on the physical longevity of products, together with reusability.

POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

• It is essential to introduce economic incentives that fairly distribute the responsibility of textile waste management across the entire value chain—including collectors, sorters, pre-processors, and recyclers.
• End-of-waste (EoW) criteria should be aligned with practical, market-driven standards to promote textile circularity. This will support the use of recycled textiles in new products and improve the recycling of EU textile waste. EoW rules also directly affect Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes and the cross-border waste shipment directive.
• Set realistic, achievable targets for recycled content, underpinned by clear and pragmatic criteria. These criteria should encourage market demand without limiting the use of emerging technologies or diverse feedstock inputs.
• Recyclability standards must be harmonized, focusing on the dominant material in products to reduce material complexity. Standards should remain flexible to accommodate innovation and emerging recycling technologies, ensuring alignment and clarity within the regulatory framework. 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.

ABOUT FASHION FOR GOOD
Fashion for Good unites the entire fashion ecosystem, from brands, retailers, suppliers, innovators, and funders to collaborate and drive change towards a circular and regenerative industry. At the core, Fashion for Good enables disruptive innovators on their journey to scale, providing hands-on support, connection to capital, and access to a robust ecosystem of experts. This work brings the most powerful innovations to market faster to create decisive system change.
Through its coalition of partners, Fashion for Good designs and executes catalytic interventions and new ways of value creation that drive towards the right side of history as the new economy emerges.

This transformative work is made possible by the support of Laudes Foundation, co-founder William McDonough and corporate partners, adidas, Arvind Limited, BESTSELLER, Birla Cellulose, C&A, CHANEL, Inditex, Kering, Levi Strauss & Co., Norrøna, ON, Otto Group, Paradise Textiles, Patagonia, PDS Limited, PVH Corp., Reformation, Shahi Exports, Target, Teijin Frontier, and Zalando. 

About FAU
Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nuremberg (FAU) is one of Europe’s most innovative universities, combining history and tradition with technology and innovation. FAU plays a pioneering role in developing the technologies of tomorrow.
The Institute of Polymer Technology at FAU is a research institution within the Faculty of Engineering, involved in scientific alliances and standardisation. The Institute partners with universities and industries on research projects and offers training seminars and conferences.
It provides education, research, and services in polymer material, design, and processing as an integrated whole, with modern labs and state-of-the-art equipment.
Learn more: https://www.fau.eu/

About Fulgar
Fulgar is a global leader in synthetic fibres, producing and distributing nylon 66 and covered elastomers for textile and technical applications. Based in Castel Goffredo, Italy, since the late 1970s, Fulgar leads with innovation, quality, and sustainability.
Its sustainable yarns include Q-Nova® (regenerated), Evo® (bio-based), Q-CYCLE® (from post-consumption waste like tyres), and Q-GEO® (46% derived from non-food maize).
Fulgar is present across textile sectors and is the exclusive distributor in Europe and Turkey of Lycra® and Elaspan®. It also partners with Solvay, producing EMANA® and Amni Soul Eco®.
Learn more: www.fulgar.com

About Infinited Fiber Company
Infinited Fiber Company is a Finnish technology and fashion company with a patented textile-to-textile recycling technology. It turns cotton-rich textile waste—such as worn-out t-shirts, jeans, and production scraps—into Infinna™, a virgin-quality textile fibre with the natural look and feel of cotton.
Infinna™ is biodegradable, contains no microplastics, and can be recycled along with other textile waste, enabling circularity in fashion.
Learn more: https://infinitedfiber.com

About Indorama Ventures
Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (Bloomberg: IVL.TB), headquartered in Thailand, is one of the world’s leading petrochemicals producers with a global manufacturing footprint across Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia Pacific.
Its portfolio includes Combined PET, Indovinya, Indovida, and Fibers, serving major FMCG, lifestyle, hygiene, and automotive sectors. Indorama Ventures has approximately 25,000 employees worldwide and generated $15.4 billion in revenue in 2024.
It is listed in the Dow Jones Best-In-Class Indices.
Learn more: www.indoramaventures.com

About Linz Textil
Linz Textil is Europe’s leading provider of yarn, greige fabric, and terry towels, with nearly 200 years of tradition. Operating across five sites and employing 530 staff, the company generates over €100 million in annual sales.
Committed to sustainability and innovation, Linz Textil believes in a collaborative and forward-looking textile future.
Learn more: https://www.linz-textil.at

About Quantis
Quantis is a global sustainability consultancy that partners with organisations to solve critical environmental challenges. With deep environmental expertise and strategic business knowledge, Quantis helps shape policies and business models aligned with the planet’s limits.
Operating across the US, France, Switzerland, Germany, and Italy, Quantis supports global sustainable transformation.
Learn more: www.quantis.com

About Veolia
Veolia Group is a global leader in ecological transformation. With nearly 220,000 employees worldwide, Veolia designs and deploys practical solutions for water, waste, and energy management.
In 2021, Veolia provided drinking water to 79 million people, wastewater services to 61 million, produced nearly 48 million MWh of energy, and treated 48 million metric tons of waste.
Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE) recorded revenue of €28.5 billion in 2021.
Learn more: www.veolia.com