Textile recycling to the thread

Any reuse of textiles is only possible if they are not contaminated by residual waste. Textiles will pick up humidity or dirt that will prevent any reuse. Second-hand clothes have to be dry, clean and not worn.

Collected end-of-life textiles need to be sorted for reuse. The aim is to reject non- reusable items and waste from second-hand clothing. Reusable clothing itself is further divided into subgroups. As sorting is a manual and labour intensive process, it is frequently carried out in countries with lower labour costs. 

The separate collection of end-of-life textiles requires energy for transport, sorting and packing. It has been determined (Woolridge et al. (2006)) that the energy consumption amounts to about 6 GJ/t and is thus much smaller than the energy required for apparel production. 

The majority of second-hand clothing goes to developing countries, particularly Africa. There is an ongoing discussion about whether second-hand clothing for Africa is a blessing or a curse. Second-hand clothes can undermine local new-clothing production in Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa there has been a tremendous decrease in turnover and employment in the textile industry and an increase in the import of used clothing from the early 1980s. However, the decline of the sub-Saharan African textile industry can also be explained with the competition from imported Asian clothing (Brooks and Simon 2012). Many African people cannot afford new clothing and second-hand clothing is essential for them. In the Central African Republic the share of second- hand clothing can even reach 90 %. Furthermore, second-hand clothes create jobs in trade, distribution, repair, restyle and washing. In Senegal alone about 24,000 people are estimated to have jobs in the field of second-hand clothing.

Second-hand clothing shows the largest potential to save energy and resources. As the complete production chain for new clothing can be avoided, up to 330 GJ/t of energy can be saved. The fraction of reusable items is limited and slightly exceeds 50 %. Reuse means using the items again for the same purpose for which they were conceived (EC 2008). When clothing is considered to be the product, the prerequisite of re-use is fulfilled if the items are used again for apparel purposes. However, the fabric could be seen as a product, thus the production of cleaning & wiping rags (CWR) belongs to the wider category of reuse. As the production of new fabric can be avoided, the energy savings are around 200 GJ/t.

Although recycled polyester from PET bottles (rPET) was a step forward, it does not contribute to a circular textile industry. Currently, less than 1% of textile waste is recycled into new garments. Moreover, the textile sector competes with the packaging industry for rPET, which limits its availability. 

True textile-to-textile recycling is essential to reduce dependence on fossil resources and reduce the environmental impact of the fashion industry. Innovations such as chemical recycling, in which polyester is broken down into monomers and rebuilt, offer promising solutions. 

The implementation of textile-to-textile recycling still faces challenges, such as the need for improved collection and sorting systems, investment in recycling infrastructure and overcoming economic hurdles. Nevertheless, there are positive developments, such as the construction of advanced recycling facilities and collaborations between companies and public authorities to promote the circular economy in the textile sector.

In summary, the EU is actively reviewing its policies to promote genuine textile recycling, with the aim of achieving a sustainable and circular textile industry.