Middle East & Africa Textile Recycling Market Outlook, 2029

The cast-off fabrics of the Middle East and Africa today find a new life through innovative recycling efforts that turn waste into valuable resources, thus propelling a sustainable future. The background of textile recycling within MEA is relatively young in comparison to most parts of the world. Traditionally, textile recycling in MEA was driven by informal sectors and small-scale operations. In the majority of MEA countries, a very strong degree of reusing and recycling textiles had occurred, with little large-scale recycling processes.

With increased environmental awareness and economic pressures, it saw the governments and private sectors starting to recognize the necessity of establishing more formal systems of recycling. Gradually, over the past decade, there has been an observable move towards organized textile recycling, with increasing urbanization, economic growth, and global trends in sustainability. One of the major driving factors for the textile recycling market in MEA is sustainability.

Governments and companies have started focusing on sustainable measures and methods in order to arrest the degradation of the environment and to meet the international goals set for sustainability. The recycling of textiles forms one of the principal elements within the strategies of the circular economy through reduced waste, resource conservation, and lower environmental impacts from the textile industry. Many companies are beginning campaigns of sustainability using recycled material in production, encouraging eco-friendly fashion practices, or practicing corporate social responsibility. Some MEA governments have taken policies and initiatives to promote textile recycling.

For instance, the UAE adopted the National Waste Management Strategy 2021-2031, setting goals related to recycling and reducing waste. Sustainability and protection of the environment are core components of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030, which facilitates investment in structures and technologies related to recycling. The South African National Waste Management Strategy seeks to promote recycling and develop a circular economy. The rapid urbanization taking place in MEA is increasing the intake of textiles, together with the resultant wastes.

Urban centers, holding large populations characterized by high consumption patterns, turn into major sources of textile wastes. This growing trend of urbanization is raising the bar in demand for effective solutions to manage wastes, of which textile recycling is a part. Better infrastructure and easier access to recycling facilities make the urban environment more appropriate for more effective collection, sorting, and processing of textile wastes.
According to the research report "Middle-East & Africa Textile Recycling Market Overview, 2029," the Middle-East & Africa Textile Recycling market is anticipated to grow at more than 4% CAGR from 2024 to 2029. Growth in the segment has been fostered by a number of factors, including growing textile consumption, increasing municipal wastes, and greater concern for the environment. The leaders from the front include countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Egypt, which are implementing infrastructure and initiatives about recycling.

In this region, mushrooming growth is witnessed in terms of recycling projects, public-private partnerships, and the setting up of facilities for the same. The COVID-19 pandemic has furthered the case for resilient and sustainable waste management systems, thereby driving the use of textile recycling practices. The MEA textile recycling market is being shaped by innovations and developments. Of vital economic significance to MEA, it opens up job opportunities in collection, sorting, processing, and distribution of the recycled textiles, capable of driving local economies by creating demand for related services and industries.

Besides, there are some cost advantages related to the market for recycled textiles, as most of the recycled material used for production is normally cheaper than virgin material. There is an increasing use of advanced recycling technologies, such as automated sorting systems and chemical recycling processes. Companies are searching for new ways to recycle complex textile materials and enhance the quality of the fiber recycling process. The region is also bucking an upward trend in research and development activities aimed at improving the efficiency of recycling and finding new applications for recycled textiles.

This helps MEA countries, which are collaborating with international organizations and technology providers, adopt the best global practices to stay at the forefront of innovation in textile recycling. Several activities and events are taking place for promoting the recycling of textiles in MEA. The Dubai Sustainable Fashion Week presents a number of ways for sustainable fashion, such as through the use of recyclable textiles. In ACEA the Africa Circular Economy Alliance governments, businesses, and organizations come together to push circular economy practices within the continent, including textile recycling. The Middle East Waste & Recycling Expo offers a platform to industry stakeholders to share knowledge, explore new technologies, and discuss trends in recycling.

Market Drivers

• Government Initiatives and Policies: Governments in the MEA region are increasingly recognizing the importance of textile recycling and are implementing policies to support it. Initiatives such as waste management regulations, recycling mandates, and incentives for recycling businesses are being introduced to address environmental challenges and promote sustainable practices. These policies create a favorable environment for the growth of the textile recycling market by encouraging investment in recycling infrastructure and technologies. Government support is crucial for establishing effective recycling systems and fostering market development.
• Urbanization and Population Growth: Rapid urbanization and population growth in the MEA region are driving the demand for textile recycling. As urban areas expand and populations increase, so does the generation of textile waste. The growing consumption of textiles and the disposal of used garments create a need for efficient recycling solutions. Addressing this demand presents opportunities for the textile recycling market to expand and develop. The combination of urbanization and population growth highlights the importance of implementing effective recycling systems to manage increasing waste volumes.

