Editorial: Opportunities for Textile Reuse and Materials Recycling Highlighted at ITMA 2023

To meet upcoming sustainability targets, recycled fibres from post-consumer textile waste will have to be accommodated in nonwoven and technical textile applications. This was a key takeaway from ITMA 2023, a comprehensive textile technology exhibition held in Milan, Italy, during June 8-14, 2023.

Recycling was a major theme at the event, highlighting the global textile industry's push towards sustainability and efforts to address forthcoming regulations, including the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles, which aims to make all textile products on the EU market durable, repairable, recyclable, and made predominantly of recycled fibres by 2030. This ambitious goal is fostering supply chain partnerships and spurring innovation in recycling technology.

At ITMA 2023, several exhibitors showcased their commitment to innovation in this field, including Andritz Group, AUTEFA Solutions, Dell'Orco & Villani, Pure Loop, Rieter, Säntis Textiles, Saurer Group, Starlinger, Temsan and Wastex. Also, the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles has brought focus to the potential for national extended producer responsibility (EPR) schemes to help drive recycling efforts.

France, which pioneered the "producer pays" EPR scheme for textiles as long ago as 2008, is paving the way for other European countries. Brands and retailers placing products on the French market are charged a fee to support their recycling. France's scheme also incorporates an "eco-modulation" component which rewards companies with reduced fees if their products are easy to recycle or contain recycled content.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands and Sweden are gearing up to introduce their own EPR schemes and Switzerland, Turkey, and the UK are unlikely to delay taking action much longer.