Fast fashion is the epitome of throwaway culture, its predominately linear business model results in vast quantities of unwanted garments polluting the environment. Help is at hand though, as innovative solvent-based chemical recycling is allowing mixed blend textiles to be reborn as virgin-equivalent raw materials. Trendsetters in these processes, like Worn Again Technologies, are helping to build a circular economy for clothes so that fast fashion doesn’t cost the world.

Not a good look

It’s no understatement that fast fashion is a critical battleground in combating global warming and waste. Cheap garments designed to meet ever shortening trend cycles quickly end up in landfill, incinerators and the wider environment. Producing these clothes is carbon and resource intensive too; some estimate that the fashion industry is responsible for 4% of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of wastewater,^[1] not to mention the land use aspects.

Unfortunately, the problem is growing. “Microseasons”, celebrity culture and influencers are accelerating trend cycles, increasing demand for fast fashion. Combine this with an industry that is preoccupied with volume production to reduce cost per unit and the result is chronic oversupply, with around 100 billion new garments produced around the world each year.^[2] The planned obsolescence of fast fashion is another issue. After a few wears and washes, many garments begin to disintegrate or discolour, encouraging owners to throw them away.

A linear model

Overproduction is debilitating to the environment. Growing cotton is resource intensive, with a single clothing item requiring either hundreds or thousands of gallons of water, grown on land that could otherwise be put to better use (such as food production) and delivering a relatively high carbon footprint. To reduce costs (and carbon), many fashion brands blend cotton with polyester. A versatile plastic, polyester is fossil fuel derived and takes a long time to degrade, adding plenty of microplastics to the planet and drinking water. Compounding the problem, recycling mixed-blend garments has historically been challenging, providing a further incentive to simply dispose of clothes.

Current market conditions and perceived recycling limitations, result in an unsurprising 85% of all textiles going to dumps or incinerators every year.^[3] Dumping clothes in the ground poisons the environment (even supposedly biodegradable clothes contain non-degradable chemicals), taking up space and damaging habitats. Consequently, many countries have found loopholes to piggyback on the existing reuse trade by also exporting unwanted fast fashion products to places such as Ghana and Chile.

This is increasingly not a solution either, as photos from Jamestown Beach (Accra, Ghana) or the Atacama desert (Chile) show large volumes of material being dumped in uncontrolled landfill, blighting the local environment.^[4]

It’s logical that this would occur considering the rapid increase in volume and the equally rapid reduction in average garment quality arriving on the market due to fast fashion. Legacy sorting operators, the champions of sustainable reuse, are sounding the alarm on this worrying trend. The reputation of responsible second-hand operators is being crushed by fast fashion as a broad moral brush is applied by western pundits, ultimately supporting the sales of newspapers and magazines, but doing little to improve the condition.

Fast fashion goes circular

Clearly, to build a circular economy for fast fashion, new recycling techniques are required to process mixed-blend garments. The key is to effectively separate polyester from cotton so that both materials can be reused to produce new, low emission textiles. In this area, Worn Again is leading the industry.

“Our solvent-based chemical recycling technology offers a proven solution for processing mixed-blend, fast fashion garments,” says Toby Moss, Director of Business Development at Worn Again Technologies. “Our technology separates and purifies polyester and cotton from clothes, while reliably tolerating up to 10% contamination from other materials. We don’t break the materials down into their molecular components, so after we separate out the dyes, additives and impurities, we are left with circular polyester resin pellets and cellulosic pulp ready for reuse.”

New styles with pure substance

The critical advantage of this process is that it produces pure feedstocks: virgin-equivalent materials that can be immediately utilized to make new products. For example, the polyester pellets are of spinning grade, while cellulosic pulp can be turned into fibers, so both can be used in clothes manufacturing. The technology has relevance beyond fashion too, allowing recycled materials to be incorporated into packaging, car interiors and home appliances for example.

Solvent-based chemical recycling is a proven way to lower the impact of fast fashion. By reclaiming materials, it can prevent clothes ending up in landfill, incinerators and the wider environment – superseding the current linear business model. Furthermore, resource and carbon intensive fibers like polyester and cotton can be reused in new products, reducing emissions and conserving water. The scalability of the technology ensures that a high volume of textiles can be processed, helping to combat oversupply and waste. Finally, its ability to accommodate contaminated textiles ensures excellent suitability for garments of varying qualities from different sources.

Trending towards recycling

For fashion brands and recyclers, this is a timely innovation. Governments are increasingly aware of the environmental damage caused by fast fashion and are introducing legislation to combat it. Extended Producer Responsibility schemes are forcing brands to manage the full lifecycle of their products, with legislation mandating that they process a growing proportion of their waste. To ensure cost-effective compliance, brands and recyclers will have to rely on established technologies such as Worn Again’s solvent-based chemical recycling to smoothen the transition.

