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Six recycling innovations that could change fashion

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Eric Randolph, Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Artist Jeremy Hutchison wears a " fast-fashion="" costume="" made="" of="" used="" garments="" from="" second-hand="" clothing="" markets="" in="" West="" Africa.="" Adam="" EPA-EFE="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/overseas/11/28/jeremy.jpg"/><figcaption>Artist Jeremy Hutchison wears a &quot;fast-fashion zombie&quot; costume made of used garments from second-hand clothing markets in West Africa.<em> Adam Vaughan, EPA-EFE/File</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>PARIS, France — The fashion industry&#x27;s enormous waste problem is pushing governments, particularly in Europe, towards ambitious recycling targets.</p><p>The problem is that recycling textiles is a highly complex task and technical solutions are still in their infancy.</p><p>NGOs warn the real problem is over-production, and that tech innovations may just provide cover for brands to continue pumping out billions of new clothes.</p><p>But the pressure to start recycling at a massive scale is happening now.</p><p>&quot;Brands need to get to high levels of recycling at super-speed, and if they don&#x27;t, the EU will be giving them massive fines,&quot; said circular economy consultant Paul Foulkes-Arellano.</p><p>AFP spoke to multiple experts to see which ideas could make a difference.</p><p>Many will fail, but here is a snapshot of current contenders that illustrate the different challenges in textile recycling.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/08/17/21/fast-fashion-spurs-pollution-of-africas-rivers">Fast fashion spurs bleach-like pollution of Africa&#x27;s rivers - report</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/09/06/17/why-foreign-fast-fashion-is-winning-retail-war">Why foreign fast-fashion is winning retail war</a></li></ul><div><strong>CIRC: UNBLENDING CLOTHES</strong></div><p>Most clothes are a blend of materials, making them hard to recycle. US-based Circ has invented a chemical solution to separate the most common blend, polycotton, into its constituent parts.</p><p>It uses a hydrothermal process to liquefy the polyester and separate it from the cotton.</p><p>Both can then be turned into new fibers. Zara used them for a clothing line released in April.</p><div><strong>SUPERCIRCLE: COLLECTING AND SORTING</strong></div><p>The world lacks the infrastructure to collect and sort large amounts of old clothes, which must be kept clean and separate from other waste.</p><p>SuperCircle brings together delivery firms, warehouses, and tracking systems to streamline and cheapen the process.</p><p>They hope to change public attitudes with in-store drop-off bins, free shipping labels, and other encouragements.</p><p>&quot;We need ease, convenience, and incentives for consumers so that when they are done with an item, the first thing they think is end-of-life recycling,&quot; said co-founder Stuart Ahlum.</p><p>Starting with their own brand, Thousand Fell, they have rapidly expanded and now handle all recycling logistics for multiple companies and sectors, including Uniqlo North America.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/10/03/20/filipinos-can-save-p25k-to-p46k-if-they-switch-to-reusable-products">Filipinos can save P2.5K to P4.6K if they switch to reusable products</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/03/16/22/philippine-designer-fashions-gowns-out-of-recycled-trash">Philippine designer fashions gowns out of recycled trash</a></li></ul><div><strong>SAENTIS TEXTILES: IN-HOUSE RECYCLING</strong></div><p>Saentis Textiles already helped solve one key challenge with a patented machine that can recycle cotton with minimal damage to the fibers, so it can make quality new textiles.</p><p>Its recycled cotton is used by brands including IKEA, Patagonia, and Tommy Hilfiger.</p><p>Now it is selling its machine to textile companies so they can install one directly in their factories, allowing them to chuck in cut-offs and scraps for recycling on the spot.</p><div><strong>UNSPUN: 3D WEAVING MACHINE</strong></div><p>Unspun says it has invented the world&#x27;s first 3D weaving machine, capable of creating a custom-sized pair of jeans directly from yarns in under 10 minutes.</p><p>Currently building its first micro-factory in Oakland, California to prove the concept, the machine could remove the need for brands to keep large stockpiles of inventory, cutting down on waste and transport.</p><div><strong>CETIA: PREPARING OLD CLOTHES</strong></div><p>Clothes must be prepared before they can be recycled, and this is the specialty of France-based Cetia.</p><p>Some of its machines are simple, like one that yanks the soles off shoes.</p><p>Others are more complex. One uses AI to recognize hard points such as buttons and zippers, and then a laser to slice them off without damaging the item.</p><div><strong>RUBI LABS: CARBON-CAPTURE FABRIC</strong></div><p>Rubi Labs has come up with a way to capture waste carbon dioxide from factories and turn it into cellulose, similar to the way that plants grow.</p><p>The resulting cellulose pulp can then be used to make yarn.</p><p>Whether it can be done at an affordable scale remains to be seen, but in July Rubi Labs announced a pilot project with retail behemoth Walmart to test its innovation.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1486434" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Many will fail, but here is a snapshot of current contenders that illustrate the different challenges in textile recycling.

Six recycling innovations that could change fashion

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Six recycling innovations that could change fashion

Eric Randolph,

Agence France-Presse

Published Nov 28, 2023 03:37 PM PHT

Read More:

fashion

fast fashion

recycling

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