The EU-funded T-REX (Textile Recycling Excellence) Project has now been successfully completed, presenting a blueprint for scaling textile-to-textile recycling and showcasing demonstrator products produced through the successful implementation of the recycling processes for polyester, polyamide 6 and cellulosic materials within Europe.

The blueprint, which spotlights insights and recommendations for each phase of the value chain, has been informed by in-depth analysis conducted by the project’s consortium, led by Fashion for Good, assessing the feasibility of establishing a recycling value chain in Europe.

The textile industry remains a major contributor to environmental impact, with over 6.95 million tons of textile waste generated annually in the European Union alone. Most of this waste is still landfilled or incinerated with only a small fraction being reused or recycled.

The T-REX Project launched in June 2022, bringing together 13 leading stakeholders from across the value chain to develop a harmonised blueprint for the closed-loop recycling of post-consumer household textile waste in the EU.

The insights outlined below identify key challenges and propose targeted interventions to support scaling a circular textile system across four core areas – Technical Scalability, Business Viability, Environmental Impact and Policy Recommendations.

Technical Scalability

Sorting efficiency is currently low. Manual sorting, which is still the primary method, remains inefficient and costly and automation could improve the quality and purity of feedstock available for recyclers. Advances in automated sorting technologies such as near infrared (NIR) and AI-powered systems to improve the yield, throughput and identification of multi-layer or blended garments is essential. It is also important to prioritise R&D funding for enhanced detection technologies capable of distinguishing material blends and contaminants more accurately

Pre-processing is critical. Harmonised mechanical pre-processing for post-consumer textile waste, ideally co-located with sorting facilities for improving yields and efficiency, is vital to improve feedstock consistency. Further mechanical and chemical pre-processing steps are also required. Mechanical pre-processing can be co-located in sorting facilities while chemical processes can be integrated into the recyclers’ operations to match specific technologies.

Business Viability

While the market potential for textile-to-textile recycling in Europe is clear, realising a viable business case remains challenging due to two interconnected barriers – limited access to quality feedstock, and a lack of infrastructure at scale.

Despite the abundance of textile waste, recyclers face both scarcity and high costs of feedstock. There is insufficient post-consumer material suitable for recycling available due to low collection rates in most EU member states and a lack of incentive for sorters to provide feedstock quality needed for recycling. What exists often lacks the specifications needed for most current recycling technologies.

Current inefficiencies in sorting and pre-processing result in high material losses, driving up overall OPEX. When feedstock quality does not meet the requirements of the recyclers, it further undermines overall process efficiency. While R&D is needed to make sure recycling technologies are capable of handling more complex inputs, tackling feedstock complexity at the source will be equally critical, making the enforcement of Ecodesign principles a key lever for future-proofing textile-to-textile recycling.

Energy and labour costs are major cost drivers. Labour costs could be significantly reduced through automation, especially for the collection, sorting and preprocessing steps, while energy-efficient operations and access to low-cost renewable energy are key for recyclers. Policies should enable recycling innovations and also address structural cost imbalance for conventional production that does not consider environmental and social impacts.

Scaling textile-to-textile recycling in Europe requires coordinated financial, regulatory, and industrial efforts to stimulate demand, reduce costs and mobilise the necessary capital and should complement broader circular strategies including reuse, repair and smarter design to unlock a circular approach to textile waste management.

Environmental Impact

Textile recycling has strong potential to reduce the environmental impacts associated with fibre production. However, the magnitude of these benefits depends heavily on both the type of material being recycled and the specific recycling technology used. Different fibre types and recycling processes vary in their efficiency, yield and overall environmental performance, meaning that outcomes can differ significantly across materials and methods.

One of the main contributors to environmental impact typically arises from the most energy-intensive stages of the process. This highlights the importance of improving energy efficiency and sourcing low-impact energy. This is as true for the recycling process as for the rest of the manufacturing and supply chain, which includes energy intensive processes such as dyeing. It is therefore essential that the recycling process produces fibres compatible with advanced, environmentally friendly manufacturing techniques.

While recycling is a vital tool in improving sustainability across the textile value chain, it is not a stand-alone solution. The manufacturing and use stages remain significant contributors to environmental impacts. Designing for durability will increase the lifespan of garments by focusing on the physical longevity of products, together with reusability.

Policy Recommendations

It is essential to introduce economic incentives that fairly distribute the responsibility of textile waste management across the entire value chain—including collectors, sorters, pre-processors, and recyclers.

End-of-waste (EoW) criteria should be aligned with practical, market-driven standards to promote textile circularity. This will support the use of recycled textiles in new products and improve the recycling of EU textile waste. EoW rules also directly affect Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes and the cross-border waste shipment directive.

Realistic, achievable targets for recycled content, underpinned by clear and pragmatic criteria should be set. These criteria should encourage market demand without limiting the use of emerging technologies or diverse feedstock inputs.

Recyclability standards must be harmonised, focusing on the dominant material in products to reduce material complexity. Standards should remain flexible to accommodate innovation and emerging recycling technologies, ensuring alignment and clarity within the regulatory framework.

Despite the challenges, the projected rise of post-consumer textile waste to 7.3 million tons by 2030 makes it crucial to explore recycling as an alternative to landfill, incineration or export. While recycling can help manage the growing volume of non-reusable textiles, it must be integrated into a broader strategy that also prioritises reuse, repair and demand management.

The full T-REX blueprint for textile-to-textile recycling in Europe is now available at:

www.trexproject.eu