Ultimately, innovative textile recycling technology is supporting a growing trend for circularity within the fast fashion industry. Instead of cheap, low-quality garments incurring ever higher volumes of carbon emissions and waste, these clothes can be used to produce new virgin-equivalent materials that have a reduced environmental impact. With the global fast fashion market projected to be worth nearly 185 billion USD by 2027^[5], innovative textile recycling technology needs to be the next big trendsetter.

[1] Ultra-fast Fashion Is Eating the World – The Atlantic

[2] Fashion Waste Facts and Statistics – Businesswaste.co.uk

[3] Fast Fashion and Its Environmental Impact – Earth.Org

[4] Where does the UK’s fast fashion end up? I found out on a beach clean in Ghana – The Guardian

[5] Fast fashion market value forecast worldwide from 2021 to 2027 – Statista

Between public pressure and mounting environmental regulations, every sector is feeling the push to find more sustainable solutions. The textiles industry is no exception to this, but for many years it struggled with a persistent challenge: how to handle and recycle blended fabrics, which have traditionally been extremely difficult to break down.

This is a huge sustainability issue, as the global textile industry is massive, valued at $1.8 trillion as of 2023[1], and with this scale comes an equally enormous waste problem. Over 124 million tons (112 million tonnes) of textiles are produced annually, and the vast majority of these end up in landfills or are incinerated after their useful life.

Shockingly, only about 10% of textile waste is currently recycled, and much of that is downcycled into lower-value products such as insulation or rags​[2]. This inefficient use of resources has prompted the need for more sustainable solutions, especially when dealing with blended fabrics composed of polyester (PET) and cotton, which make up a large portion of clothing and home textiles.

A leading solution to this issue comes in the form of an innovative process developed by Worn Again Technologies. With its proprietary chemical process, Worn Again can take in blended fabrics, separate and extract the valuable components, creating new products that are indistinguishable from virgin materials. In this way, it offers a scalable solution that not only reduces waste but also contributes to the creation of a circular economy.

Breaking down the process

Worn Again’s solution is rooted in a solvent-based chemical recycling process that efficiently separates and purifies both polyester and cotton from blended textiles. The technology focuses on preserving the integrity of the materials, allowing them to be reused in new products. Here’s how the process works:

The process begins with washing the textiles to prepare them. This removes typical contaminants such as other fibre materials, but also any residual biological or chemical compounds that might be left over from the textile’s previous life.

Once the textiles are prepared, they undergo a decolourisation process to remove dyes and other chemical additives. This step ensures that both the polyester and cotton are stripped of residual colours, making the recovered materials suitable for high-quality reuse. Unlike mechanical recycling, which often retains previous dye colours, Worn Again’s method delivers a neutral base material that can be recoloured or repurposed without limitations.

With the unwanted dyes and contaminants removed, the PET and cotton are separated through a sequential dissolution process. Specially formulated solvents selectively dissolve the PET and cotton at different stages, ensuring an efficient split without breaking them down into molecular components.

Once separated, the materials are purified and regenerated into new raw materials. PET is returned to its pure polymer form, while the cotton is converted into cellulosic pulp—a plastic-free material that can be used for fibre production. The result is two high-quality, virgin-equivalent outputs, free from residual contaminants and ready for reintroduction into the textile supply chain.

The final step is transforming these regenerated materials back into usable textile fibres. The circular PET resin pellets can be spun into new polyester fibres, creating material indistinguishable from virgin polyester. Similarly, the cellulosic pulp is processed into regenerated fibres, offering a valuable alternative to traditional cotton production. Both outputs provide a sustainable, scalable solution for textile manufacturers looking to reduce their reliance on virgin materials.

A broad impact

Worn Again’s technology is not just a solution for the fashion industry but has potential applications across countless other sectors. The ability to recycle PET and cotton into high-quality materials opens up possibilities for industries like automotive, packaging, and home goods, where recycled fibers can be used in a wide range of products ranging from packing to car dashboards.

By keeping these materials in circulation, Worn Again’s process supports the growth of a circular economy—one where products are continually reused and repurposed, reducing the need for new raw materials. This allows businesses to not only improve their sustainability credentials, but also align with growing regulatory pressures, such as Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, which mandate that textile manufacturers take responsibility for the collection and recycling of their products​.

As the global textile industry grapples with the need to become more sustainable, Worn Again Technologies provides a glimpse into what the future of recycling could look like. Through its innovative chemical recycling process, Worn Again is not only tackling the issue of textile waste but also paving the way for a more circular, environmentally responsible industry.

