Textile Recycling Enters a New Era

Textile recycling in Europe is now evolving with a sense of urgency as it becomes clear that the discarding of garments and apparels of clothing represent a major threat to the environment. Governments are now catching up with the threat; in Europe, the latest regulations mean that the whole fashion and clothing industry has to completely rethink how textiles are managed at end-of-life. ANDRITZ has been aware of the situation for some time and has been working on solutions and innovations to counter the challenge. In its latest move, the company has partnered with textile experts in France to launch a major revolution in automated sorting for further recycling into new products.  

It is estimated that around 7.5 million tons of textiles are discarded in Europe every year. Currently only 2.2 tons are collected, with the rest going to landfill or incineration. Due to new regulations, the volume of textiles collected is estimated to rise by 4.5 – 7.2 million tons by 2030.

“The new regulations mean that by 2025, all European countries will no longer be able to dispense of clothing by landfill or burning,” says Alexandre Butte, General Manager, ANDRITZ Laroche. “All of these countries will have to have collection systems in place by that time.”

ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES

To address this dramatic upscale of regulations, French startup company, Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, has recently launched a revolutionary new industrial-scale line in Amplepuis (central France). This unique line is designed to speedily and autonomously sort discarded garments by color and composition utilizing the very latest in digital and infrared technology. The entire line has been supplied by ANDRITZ, with infrared technology supplied by French company Pellenc ST, also a partner in the new venture.

Added to the sorting of garments, the line will remove non-textile parts of garments including zippers and buttons and start the first stage of tearing. The remaining sorted garments are then sent on for further processing by textile producers for further tearing and on to either spinning for the production of new products, including nonwovens and composite materials.

The goal of Nouvelles Fibres Textiles is to trigger the circular economy at an industrial scale when it comes to the sorting and recycling of textiles in France. The technology used in the new demonstration plant, supplied by the partners, ANDRITZ and Pellenc ST, represents the missing link to the industrialization of textile recycling.

TEXTILE SORTING: A MAMMOTH TASK FOR ALL PARTNERS

Although the recycling of textiles is nothing new in the industry, the main challenge has been the automating of the sorting process. As can be imagined, this sorting is a demanding task, simply because of the range of composition, colors and sizes involved. Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, decided to take on this mammoth task, but it needed help; and this is where ANDRITZ, with its vast experience in the recycling industry and the building of complete manufacturing lines, joined the challenge, together with specialist provider of infrared sensors for sorting, Pellenc ST. All four companies are now in partnership on the project which will see the line running on 60% commercial operations with 40% of time set aside for R&D.

The plant was launched at the end of 2023 to an audience of guests from all over Europe, and included politicians, industry players, universities, and textile technical institutions.  The event included a demonstration of the line, as well as speeches from the partners of the project and a panel discussion featuring major customers of the textile industry in France, including the French supermarket giant Auchan.

THE FIRST STEP IN A LONG JOURNEY

The new automated textile sorting and recycling plant represents the first step in a journey that will see millions of tons discarded textiles collected, sorted and recycled for making new products in the future. As a signal to the opportunities ahead, Nouvelles Fibres Textiles has already laid the foundations for a full-scale recovered textile preparation plant which will have an annual capacity of 25,000 tons of post-consumer textile waste planned for start-up in 2025.

Benoit Rombaut, Technology Director, ANDRITZ Laroche, says, “The line is the first and important milestone of a long journey. In France, due to tightening regulations and the increased collection rate of 60% of all textiles manufactured, there is now around 240,000 tons of textiles for recycling. In three years’ time this will raise to 300,000 tons. This means that we need at least another 12 high-capacity sorting and recycling lines to cope with the demand.

ANDRITZ ONE-STOP-SHOP FOR TEXTILE CIRCULARITY

ANDRITZ has huge experience in the recycling of textiles, with both mechanical and chemical solutions. Now with its expertise in sorting, complete lines from collected textiles to full recycling is possible, representing a revolution in circularity for the industry.

“At ANDRITZ we are completing our goal with the new line,” says Butte. “We can now provide a one-stop-shop for our customers and provide complete lines for textile recycling from sorting to mechanical or chemical recycling.” 

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