Fashion for Good project focuses on feedstock unlock
Fashion for Good has announced the launch of a collaborative research programme to support the creation of a viable textile-to-textile recycling infrastructure in Europe. Project Feedstock Activation Europe focuses on the critical stages of sorting and pre-processing post-consumer textiles. The Amsterdam-based organisation has identified a gap in what sorters can ‘produce’ and what recyclers can take in. “Neither side can close the gap alone: for many sorters preparing material at the price, quantity and quality recyclers need remains challenging, while some recyclers can’t absorb the cost of doing it themselves. That’s why most continue to rely on post-industrial waste, which is often cleaner, more consistent and easier to process,” the organisation said.
The collaborative project brings together major brands/retailers in the likes of adidas, On, Bestseller and Inditex. Rehubs, a EU-backed T2T alliance, is the strategic partner of the project, and Rematters will be providing on-the-ground support.
Many companies are involved in the project. Sorters include Boer Group, Circle-8, Erdotex, Formació i Treball, Humana, Kringwinkel Antwerpen, New Retex, Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, Plaxtil-Essaimons, Sympany, Texaid and Texlimca.
The recycling companies that are part of the research programme are also many: Circ, Circulose, CuRe, eeden, Infinited Fiber, Kipas (fibR-e), Matterr, Recover, Reju, Södra and WornAgain.
The research project will focus on two different aspects of pre-processing. One will investigate various methods to separate fibre blends, remove elastane and contaminants. The second will look into what is needed to create regional pre-processing hubs in Europe.
Photo courtesy of Fashion for Good created using Gemini