[1] https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/textile-market

[2] https://www.businesswaste.co.uk/your-waste/textile-recycling/fashion-waste-facts-and-statistics

Worn Again is proud to announce that it is now a Gold-Level sponsor of the European Recycling Industries Confederation (EuRIC). This partnership strengthens the company’s commitment to building a sustainable and Circular Economy, both within the textiles sector and wider industry.

EuRIC is the leading voice for a competitive European recycling industry, representing more than 5,500 companies as it advocates for recycling’s role in Europe’s industrial transition. With a combined turnover of almost a hundred billion Euros to the EU economy, EuRIC members transform waste into valuable resources,supporting 300,000 green jobs and bridging the gap between circularity and climate neutrality.

Toby Moss, Director of Business Development at Worn Again, said: “Becoming a Gold-Level sponsor of EuRIC is a key milestone for us. Sustainability is not something any business – or even industry – can achieve in isolation. This collaboration underscores the importance of working together to scale innovative solutions that divert waste from landfills and incineration and instead transforms it into valuable resources.

“EuRIC’s work aligns perfectly with our mission to accelerate the Circular Economy and inspire systemic change in the global textiles industry.”

With its advanced chemical recycling technologies, Worn Again extracts polyester and cellulose from post-consumer textiles, offering outputs that can be reintroduced into the supply chain.

As a Gold-Level Sponsor, Worn Again will actively contribute to EuRIC’s vital initiatives, including offering expertise and support across educational outreach, industry collaboration, and advocacy for progressive recycling policies. These initiatives aim to build a unified framework for sustainable practices across industries and ensure that resources remain in continuous circulation.

“As recycling innovators, we are at the forefront of Europe’s green industrial evolution,” added Toby. “Together with EuRIC, we aim to amplify the impact of recycling technologies and help shape policies that make a tangible difference for our planet and future generations.”Julia Ettinger, EuRIC’s Secretary General welcomed the sponsorship stating: “We are delighted to welcome Worn Again Technologies as a Gold sponsor. Collaboration with pioneering companies is essential to driving innovation and accelerating the transition to a more circular future. Worn Again’s expertise and commitment to sustainability will be a significant asset to EuRIC’s Textiles branch, which represents the collective interests of Europe’s textile recycling and re-use industries.”

From vibrant-colored shirts to pristine white fibers: “Worn Again’s technology achieves the breakthrough we’ve been striving for.” (Mike Schwarz, Worn Again)

Worn Again Technologies recently achieved a major milestone: together with our partners, we successfully carried out our proprietary chemical recycling process from end-of-life textile to virgin-equivalent spun fiber, further validating our technology. The fibers produced meet expected quality standards, laying the groundwork for downstream product qualification. For the first time, Worn Again has been able to prove fiber-to-fiber recycling of polycotton textile including complete removal of common impurities, such as elastane and acrylics.

These positive results validate our vision and demonstrate that Worn Again’s technology is ready to scale to market. Worn Again will now consolidate the various process stages in one location to establish our first industrial chemical textile recycling plant in Europe. With the technical hurdles now achieved and engineering complete, Worn Again’s team is prepared to proceed with construction of a recycling plant at our site in Winterthur.

The market environment is equally promising. The Swiss fashion industry is ramping up its efforts to recycle more clothing, and discussions about introducing a recycling fee could further drive sustainability initiatives. This presents an ideal opportunity for Worn Again’s technology to contribute to the textile sector’s circular economy objectives. Our process enables a fully circular textile economy, which will undoubtedly attract interest beyond Switzerland. The demand for sustainable textile recycling solutions is also gaining momentum across Europe, where Worn Again is poised to play a pivotal role.

Worn Again’s technology represents not only a leap into the future of textile recycling but also a milestone in fostering a sustainable and responsible fashion industry. We firmly believe this is just the beginning of an exciting journey for the sector and hope our partners will join us in taking the next step forward.

Wichtiger Meilenstein erreicht: Worn Again‘s Technologie ermöglicht das Recycling von Polycotton-Textilien

Worn Again Technologies hat einen Meilenstein im Textilrecycling erreicht: Gemeinsam mit seinen Partnern hat das Unternehmen erfolgreich aus ausgedienten Textilien neuwertige Fasern in bester Qualität hergestellt. Dabei kam der von Worn Again entwickelte chemische Recyclingprozess zum Einsatz. Mit diesem Prozess gelang es dem Unternehmen erstmals, das Faser-zu-Faser-Recycling von Polycotton-Textilien durchzuführen – einschliesslich der vollständigen Entfernung von Verunreinigungen wie Elastan und Acryl. Die resultierenden Fasern erfüllen höchste Qualitätsstandards und sind bereit, in der Produktion neuer, hochwertiger Produkte eingesetzt zu werden.