Market Challenges

• Lack of Awareness and Education: A significant challenge in the MEA region is the lack of awareness and education about textile recycling. Many consumers and businesses are not familiar with recycling practices or the benefits of recycling textiles. This lack of awareness leads to low participation in recycling programs and higher levels of textile waste ending up in landfills. To overcome this challenge, there is a need for targeted awareness campaigns, educational programs, and community engagement initiatives to promote the importance of textile recycling and encourage participation.
• Limited Recycling Infrastructure: The MEA region faces limitations in recycling infrastructure, which affects the efficiency of textile recycling operations. Many countries in the region lack well-established systems for collecting, sorting, and processing textile waste. The absence of advanced recycling facilities and technologies hampers the ability to manage textile waste effectively. Investing in recycling infrastructure and developing facilities to handle textile waste are essential for improving recycling rates and advancing the textile recycling market in the region.

Market Trends

• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives: Companies in the MEA region are increasingly adopting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives that include textile recycling. Businesses are recognizing the importance of environmental stewardship and are implementing recycling programs as part of their CSR strategies. This includes setting sustainability goals, launching recycling initiatives, and partnering with recycling organizations. The focus on CSR and environmental responsibility is driving demand for recycled textiles and supporting the growth of the textile recycling market.
• Emergence of Sustainable Fashion Brands: The rise of sustainable fashion brands in the MEA region is influencing the textile recycling market. Designers and retailers are increasingly focusing on eco-friendly practices and incorporating recycled materials into their product lines. The demand for sustainable fashion is growing, driven by consumer preferences for environmentally responsible products. This trend is creating opportunities for the textile recycling market to expand, as fashion brands seek high-quality recycled textiles for their collections and promote sustainability in their operations.

Dominance in the textile recycling market of the MEA region can be attributed to the wide availability of cotton, high recyclability, and increasing concerns towards sustainability and waste management.
Being a dominating fiber in the textile industry, the representation of cotton is quite high in the MEA region, thus providing a constant supply of post-consumer waste for recycling. The abundance, coupled with the importance of environmental benefits coming from cotton recycling, uniquely positions it in the market. Several initiatives and policies promote textile recycling, specifically across the MEA region. The United Arab Emirates itself has been very proactive when it comes to touting sustainability and reducing waste.

The Dubai Municipality has initiated several campaigns involving recycling programs, including textile recycling initiatives, with the central objective of reducing waste generation and conserving natural resources. The South African textile industry also pushes for sustainability. Policies aimed at managing and recycling wastes had already been rolled out by the South African government with the National Waste Management Strategy. Institutions like the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research have been running projects geared toward improving the circular economy and textile recycling.

The social enterprises and non-profit organizations are playing a vital role in the collection and recycling of post-consumer cotton waste and providing jobs, thus helping to conserve the environment. The Egypt is one of the biggest cotton producers in the region. The Egyptian government has been encouraging initiatives on sustainability and waste management, including textile recycling. Companies like the Egyptian Clothing Bank have been collecting used clothes and recycling them into new products, reducing textile wastes, and offering low-cost clothes to low-income communities.

A growing apparel industry combined with a more conscious consumer market acts as the prime driver for apparel waste to occupy the leading position in the textile recycling market, together with government initiatives in the MEA region pertaining to economic diversification and having a check on environmental degradation.
High disposable incomes and fast economic growth in GCC countries have resulted in a culture of consumerism, very strongly in the fashion sector.

For instance, UAE has emerged as the newest fashion capital, with Dubai hosting a number of international brands and events on fashion. This has particularly increased the intake of clothing consumption and subsequently, more apparel wastes. Infact, it is estimated that on an average, a UAE resident discards about 7 kg of textile wastes annually. In addition, the need to diversify the economy away from over-reliance on oil has also resulted in increasing interest in garments recycling. Most GCC countries have made investment in CE-related initiatives an integral component of their respective economic transformation programs.

For example, goals related to waste management and recycling, impacting the textile industry, have been highlighted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. Egypt is one of the world's largest fine cotton producers and has been developing mechanisms for recycling cotton wastes that come up as by-products during processing. Its National Solid Waste Management Programme has provisions for handling textile wastes.

Infinitee, based in Dubai, has designed a circular model for the UAE's hotel linens and towels through recycling. Through upcycling unsold items into new products, social enterprise FabricAID gives unsold collected clothes in Lebanon a second life when picked up, sorted, and distributed again among people in need. The Clothing Bank in South Africa helps the unemployed to create small businesses by selling second-hand clothes, efficiently combining social impact with the reduction of textile wastes. The UAE Circular Economy Policy 2021-2031 identifies that it is necessary to provide sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources, a fact emphasizing the requirement for the textile sector It has adopted extended producer responsibility legislation that includes textiles, thus making producers and importers responsible for the whole life cycle of products. Some African countries, such as Rwanda and Kenya, have either banned or levied secondhand clothes imports to protect local industries.

Mechanical recycling is most likely to hold a huge share of the Middle East and Africa plastic recycling market, driven by growing demand for plastics coupled with concerns related to increasing sustainability within the region.
The rapid growth is fueling the demand for plastics across various end-user industries such as packaging, construction, automotive, and electrical & electronics. It is this rising demand, influenced by environmental concerns, that has made many industries in the MEA region invest in the adoption of recycled plastics to meet their packaging needs, thus fueling the growth of the plastic recycling market. The governments of nations within the MEA region are also developing incentives for plastic recycling and reducing pollution concerns associated with plastic wastes.

