How yesterday’s waste is becoming tomorrow’s fashion through textile recycling

Turning old polyester into pellets

At a warehouse beside the A14 in Kettering, discarded polyester fabric is fed into a recycling machine. The facility is run by The Salvation Army’s trading arm, SATCoL, and Plan B Circular, using technology adapted from a bottle-recycling plant.

Their Project Re:Claim shreds and melts clothes and bedding that cannot be reused, producing recycled polyester pellets for new products. Founder Tim Cross says manufacturers need to use recycled polyester instead of virgin material and design garments to be recyclable at the end of their lives.

Project Re:Claim says its recycled polyester requires 89% less carbon to produce than virgin polyester. Pellets are tested in batches; material that does not meet garment-quality standards can be used in products such as car mats.

Limits of textile recycling

The plant can process only textiles made from 100% polyester. SATCoL sustainability head Majonne Frost says much clothing contains polyester blended with cotton or two or three other fibres, making it harder to recycle.

Frost says the Salvation Army wants worn-out textiles to be made into new clothing. Cross argues that legislation should help change how clothes are designed and made.

Leather scraps become fabric

In Peterborough, Gen Phoenix processes scraps of “wet blue” leather. The material is sorted and shredded into fibres, then re-entangled into fabric using water jets.

Rules and industry action

EU rules require fashion brands selling in the bloc to demonstrate the sustainability of their products, and are pushing manufacturers to reduce waste and environmental impacts and make the industry more circular. The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs says it is funding the UK Textiles Pact, which aims to cut waste and extend the life cycle of materials. The department also says a taskforce of experts and businesses is considering ways to reduce waste in homes and businesses, with next steps due to be reported later this year.