Circular economy and sustainability
RESEARCH INTO THE CIRCULARITY OF TEXTILE WASTE FOR FIBRE TO FIBRE RECYCLING AND REVALUATION
TEXFORTEX 2025
Motivation
Following the legislative tsunami in Europe for the improvement of the environmental performance of the textile industry, in the broadest sense of the term, from extraction to disposal at the end of the useful life of its materials and products, it is more necessary than ever to find viable methods for the recovery of textile fibres that are discarded in the different stages of manufacture and use, a significant proportion of which currently ends up in landfill or incineration.
Although textile recycling is a sector whose trajectory dates back to the industrial revolution itself, it is in the 21st century that technological advances are making it possible to obtain quality fibres to be integrated into high added value products. This is the reason for the creation of the fibre-to-fibre recycling research line at AITEX, for which we have a modern pilot textile defibration plant.
Objectives
In the TEXFORTEX project, an empirical approach will be taken to obtaining disintegrated fibres from post-industrial and post-consumer textile waste, varying the different parameters that the equipment allows for the different fabrics to obtain a disintegrated fibre in optimum conditions for the subsequent spinning or nonwoven manufacturing processes.
Value and competitive advantage
- Technological differentiation from market solutions focused on monomaterial waste, by enabling the valorization of complex and blended textile residues.
- Access to less-exploited waste streams, with lower competition and greater availability, generating higher value-added opportunities.
- Direct contribution to the circular economy and to the reduction in the use of virgin raw materials.
Obtained results
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Validation of a fiber-to-fiber mechanical recycling process applicable to post-industrial and post-consumer textile waste, including complex and blended materials.
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Production of recycled fibers with lengths compatible with industrial technologies.
- Demonstration of the technical feasibility of valorizing non-mainstream residues (wool, polyamide, aramid, and PES–cotton blends), expanding the range of recyclable raw materials.
- Optimization of process parameters enabling the maximization of average fiber length and the reduction of short fiber content, thus improving downstream processability.
Grant number: IMAMCA/2025/6
Programme: Plan of non-economic activities 2025
Period of execution: January 2025 – December 2025
Status: Finished
More information: PLAN OF ACTION
Entity: IVACE
Project supported by the Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Commerce and Tourism of the Generalitat Valenciana, through IVACE.
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R&D AREAS
New high-performance functionalised materials
Circular economy and sustainability
Advanced manufacturing, smart textiles and digitalisation
High value-added solutions for strategic markets
RELATED PROJECTS
NEWS
AITEX is present at the Babykid FIMI fair at Feria Valencia from January 26 to 28, presenting tests and certifications for children’s products.
AITEX has attended the Cosmetorium fair in Barcelona once again on October to present its new products for the cosmetic sector.
AITEX has hosted the LIFE POLITEX workshop entitled “Closing the textile polyester cycle: challenges and opportunities”, based on promoting sustainable solutions for the management and recycling of textile materials.