The pandemic affected the surge in demand for plastics, especially for packaging purposes and manufacturing of items such as PPE kits and ready-to-eat food items. To handle this problem, the governments have framed policies to encourage plastic recycling and created an ideal environment for mechanical recycling. Though the MEA plastic recycling market is nascent compared with other regional markets, it is likely to develop at a robust growth rate during the forecast period.

Countries like Saudi Arabia and Iran will drive the plastic recycling market for the region due to the growing installed capacities and production volumes. The MEA region still faces certain challenges related to the development of waste collection and sorting systems that form the backbone for effective mechanical recycling. Infrastructural and technological investments will need to be made if efficiency and quality are to be realized in recycling plastics within the region.

The huge drive, due to increased urbanization of the MEA region and the resultant awareness with respect to the sustainability of the environment, is supplemented by a variety of initiatives by governments to produce huge demand for sustainable and responsible textile recycling practices.

The largest markets in the MEA region for post-consumer textile recycling are the UAE and Turkey. While, on one hand, the rapid urbanization, increasing awareness towards the environment, and government initiatives have been the reasons; on the other hand, several measures have been taken by the UAE government to promote sustainable development. The latest of these is the "UAE Vision 2021", which details strategies and plans aimed at waste reduction and increasing the rate of recycling. The government of Turkey, on its part, has rolled out a "Zero Waste" initiative aimed at reducing waste and increasing the rate of recycling.

Many companies in this region, such as Emirates Recycling based in UAE and Korteks based in Turkey, are spending on post-consumer textile recycling technologies and infrastructure to lessen wastes and improve sustainability. The second growth driving factor of post-consumer textile recycling in the MEA region is raising environmental awareness in relation to pollution, waste management systems, and climate change. Gradually, consumers become more sensitive to the environment and start demanding sustainable and eco-friendly products. Demand for recycled textiles raises, and companies start to invest in technologies and infrastructure related to post-consumer textile recycling.

For example, Egyptian company Misr El-Kheir has developed technology supposed to recycle cotton fibers from post-consumer textiles for making new yarns and fabrics. Within the MEA region, state-of-the-art technologies in textile recycling are being hosted, including mechanical, chemical, and upcycling processes. So far, these technologies have made the recycling of a wide array of textiles possible, including cotton, polyester, and blends. For example, South African company Mpact developed a technology to recycle polyester fibers from post-consumer textiles, which can be used in the manufacture of new clothing and textiles. Equally, Moroccan company Sotex developed technology to recycle cotton fibers from post-consumer textiles it uses in the creation of new yarns and fabrics.

The South African textile recycling market is the leading, and this can be accorded mainly to its strong community-driven initiatives, which are supported by innovative public-private partnerships and comprehensive sustainability policies.

Grassroots organizations and local community groups have established firm ongoing networks for collection and sorting in relation to textile waste, ensuring that the most remote areas are drawn into the recycling ecosystem. These community efforts are, in most cases, complemented by educational programs aimed at raising awareness of the significance of recycling and giving practical guidance in participation. As a result, very high public engagement and commitment to textile recycling characterizes the country. Complementary to these community-driven initiatives are innovative public-private partnerships that enhance the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the recycling market.

The South African government collaborates with private sector companies in the initiation, formulation, and execution of both scalable and sustainable recycling programs. Through these partnerships, the strengths of both sectors come into play, the government provides regulatory support and incentives, while the private companies offer technological expertise and investment. For example, some firms have begun using advanced sorting and processing technologies, significantly improving the quality and quantity of recycled textiles.

These are technologies for automated sorting systems and chemical recycling methods that can handle complex streams of textile waste, turning them into high-quality raw materials for the production of new products. Most of all, the comprehensive sustainability policy of South Africa plays an instrumental role in boosting its textile recycling market. The government has enacted legislation and policy measures for waste reduction and increasing recycling with the goal of boosting the circular economy. EPR schemes put an onus on manufacturers for end-of-life management for their products.

Considered in this report

• Historic year: 2018
• Base year: 2023
• Estimated year: 2024
• Forecast year: 2029

Aspects covered in this report

• Textile Recycling market Outlook with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Material

• Cotton
• Polyester & Polyester Fiber
• Nylon & Nylon Fiber
• Wool
• Others

By Source

• Apparel Waste
• Home Furnishing Waste
• Automotive Waste
• Others

By End-Use Industry

• Apparel
• Home Furnishings
• Industrial & Institutional
• Others

By Textile Waste

• Post-consumer
• Pre-consumer

By Process

• Mechanical
• Chemicals

The approach of the report:

This report consists of a combined approach of primary and secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list the companies that are present in it. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual reports of companies, and government-generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources, primary research was conducted by conducting telephone interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducting trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this; we have started making primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting them in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us, we can start verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience

This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations, and organizations related to the Textile Recycling industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing and presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.


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