Threads of Innovation: The Innovators Tackling Textile Waste

The textile industry is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the urgent need to mitigate its environmental impact and comply with emerging regulatory frameworks. With global fibre production exceeding 130 million tonnes annually and less than 1% of discarded textiles recycled into new garments, the sector faces a critical challenge: how to reconcile growth with sustainability.

The environmental burden created by the textiles industry is multifaceted and spans every stage of production. From raw material extraction to final finishing, each step demands significant energy and resource usage. Cotton cultivation requires large volumes of water and energy for irrigation and processing; the production of a single cotton T-shirt can consume up to 2,700 litres of water. Meanwhile, synthetic fibre production involves the extraction of fossil fuels and high carbon emissions from energy-intensive polymerisation. Subsequent stages such as dyeing and finishing are equally resource-heavy, often introducing toxic chemicals into ecosystems.

Even with the environmental burden of production outlined above, the most intractable problem lies at the end of a textile’s life. Discarded textiles, particularly those composed of blended fibres, present formidable recycling challenges due to their complex material composition. This difficulty results in widespread reliance on incineration or landfill disposal, making end-of-life management the critical issue for achieving sustainability in the textile sector.

This article, which is the first of a two-part series on tackling the issue of textile sustainability, focuses on existing recycling processes, and the regulatory measures that seek to drive change in this area.

New European rules around textile waste

In response to the challenges outlined above, the European Union has enacted a revision of the Waste Framework Directive, mandating separate textile waste collection from January 2025 and introducing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes. These schemes require producers, including non-EU entities selling via e-commerce, to finance the collection, sorting, and recycling of textile waste. The directive also penalises fast fashion models and incentivises circular design. EU Member States must implement these schemes within 30 months of the directive’s entry into force, with microenterprises granted an additional year.

This regulatory shift is catalysing innovation across the textile industry. Companies are deploying advanced technologies to convert waste into valuable feedstock, enabling circularity and reducing reliance on virgin materials.

Enzymatic approaches

Evoralis, a spinout from the University of Cambridge, is pioneering enzymatic recycling. Its custom enzymes depolymerise synthetic fibres such as polyester, nylon, and elastane into their original monomers. These enzymes are discovered and optimised using a microfluidic ultra-high-throughput screening platform, accelerating development by a factor of 1000 compared to conventional methods. Their technology enables the recycling of over 80% of textiles, including blended and contaminated fibres, and has attracted investment from major fashion retailers seeking to decarbonise their supply chains.

Carbios, based in France, uses enzymatic biorecycling to break down polyester into monomers for repolymerisation. The company uses proprietary enzymes to break down polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a common component in polyester textiles, into its original monomers: terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG). These monomers are then purified and repolymerised into virgin-quality PET, which can be spun into new fibres or used in packaging. Unlike mechanical recycling, this process maintains material quality and enables infinite recycling loops for polyester textiles. Notably, the enzymatic recycling may be carried out under mild conditions, representing another benefit over traditional mechanical recycling.

Approaches to regenerating fibres

FibreLab, based in East London, operates a local mechanical shredding service. Its custom-built shredding machine processes pre-consumer and commercial textile waste into recycled fibre, which is then repurposed into new materials such as Papertex, a fully circular paper product made from 100% recycled textiles. FibreLab’s model emphasises transparency, localised processing, and customisation, offering impact reports that quantify carbon savings and waste diversion.

Infinited Fibre Lab in Finland produces regenerated fibres with properties similar to cotton, derived from discarded textiles. Their process takes cotton-rich textile waste and breaks it down into its cellulose base. The cellulose is then converted into a new fibre, producing Infinna™, which is soft, durable, and suitable for spinning and weaving like conventional cotton. This fibre is biodegradable, free from microplastics, and can be recycled again at the end of its life, supporting a closed-loop system.

Other innovative approaches

FAB Materials UK-based startup, exemplifies this new wave of innovation with its innovative textile-to-board process. By converting end-of-life textiles into fibreboard for use in construction and furniture, the company offers a scalable solution that diverts waste from landfill and reduces demand for virgin wood. The boards are moisture-resistant, compatible with existing manufacturing infrastructure, and demonstrate superior coating performance compared to traditional fibreboard.

Circ, in partnership with Birla Cellulose, is scaling up hydrothermal recycling of polycotton blends. Circ employs a process that uses water, heat and pressure to separate polyester and cotton fibres from blended textiles without degrading either material. This is significant because traditional methods often destroy one fibre while recovering the other. The process produces two high-quality streams: cellulose pulp from cotton, suitable for making regenerated fibres like viscose or lyocell, and polyester monomers, which can be repolymerised into virgin-quality polyester yarns.

The business case for recycling innovation

These technologies are not merely experimental; they are being deployed at scale, supported by strategic partnerships and investment. The textile recycling market is projected to exceed 9.89 billion USD by 2032, driven by regulatory pressure and consumer demand for sustainable fashion.

This convergence of biotechnology, materials science, and policy presents a unique opportunity for the textile industry. The challenge lies not only in developing effective recycling methods but also in integrating them into existing supply chains and delivering measurable environmental benefits. However, the companies above have proven themselves to do so effectively, and may serve as a model for new startups.

For example, Evoralis collaborates with fashion brands and textile producers to embed its enzymatic recycling technology into upstream processes, while FibreLab operates local shredding hubs that feed recycled fibre back into regional supply chains for insulation, padding, and nonwoven applications. They also supply paper-like material to packaging and design industries. Although markedly different in technology and scale, both approaches lead to effective integration of sustainable technologies in existing supply chains.

Outlook

As the EU’s regulatory framework matures and enforcement mechanisms strengthen, companies that invest in circular technologies and transparent practices will be well-positioned to lead. Textile recycling is no longer a peripheral concern; rather, it is central to the future of sustainable manufacturing.