For the past three years, a Danish consortium has been developing a new technology that can “convert” textile waste into new fabrics. This sets new standards in fashion design, with a focus on longer lifespans and increased recyclability.
Now, the Alliance has discovered two new ways to recycle polyester waste.
The project, called Recycling Technology and Sustainable Textile Product Design (ReSuit), is managed by the Technical University of Denmark and aims to create a more sustainable textile industry and recycle all textile waste, including bestsellers. Major companies in the industry gathered together. Denmark.
After several years of research and development, the project is said to have proven that polyester fiber waste can be successfully recycled into new polyester fiber.
This isn’t a particularly groundbreaking discovery, as mechanical and chemical recyclers have been recycling polyester into new clothing for years. But ReSuit uses a “special method” to transform clothing into bio-oil and chemical components that were previously thought to be too difficult to recover and produce in new polyester and plastic-based materials. The company claimed to have successfully recycled items that had been previously used.
“This project involved the study of two different technologies. The first is the dissolution process, which, while not entirely new, has not yet been implemented on a large scale,” says Best Sellers Innovations. Manager Camilla Schjönning Jorgensen told Sourcing Journal. “However, significant efforts are underway to develop and refine this technology to achieve scalability.”
Bestseller is “well aware” of the fashion industry’s challenges, but also acknowledges that it has the “scale and expertise” to be part of the solution, Schoening-Jorgensen continued. Ta. That’s why the Jack & Jones owner joined Resuit “eyes wide open” and with “an understanding that innovation will play a key role” in making the industry more sustainable, she continued. . And innovation is most effective when it’s collaborative.
“ReSuit is therefore a unique project that takes a holistic approach to the problem by considering all stages of the clothing lifecycle, from design to use and recycling,” Skjöning-Jorgensen said. said. “Focusing on the entire process is critical to building a more sustainable future in the fashion industry.”
Bestsellers have been investing in more environmentally friendly polyester for years. Last summer, the group partnered with Ambercycle on a limited-edition dress made from recycled polyester, and in 2022 it financially backed the material startup’s first solution, Cycora.
ReSuit has focused primarily on polyester, which accounts for half of the world’s clothing fibers.
The group’s first method “opened the door” to fiber-to-textile recycling of synthetic fibers. The melting process separates and purifies the polyester from color and additives, resulting in enough high-quality recycled polyester (rPET) to be used to make new polyester.
The second technology focused on fibers that are typically considered too complex to be recycled. This process involves hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL). This is the use of water, heat, and pressure to convert a stream of fibers into petroleum products that can be used to make plastics, fuels, or synthetic fibers. HTL technology “converts” clothing waste into bio-oil that can be upgraded into chemical building blocks. According to ReSuit, the polyester component of the waste is converted into terephthalic acid (TPA), the main component of polyester.
“meanwhile, [HTL] “This technology is not new and, to the best of our knowledge, represents a new approach to this technology in the context of textile waste recycling,” said Schöning-Jorgensen. “What is remarkable about HTL is its versatility in treating a variety of waste compositions, including heavily contaminated materials.”
The third “tangible” result of ReSuit’s efforts is the best-selling Circular Design Guide. It exists as part of a project aimed at encouraging the industry to design with circularity in mind and educating brands and retailers on how to move towards more circular business models.
“Our involvement in all aspects of the project has resulted in tangible results, including the development of the Circular Design Guide. This guide now integrates our educational efforts and all aspects of our work. It serves as an integral part of our ongoing efforts to promote circularity on the side,” said Schöning-Jorgensen. “Furthermore, we remain committed to exploring the potential of HTL and other chemical recycling technologies. Our particular focus is on pilot testing, implementation and scale-up of these technologies. In doing so, we aim to contribute to the advancement of sustainable solutions and the transition to a circular economy.”
The ReSuit consortium includes Aarhus University, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft, Crossbridge Energy A/S, Eris Denmark, Behave Green, Technical University of Denmark, and Design School Kolding. It is supported by the Innovation Fund Denmark, for which in 2021 he received 13 million Danish kroner ($2.12 million).