Textiles and clothing: opportunities for recycling

Table of Contents

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

METHODS OF RECYCLING IN THE TEXTILE AND CLOTHING SECTOR

• Making a textile or clothing product from waste consumer goods, such as plastic bottles or waste
• polyester yarn
• Reusing waste textile and clothing products in a way which avoids throwing the items away
• Shredding textiles and clothing into fibres for use in new products
• Redistribution of a textile or clothing item in its original form
• Reuse of the fabric from which a textile or clothing item is made

RECYCLING ACTIVITY IN SELECTED NATIONAL TEXTILE AND CLOTHING INDUSTRIES

• Germany
• Japan
• UK
• USA

LEGISLATION AFFECTING TEXTILE RECYCLING

• The Waste Framework Directive (WFD)

TEXTILE RECYCLING ASSOCIATIONS

• Bureau of International Recycling (BIR)
• Textile Recycling Association
• Vereniging Herwinning Textiel (VHT - The Textile Recycling Association)
• Federation des Entreprises du Recyclage (FEDEREC - Federation of Recycling Enterprises)
• Fachverband Textil-Recycling (FTR - Textile Recycling Trade Association)
• The Secondary Materials and Recycled Textile (SMART) Association

SELECTED GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES TO ENCOURAGE TEXTILE RECYCLING

• Japan
• UK

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANISATIONS (NGOs) INVOLVED IN TEXTILE RECYCLING

• Textile Recycling for Aid and International Development (TRAID)
• Goonj project

TEXTILE COMPANIES INVOLVED IN RECYCLING

• Jimtex Yarns
• Teijin
• Unifi

APPAREL COMPANIES INVOLVED IN RECYCLING

• American Apparel
• Marks & Spencer (M&S)
• Patagonia
• Polartec
• Uniqlo
• Wal-Mart

OUTLOOK