Textile Recycling Market Overview, 2024-29

From Tokyo to Toronto is a global transformation. Textile recycling has written a new story in this war against waste, where yesterday's fabrics become tomorrow's fashion. As early days of manual reprocessing graduated through the years to today's sophisticated technologies, so has the global textile recycling market. Historically, textile recycling began with simple re-use and mendability of worn garments, especially in times when resources were scarce, as during the World Wars. The creation of fast fashion late in the 20th century increased textile waste to such a degree that more structured recycling practices developed.

It is in this regard that increased environmental awareness and regulatory pressure have put the manufacturing industry under great pressure to emphasize technological and industrial initiatives for improving efficiency and scale in textile recycling in the 2000s. Some cost advantages can be incurred with the use of recycled textiles compared to virgin materials; it, therefore, will benefit manufacturers and indirectly consumers. In addition, through recycling, the economic load of waste management and environmental remediation gets reduced. The textile recycling industry, therefore, helps to sustain both economic and environmental programs.

Today, due to various principal factors stimulating the growth, the global textile recycling market is registering rapid growth. On the other hand, today the focus is more than ever on recycling, as the amount of textile waste increases with growing global consumption and fast fashion. New technologies improving this sector through automation in sorting and innovations in chemical recycling allow for a well-represented position of large players in the sector are established recycling companies, technology developers, and major fashion brands investing in sustainable practices.

According to the research report, “Global Textile Recycling Market Overview, 2029” the market is anticipated to cross USD 6 Billion by 2029, increasing from USD 5 Billion in 2023. The important driving force is the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly products and increasing regulations set by governments to minimize textile waste. The new developments taking place in the field of textile recycling concern technological innovation and enhancement of the recycling processes. Advanced sorting technologies, such as artificial intelligence and robotics, enable the process of separating different kinds of textiles.

These methods of chemical recycling can potentially break down complex fibers to their base components for re-use in new textile products. With the technology on fiber-to-fiber increasing, high-quality recycled fibers are being produced and their properties matched with those of virgin fibers. This has taken textile recycling to new dimensions in terms of viability and scalability. Thus, sustainability is at the very core of what drives the global textile recycling market. The model for the circular economy places reduction of waste and maximization of resource efficiency at the forefront.

Textile recycling helps mitigate environmental impacts by diverting waste from landfills and reducing the demand for virgin materials. Programs such as the Circular Economy Initiative by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and the Circular Fashion System Commitment by the Global Fashion Agenda are modeling ways to drive sustainable practices. Governments around the world are increasingly encouraging textile recycling through regulations and incentives.

For instance, the European Union put in place the Waste Framework Directive and the Circular Economy Action Plan, which established ambitious targets on recycling and promoted EPR. It is also key events and initiatives that drive forward the textile recycling market. For example, the Copenhagen Fashion Summit serves as a highly relevant platform where industry leaders debate and discuss existing practices in sustainability and new innovations for recycling textiles. Other such initiatives and events are the Circular Fashion Summit and Fashion Revolution Week, which underline that business has to increasingly stay updated on circular economy practices and sustainable fashion.

The Global Change Award of the H&M Foundation supports ground-breaking innovations in textile recycling and gives impetus to new technologies and business models in the industry. State-of-the-art technological innovations are creating a stir in the global textile recycling market. Advances in sorting technology using AI and machine learning have greatly enhanced the efficiency of sorting by fiber type and color, reducing contamination and increasing the quality of the reclaimed material. Chemical recycling is another important development that allows digestion down to the very basic chemical building blocks of synthetic fibers, which are then used in the manufacture of new fibers.

Besides, developments in enzymatic recycling include specialized enzymes that can break down complex fibers, hence offering a far more sustainable form of recycling compared to the mechanical ones. Notwithstanding the growth, a host of challenges faces the global textile recycling market. One major challenge is the inconsistency of the infrastructure and process for recycling across different regions. From collection systems to processing facilities and even legislation, they may differ from one region to another, hence affecting how efficient the recycling effort will be.

Second, there is a very high need to raise public awareness and engagement, as most consumers and businesses do not understand how to undertake proper recycling. The quality of collected textile wastes is another factor that affects the output quality of their recycling. In order to meet such challenges, there needs to be harmonized efforts between the governments, players within industries, and consumers in initiating robust recycling systems that enhance sustainable practices.

