The initiative will focus on creating workable systems for sorting and preparing post-consumer textiles that cannot be reused, to turn such material into commercially useful feedstock for recycling operations. The project addresses the difficulties in using post-consumer waste as a raw material in textile recycling, specifically the need to make it cost-effective and practical for recyclers.
Fashion for Good’s approach centers on two main activities, including developing advanced processes for preparing waste textiles and setting up a network of regional hubs to manage the sorting and pre-processing steps. Project FAE will first review advanced pre-processing methods, including the separation of fibre blends, removal of elastane, and extraction of contaminants, to assess their readiness for industrial use.
The aim is to identify which technologies are feasible for immediate deployment and which require further development. In addition to technology assessment, the project intends to design a framework for creating regional hubs across Europe. These hubs would collect post-consumer textiles, use automated sorting and mechanical pre-processing, and generate feedstock streams adapted to recycler requirements.