Innovative Solutions for Post-Industrial Recycling of Polyester Textile

Each year, vast quantities of textiles and fibers are produced worldwide, with an increasing reliance on man-made fibers, including synthetic polymers. By 2025, global textile and fiber waste is expected to reach 130 million tons, with 107 million tons being man-made fibers. Of this, 75 million tons are synthetic fibers such as PET (60 million tons) and PP and PA (15 million tons). Given these high waste volumes, the need for effective textile recycling, especially for synthetic polymers, has become more urgent.

Significant amounts of production and cutting waste are generated throughout the textile value chain, from fiber production and spinning processes to weaving, knitting, packaging, shipping, and logistics. Industrial recycling alone has a potential of around 40 million tons, excluding the additional opportunities presented by post-consumer textile recycling.

Areas where closed-loop systems can be implemented hold particular promise, including:

workwear (e.g., annual renewal),
hospitality and catering (e.g., table linens), and
advertising banners (e.g., for major sports events).

In this blog article, we take a closer look at closed-loop recycling of polyester textiles and the opportunities this sustainable system offers.

Logo of the Plastics Industry Awards 2024, finalist

Polyester Textile Recycling as the Key to Reducing Waste

Polyester is one of the most widely used plastics in the textile industry, especially in workwear, uniforms, and other durable textile applications.

Instead of discarding polyester textiles after use, innovative technologies now offer a solution through recycling. These technologies convert used polyester textiles into high-quality rPET (recycled polyester), which can then be utilized in industrial applications or new textile production, reducing demand for virgin materials and cutting CO₂ emissions.

Hand holding recycled polyester pellets in a “big bag”.

How Does Polyester Textile Recycling Work?

Improving polyester textile recycling increasingly relies on the concept of Design for Recycling. This approach involves preparing textiles for end-of-life recycling from the initial design phase. Examples include:

Avoiding blended materials
Using single-source fabrics
Incorporating easy-to-remove stitching
Opting for recycling-friendly dyes

PURE LOOP, in collaboration with the Salvation Army Trading Company and Project Plan B, has demonstrated how effective polyester textile recycling can be.

Manfred Dobersberger, Managing Director of PURE LOOP, in front of the recycling plant at SATCoL's processing centre in Kettering, UK.

Europe’s First Polyester Textile Recycling System

The joint venture between the Salvation Army Trading Company and Project Plan B – Project Re:Claim – aims to recycle both post-industrial and post-consumer polyester clothing and textiles, relying on PURE LOOP’s innovative recycling technology.

The project focuses on repurposing polyester from controlled material streams with minimal contamination, such as:

Linens from hospitals and hotels (e.g., bed and table linens)
Workwear and school uniforms
Printed advertising banners

In spring 2024, PURE LOOP’s ISEC evo 302 Ethe technological core of the project, was installed at the Salvation Army Trading Company’s processing center in Kettering, United Kingdom. PURE LOOP, in partnership with Project Plan B, refined its shredder-extruder technology to meet the specific requirements of this project.

For more information, see our press release.

Recognition and Awards for Innovation

For its groundbreaking work in textile recycling, Project Re:Claim has been nominated in the “Recycler of the Year” category at the 2024 Plastics Industry Awards. The awards ceremony will take place on November 22, 2024, in London.

Strengthening the Circular Economy Together

The innovative advances in post-industrial textile recycling clearly demonstrate that sustainable polyester textile recycling is both feasible and impactful. Through projects like Project Re:Claim, a pioneering path is being set to convert textile waste into high-quality materials efficiently and with minimal environmental impact.

PURE LOOP’s recycling system proves its strength and versatility by gently converting polyester waste into rPET, effectively reclaiming valuable resources.

Polyester recycling thus becomes key to a forward-thinking, responsible textile industry. Project Re:Claim’s nomination for the 2024 Plastics Industry Awards in the “Recycler of the Year” category underscores the innovative power of this technology and recognizes the success of this collaboration.