Market Drivers

• Environmental Awareness and Regulation: As global awareness of environmental issues increases, both consumers and governments are placing greater emphasis on sustainability and waste reduction. This heightened environmental consciousness is driving demand for textile recycling, as it offers a solution to manage the growing volume of textile waste generated by the fashion and textile industries. Regulations and policies are being implemented worldwide to promote recycling and reduce waste.

For instance, the European Union’s Circular Economy Action Plan and Waste Framework Directive set ambitious targets for textile recycling and encourage extended producer responsibility (EPR). Similarly, various U.S. states, including California, have enacted legislation to promote textile recycling. These regulations not only push industries to adopt recycling practices but also provide financial incentives and support infrastructure development, further driving market growth.

• Technological Advancements in Recycling Processes: Innovations in recycling technologies are transforming the textile recycling market by making processes more efficient and scalable. Advances such as automated sorting systems using artificial intelligence and robotics improve the accuracy and speed of separating different types of textiles, which enhances the quality of recycled materials. Chemical recycling technologies allow for the breakdown of complex synthetic fibers into their chemical components, which can then be used to produce new textiles. Fiber-to-fiber recycling technologies also enable the direct conversion of old textiles into new fibers without significant loss in quality. These technological advancements are expanding the capabilities of textile recycling, making it a more viable and attractive option for managing textile waste.

Market Challenges

• Quality and Contamination of Textile Waste: One of the significant challenges in textile recycling is the quality and contamination of textile waste. Textiles are often mixed with non-textile materials, such as buttons, zippers, and other embellishments, which can complicate the recycling process. Contaminated textiles, which include items that have been heavily soiled or treated with chemicals, can further reduce the efficiency and effectiveness of recycling operations. This contamination not only impacts the quality of recycled fibers but also increases processing costs and the complexity of sorting and recycling processes. Addressing this challenge requires improved collection systems, better sorting technologies, and public education to ensure that textiles are clean and free of contaminants before they enter the recycling stream.
• Lack of Standardization and Infrastructure: The global textile recycling market faces challenges related to the lack of standardization and infrastructure. Different regions have varying regulations, standards, and practices for textile recycling, which can hinder the development of a cohesive and efficient recycling system. Inconsistent infrastructure, such as limited recycling facilities and inadequate collection systems, further complicates the recycling process. The disparity in recycling capabilities across regions can lead to inefficiencies and missed opportunities for recycling. To overcome these challenges, there is a need for more standardized practices and investments in infrastructure to support effective textile recycling across different geographies.

Market Trends

• Growth of Circular Economy Practices: The circular economy model is gaining traction in the textile industry as a means to reduce waste and promote sustainability. Circular economy practices emphasize designing products for longevity, encouraging reuse and repair, and incorporating recycled materials into new products. The global textile recycling market is increasingly aligning with these principles, with many brands and companies integrating recycled textiles into their product lines. This trend is driven by both consumer demand for sustainable products and the need for industries to comply with environmental regulations. The growth of circular economy practices is reshaping the textile recycling market, making it a central component of the industry’s sustainability efforts.
• Rise of Consumer-Driven Sustainability Initiatives: Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and are demanding greater transparency and sustainability from brands. This shift in consumer behavior is influencing the textile recycling market, as brands respond by adopting recycling practices and promoting their sustainability efforts. The rise of second-hand fashion, clothing rental services, and sustainable fashion brands reflects this trend. Consumers are increasingly seeking products made from recycled materials and are supporting companies that prioritize environmental responsibility.

The demand for polyester and polyester fiber in the global textile recycling market are based on durability, versatility, and a growing call for the adoption of cleaner technologies as a means to help reduce the environmental impacts associated with fast fashion.

Due to the fact that it is strong, dries fast, and has wrinkle- and shrinkage-resistance properties, synthetic fiber sourced from petroleum has made it a very sought-after material in the production of fabrics. These qualities make polyester quite in demand in very many applications, running from apparel to home textiles, which ordained it to hold a huge market presence and consequently result in huge wastes. The huge quantum of textile waste has increased a lot due to the environmental impact of fast fashion on the global textile industry.

Thus, polyester is a large component of this waste stream; therefore, it has also become a target for recycling efforts trying to mitigate the environmental impact of the industry. Recycling polyester fibers could probably be one such solution toward the mitigation of the environmental impact of textile wastes, because they can be mechanically or chemically recycled into new fibers for virgin petroleum-based materials. Mechanical recycling means shredding the polyester fibers and spinning them again into new yarn. After that, a huge number of products can be made. This process saves resources by not allowing waste to go to landfills, and thus does not defy the concept of the circular economy.

