#Recycling / Circular Economy

2024-08-08

ReCircleTex

Transforming old textiles into new, high-quality materials on a large scale – that is the subject of a new innovation project by eeden, the Center Textile LogisticsCenter Textile Logistics (CTL) at the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences and the Fraunhofer IML, and the Hohenstein Innovations gGmbH.

The project aims to promote a circular textile economy through technological and logistical optimizations. eeden's innovative fiber-to-fiber recycling process will be further developed to efficiently process textile waste from laundries. Additionally, logistics will be restructured from collection to recycling to ensure a resource-conserving and efficient supply of this material stream. With a total volume of over 625,000 euros, the project is co-financed by the Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the European Union as part of the GreenEconomy.IN.NRW innovation competition.

“We are excited to enable circular laundry textiles with our exceptional partners. By optimizing our processes, we aim to significantly improve the recycling of end-of-life textiles and make the most of this valuable resource,” explains Ida Marie Brieger, Business Development at eeden.

Hohenstein and eeden jointly analyze the used textiles as part of analytical tests to accurately determine the properties of the textile waste after various cleaning cycles. Dr. Timo Hammer, Managing Director of Hohenstein, says: “Working with eeden and the Center Textile Logistics allows us to bring the latest technologies and scientific discoveries into real-world applications. We're excited to be part of this groundbreaking project.”

Subsequently, the Center Textile Logistics (CTL), supported by eeden, will develop a concept for the efficient procurement of raw materials and their integration into a sustainable business structure. Prof. Dr. Markus Muschkiet, Head of CTL, emphasizes: “This project is a fantastic opportunity to rethink logistics and make our supply chains not just more efficient, but also more sustainable. We're excited to leverage our expertise to build this future-proof supply chain.”

Finally, the further developed process will be validated by eeden on a technical scale. By 2026, the close collaboration between eeden, the Center Textile Logistics (CTL), and Hohenstein aims to promote the circular use of textiles and make a significant contribution to reducing textile waste.

ReCircleTex partners © 2024 Hohenstein Institute

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