Circular Economy & Recycling

Activating Textile Circularity - Cracking the Egg

The presentation will tell the story of the establishment of Renewcell 1, the world’s first commercial-scale chemical textile-to-textile recycling plant.

Saal A
Donnerstag, 14.09.2023, 11:00 - 11:25 Uhr
Sprecher
Tricia Carey, Renewcell, Stockholm (SWE)

The more than 90 million tonnes1 of textile waste that the industry generates annually worldwide offers a massive, and still mostly untapped, source of low-impact fiber for an industry that is seeking ways to decouple economic growth from growth in negative environmental and climate impact. Renewcell’s research into the future circularity commitments of the world’s fashion brands indicates that the annual demand for textile-to-textile recycled cellulose fibers will amount to between 2.3 and 8.9 million tonnes in 20302. This translates into an enormous opportunity for the emerging textile-to-textile recycling industry. To realize this opportunity, however, many challenges remain to be overcome. Investment, rapid scaling, process efficiency and market adoption will require bold action and open collaboration from innovators and established companies alike. The 2021-22 establishment of Renewcell 1 offers a model for such action and collaboration.