On the other side, mechanical recycling will over time degrade the fibers' quality. Counter striker strategies concerning this problem are balanced by innovative technologies like chemical recycling. Chemical recycling means breaking down polyester into its constituent molecules and then re-polymerizing them into new high-quality fibers. This could establish a closed loop for polyester and thus further improve the overall sustainability of the material. Investments in polyester recycling technologies and infrastructure have been driven by a growing demand for sustainable textile solutions.

Increasingly, governments, businesses, and consumers alike are coming to the realization of just how great the environment impact of the textile industry is and needs attending to. Either through stimulating regulatory frameworks like the Circular Economy Action Plan of the European Union or through brands and retailers' targets related to sustainability, which involve the use of recycled materials, incentives for such recycling practices are being set up. The new recycling technologies have increased both quality and yield of recycled polyesters, thus expanding their potential uses. Indeed, since the quality of recovered polyester products has improved, there is increased acceptance among consumers and manufacturers alike, who may have had qualms about the use of such secondary materials due to possible lack of durability and aesthetic appeal.

Home Furnishing Waste's growth in the global textile recycling market is due to the increasing consumer demand to make interior changes frequently, together with emerging fast furniture trends and awareness about environmental impacts from textile waste.
The roots of this trend can be found in several factors interconnected with one another, reshaping the home furnishings industry and consumers' behavior over the last years. First, the growth of social media Instagram and Pinterest, particularly has sustained a culture of constant redecoration of the house, in which consumers have come to emulate the latest design trends and create "Instagram-worthy" living spaces. This has led to frequent purchase cycles for home textiles, thereby reducing their lifecycle, like curtains, upholstery, bedding, and decorative.

The fast home furnishings movement democratized the access of more people at affordable prices, another concept taken from fast fashion in the apparel industry. Most of the time, this has been made at the cost of durability, which means that replacement cycles are getting shorter and disposal rates higher. Increasing awareness about the environmental problems resulting from textile waste is creating drive among consumers and businesses to find recycling solutions for home furnishings. Most raw materials used in home textiles, like cotton, polyester, and wool, can be potentially recovered.

Nevertheless, the complexity already existing in some products, such as multi-layer curtains or composite upholstery materials, renders them quite impossible to feed into the recycling process. This way, it has encouraged innovation in the recycling sector toward the development of new technologies and methods with a focus on home furnishing textiles. More than this, EPR regulations of many countries are getting expanded to home furnishings and are persuading the manufacturers to account for end-of-life management of products.

The pre-consumer textile recycling has become prominent in the global textile recycling market is that increasing adoption of circular economy principles and sustainable manufacturing practices by textile manufacturers.

The manufacturers and brands are under pressure to make intensive efforts toward more sustainable production and lower environmental impact. One such strategy for doing so is pre-consumer textile recycling. Pre-consumer textile recycling is the collection and recycling of all types of textile wastes generated while manufacturing a product, for example, scraps of fabrics, yarn wastes, and defective products. These can be duly recycled to help the textile manufacturer or brand reduce landfills, save raw material usage, and thereby reduce energy and water consumption.

Many textile manufacturers and brands are joining the race in the circular economy by designing out waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems. This is where pre-consumer textile recycling comes in are closing the loops of production processes for companies to achieve a much more sustainable and regenerative system. For example, Patagonia, H&M, and Zara have started investing in technologies and infrastructures related to pre-consumer textile recycling in order to trim down the associated waste and enhance their environmental performance.

There are startups such as Re;Newcell and Worn Again that are coming up with new pre-consumer textile recycling technologies that will be able to recycle highly diversified textile materials, from cotton and polyester to blends. Another driver for pre-consumer textile recycling is the rise in consumer demand for sustainable and eco-friendly products. Consumers are becoming more environmentally conscious and are demanding products made with sustainable materials, produced with less waste, and less pollution. In such a scenario, textile manufacturers and brands that integrate pre-consumer textile recycling practices into their operations can be differentiated from others and appeal to this growing market of environment-conscious consumers.