Diese positiven Ergebnisse unterstreichen die Marktreife der Technologie von Worn Again. Das Unternehmen plant, die verschiedenen Prozessstufen des Verfahrens an einem Standort zu konsolidieren, um die erste industrielle Recyclinganlage für chemisches Textilrecycling in Europa zu errichten. Das Team ist bereit, am Standort in Winterthur den Bau einer entsprechenden Recyclinganlage voranzutreiben.

Vielversprechendes Marktumfeld für nachhaltige Lösungen

Auch das Marktumfeld bietet vielversprechende Perspektiven: Die Schweizer Modebranche intensiviert ihre Bemühungen, Kleidung vermehrt zu recyceln, und es werden Überlegungen zur Einführung einer Recyclinggebühr angestellt, die zusätzliche Impulse für Nachhaltigkeitsinitiativen geben könnte. Dies stellt eine ideale Gelegenheit dar, die Technologie von Worn Again einzusetzen, um die Textilindustrie bei der Erreichung ihrer Ziele einer Kreislaufwirtschaft zu unterstützen. Das Verfahren ermöglicht eine echte zirkuläre Textilwirtschaft, die weit über die Grenzen der Schweiz hinaus auf grosses Interesse stossen dürfte. Auch in anderen europäischen Ländern wird das Potenzial für nachhaltiges Textilrecycling zunehmend erkannt, und Worn Again ist gut positioniert, in diesem Bereich eine entscheidende Rolle zu spielen.

Die Technologie von Worn Again markiert nicht nur einen bedeutenden Fortschritt im Textilrecycling, sondern auch einen Meilenstein in der Entwicklung einer nachhaltigen und verantwortungsvollen Modeindustrie. Dies ist erst der Beginn einer spannenden Entwicklung für die Branche, und Worn Again hofft, dass die beteiligten Partner auch die nächsten Schritte gemeinsam mit dem Unternehmen gehen werden.

In partnership with Institut für Werkstofftechnik und Kunststoffverarbeitung (IWK), Worn Again, Sulzer and others have succeeded in their joint bid for grant funding from Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency.

The flagship project, called “Towards a NetZero Plastics Industry”, will create a platform for Swiss companies to foster collaboration and drive systemic change within the plastics industry to achieve a sustainable future. Worn Again’s contribution will be focussed on a specific upcycling pathway, converting used textiles into a higher-grade PET which is ideally suited to an important Swiss manufacturing sector, technical parts,

The project, which will start in January 2024 and run through 2028, aligns with Worn Again’s plans to bring online it’s demonstration chemical recycling plant in Winterthur. Worn Again will produce PET for application testing within Sulzer Chemtech’s technology to convert the raw material into advanced foams, and within various injection moulding technologies at IWK’s facility. This activity will be underpinned by ongoing assessment of climate benefits which will feed into a digital decarbonisation tool that IWK will develop for dissemination to Swiss manufacturers.

Toby Moss, Director of Business Development said: “We want to use our demo plant and develop the surrounding value chain as a blueprint for building out the Circular Economy globally. Our clients want our technology to deliver environmental benefit and generate value. In addition to our core fibre-to-fibre offering, by enabling non-textile outcomes for Worn Again’s circular products, our clients can leverage their plants to maximise both outcomes.”

Worn Again, Sulzer and others have already established the Swiss Textile Recycling Ecosystem. This project will create additional mechanisms for these companies to contribute to a circular economy in Switzerland and as a potential blueprint for expanding this new value chain elsewhere.

Worn Again Technologies will support ACT UK by bringing its recycling know-how and through the use of its 1,000 tonne per year demonstration plant based in Winterthur, Switzerland.

Worn Again Technologies

Worn Again is the catalyst of a true circular economy for textiles, believing that the only way forward is through better, profitable processes. Worn Again has led the industry for years with a dedicated team of innovators, moving the industry in a new direction in partnership with retailers, manufacturers, and innovators who share Worn Again’s commitment to sustainable materials—and sustainable business growth.

Worn Again’s innovative chemical recycling process reclaims virgin-quality products and returns them to the supply chain. Its scalable process—developed through investment, research, and dedication—allows textile manufacturers to separate and decontaminate PET resin and cellulose from end-of-life textiles. Worn Again enables plant operators to become an essential part of the textile industry’s future, producing superior materials for manufacturers across multiple industries and becoming a solution for an economically fractured part of the supply chain.

With reliable access to reclaimed, virgin-quality synthetic and natural materials, manufacturers can authentically offer high-quality, sustainably made options to their retail buyers. Worn Again guides its partners into the future with a profitable business built around large-scale textile recycling. Everyone, from manufacturers to consumers, will be able to contribute to reducing waste. Within a truly circular economy, everyone helps protect the planet from the mistakes of the past.