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Nonwoven companies have been early movers in exploring the potential of post-consumer clothing waste, ahead of the European Union’s ban on the landfilling or incineration of it beginning in January 2025, and the imposition of an extended producer responsibility (EPR) scheme on brands to pay for the collection and disposal. The European Commission’s Strategy for Textiles is further calling for all textile products on the EU market to be durable, repairable, or recyclable – and largely made of recycled fibers – by 2030.
Nonwovens from regenerated mill waste fibers
The nonwovens industry already turns a lot of textile waste which has been mechanically recycled into second-life products such as insulation for the automotive and construction industries, industrial wipes, mattress covers, padding, etc., but to date, this has been largely from regenerated mill waste fibers.
Mill waste fibers are comparatively pure compared to post-consumer apparel waste, where many finished articles are often based on blended fibers – most commonly of polyester and cotton – with elastane, chemical finishes and many other impurities such as buttons, zips and linings to be removed before a bale of fibers can be shipped for reprocessing.
As a consequence, today’s mill waste is going to be much more valuable going forward, as apparel brands look for recycled feedstocks that can be incorporated into their clothing ranges that are produced by the conventional route of yarn spinning, followed by weaving or knitting.
The successful spinning and further processing of recycled fibers in conventional textile processing is very much dependent on their purity and length, and short fibers are always problematic. Bales of virgin cotton, for example, have an average short-fibre content of 24.6%, but the short-fibre content in recycled yarn waste from mills is on average 46.9%, which already makes turning it into new yarns for spinning challenging.
Post-consumer waste, however, will have a much higher percentage of short fibers, amplifying the problem. At best, it is estimated that textile apparel containing 40% post-consumer waste fibres is the current limit to be achieved in blends with virgin fibers for spinning.
French EPR scheme experience
An example of where this is likely to lead is already to be found in France, where an EPR scheme for the collection and recycling of textile waste has been in operation since 2008. In its latest available figures, Paris-based Refashion, the non-profit association formed to administer the French EPR scheme, oversaw the collection of 260,000 tons of consumer textile waste in 2022, representing a collection success rate of 31% against set targets. The waste that was then subsequently sorted by 67 contracted sorting facilities amounted to 188,000 tons, representing a 23% success rate.
Of this sorted waste, 59.5% – roughly 112,000 tons – was resold or reused and a further 31.3%, or 59,000 tons, was given a second life in nonwoven products, with only a small percentage unraveled and turned into new yarns for spinners. So there is still a long way to go.
Ecomodulation bonus already applicable to certain nonwoven applications
A notable further development of the French EPR scheme has been the recent introduction of ‘ecomodulation’ fees which are bonuses for manufacturers who are able to demonstrate either the durability of their products, provide environmental certifications, or incorporate recycled materials into their collections. Some €237 million has been allocated to this scheme for the 2023-28 period, which should prove a major incentive for further change.
Specifically, products incorporating raw materials from the recycling of post-consumer textile waste will qualify for a bonus of €1,000 per ton, and those made from recycled mill waste a bonus of €500 per ton – significant concessions when considering the huge volumes that can be involved.
If such a scheme were to be extended Europe-wide, it’s likely that much available mill waste would be snapped up by the apparel brands for incorporation into their vast ranges, which could then benefit from the lower ecomodulation bonus. This is already happening in France. To qualify for the higher ecomodulation bonus, however, nonwovens definitely hold all the cards.
“The nonwovens industry should be proud of the applications for recycled fibers it has already developed,” said Charles Junker, head of sales for Andritz Laroche. “Even with the latest fiber-to-fiber chemical recycling methods being commercialized, only 30-40% of recycled content can be incorporated into yarns for conventional spinning and we are already achieving 100% in many high-value nonwoven products.” See details.
Source: Online/NAN
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