Chemical recycling will dominate the global textile recycling market because high-quality recycled fiber production can rival virgin material properties.
Chemical recycling of this kind includes breaking down the textile waste into its basic chemical components, like monomers or polymers, and then reforming them into new fibers. This would, therefore, achieve recovery of such materials difficult to mechanically recycle, as in the case of blended fabrics or those containing synthetic fibers. Depolymerization of the textile waste removes dyes, finishes, and other contaminants to leave clean raw materials at high purity, which is then used again in textile production.

Demand for sustainable textiles is on the rise, and chemical recycling technologies find fertile ground against the backdrop of mounting pressure on brands to reduce their ecological footprint. Consumers are becoming increasingly concerned about the ecological footprint of fashion. The shift in consumer preference has made them look toward products that can be made from recycled materials. The chemical recycling can help to set up closed-loop recycling processes in which textile wastes are reprocessed a number of times without any major deterioration in the quality of the fibers.

Indeed, according to a circular economy, resources have to be maintained in circulation as long as possible, thereby attaining maximum value and generating minimum waste. The need for the textile industry to decrease its reliance on virgin raw materials and fossil resources situates chemical recycling at the core of the development of high-quality and sustainable fibers. Advancements in chemical recycling technologies have fostered its growth in the global market. Researchers and companies are continuously working to invent processes that are more efficient and cost-effective, reducing the barriers to adoption. For example, enzymatic recycling, based on using enzymes to break down textile waste, has so far shown very promising results regarding fiber quality and environmental impact.

The APAC region is rapidly industrializing and urbanizing; huge textiler waste impels investments in cutting-edge recycling technologies and associated infrastructure.

The rapid industrialization and urbanization are two major factors driving the growth of the Asia-Pacific region in the global textile recycling market. With the pace of accelerating economic development and urbanization, the rise in textile consumption has been at par with that of waste generation in APAC countries. The sharp increase in production and disposal of textiles is occurring in large economies such as China and India and new markets such as Vietnam and Thailand. This surge in this textile waste brings together a large number of potential environmental challenges and huge opportunities for the textile recycling industry.

The large volumes of textile wastes resulting from higher population densities and higher consumption rates in urban centers raise awareness for the need to find efficient solutions in waste management. It is therefore a trending phenomenon that many governments and businesses across APAC are increasingly developing and investing in advanced recycling technologies and infrastructure to tackle this challenge. This means the development of world-class recycling facilities deploying state-of-the-art technologies, including chemical recycling enabling the dissolution of all textiles back into their raw material elements for re-use and advanced automated sorting mechanisms that ensure maximum recovery efficiency from waste. There are also policies and initiatives from governments that encourage investment in facilities to drive goals on sustainability and the circular economy. Indeed, many APAC countries have instituted regulations and incentives that are conducive to textile recycling, extending producer liability programs that require companies to handle the entire lifecycle of their products through collection, recycling, and waste management. This set of policies not only serves an important function in managing textile waste but also stimulates the development of recycling technologies and infrastructure.

For instance, China has implemented various regulations that have favored the recycling industry and reduced impacts on the environment, hence a significant milestone in the sector.

• In April 2023, Circ partnered with Zara to launch a womenswear collection made from recycled lyocell and polyester separated from mixed textile waste. Such a partnership is expected to create lucrative opportunities for the market during the forecast period.
• In May 2023, Birla Cellulose partnered with TextileGenesisTM to provide transparency and traceability solutions in the fiber and apparel industry. Birla Cellulose is actively collaborating with brands and supply chain partners, innovators, and orchestrators such as Canopy, Fashion for Good and Circular Fashion Partners to develop its circular business model and enhance regional footprints.
• In October 2022, Lenzing AG entered into a partnership with CISUTAC (Circular and Sustainable Textiles), a project co-founded by the EU. Through this partnership, Lenzing AG is focusing on increasing the production of recycled textile waste.
• In 2022, Renewcell AB signed a Letter of Intent with Birla Cellulose, a flagship company of Aditya Birla Group, concerning a long-term commercial collaboration for man-made cellulosic fiber production.
• In 2022, Hyosung TNC Co. Ltd. launched t-shirts made of regen, an eco-friendly material
• In June 2020, Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited acquired the PET recycling facility owned by AG Resinas Ltda. The acquisition included a complete ownership stake in the company, which specializes in transforming PET into PET flakes and pellets in Juiz de Fora, Brazil, through one of its subsidiary companies

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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