Sweden-based textile-to-textile recycling company, Renewcell, has secured multi-year purchase agreements with three European textile sorters in December, including SOEX in Germany, Texaid in Switzerland, and Sysav in Sweden. Thousands of tonnes of textile waste will be delivered to Renewcell's new facility in Sundsvall each year for recycling. Clothing and other textiles gathered from consumers that are unable to be sold second-hand will be delivered to Renewcell.

Martin Stenfors, COO at Renewcell, said that they're working hard to establish a robust regional supplier network for textile waste fractions that can be recycled with them. They're thrilled to be able to offer their partners a profitable and circular alternative to downcycling, burning, or landfilling textile products that can't be sold secondhand.

Each year, more than five million tonnes of textile waste are generated in Europe, according to the European Environment Agency (EEA). Approximately one-fifth of this total is collected for re-use, recycling for upholstery, insulation, or rags, or export to other countries. The remainder is lost in regular household waste, which is disposed of in landfills or burnt. The issue of textile waste management is a priority for the EU, and all Member States will be subject to new regulatory regulations for separate collection and preparation for textile waste recycling beginning in 2025.

Martin Stenfors adds that for the first time, they are able to create new high-quality textile raw material made totally from recycled textile waste thanks to their proprietary recycling process. Together with SOEX, Texaid, and Sysav, they are happy to contribute to the creation of a circular economy for textiles in Europe. Their collaborative effort to increase textile recycling is crucial for the EU to achieve the goals set for 2025.