Textile-to-Textile Recycling
Textile-to-Textile Recycling
TEXAID offers customized solutions to enable circular textile value chains. With over 40 years of experience, TEXAID is a trusted solution provider for collection, sorting, resale & re-commerce, and recycling of pre- and post-consumer textiles and footwear. Over 1000 employees process more than 280 million items (around 80,000 tons) of end-of-use textiles and shoes throughout Europe and the USA each year.
Currently, less than 1 % of textiles and clothing are recycled in a closed loop to new textiles and garments. The circular recycling of used clothing and textiles into new yarns, fabrics, and products with high quality is still at an exploratory phase. As a proof of concept, TEXAID decided to develop an own fabric and product. It took TEXAID two years of research and building the partnerships in the value chain to develop this fabric.
The fabric is a blend of 50 % post-consumer textile waste which we, TEXAID, have collected in Germany and Switzerland. White cotton textiles which cannot be worn anymore, have been sorted out in our sorting facility in Apolda, Germany. The other 50 % is made from ocean-bound plastic waste which is plastic with a high risk of entering the ocean which has been saved and recycled by Unifi.
The result is a 1:1 plain weave with 340 gms and yarn count of NM 2/17.
With this fabric we have produced a collection of bags which will launch this summer in our own second-hand stores named Vintage Revivals.
The fabric and bag have been produced in Italy. The cotton material has been shredded by Marchi & Fildi in Biella, IT, who then spun the recycled cotton and recycled polyester fibers into a yarn. This yarn has been woven into a fabric by Tessitura Casoni.T.F.C.
Through this proof of concept, we have showcased that making products of 100 % recycled concent and with 50 % of post-consumer textiles is possible. We, as well, are able to do this in Europe.
Key Facts
- 100 % recycled content
- 1:1 plain weave with 340 gms
- Yarn count of NM 2/17
- Proof of concept
- Around 2-year product development project including design, quality, material, and supply chain
Special Call
This was a first trial and TEXAID is looking for strong industry partners to push high-value textile to textile recycling technologies in joint projects like these. You as a partner can decide on which blend, yarn and type of fabric you wish to develop and incorporate in your supply chain. Reach out to us to discuss possibilities!
More information about TEXAID can be found in the Sustainability Report which covers the economic, ecological and social impacts of the company’s activities and presents the strategic goals of sustainability management. The Sustainability Report is available online at
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