BlockTexx, Australia's first textile recycling plant, has begun construction, with the goal of diverting 4,000 tonnes of textiles from landfills in its first year.

BlockTexx expects the plant in Logan, Southeast Queensland, to recycle about 4,000 tonnes of textiles in its first year of operation, creating up to 30 new full-time employees and generating a $43 million economic effect on the area.

BlockTexx expects to create more than 140 employment, 50,000 tonnes of recovered textile, and a total CO2 offset of 1,250,000 tonnes over the next four years (based on annualized amounts).

On the first site, BlockTexx is collaborating with Wiley, a well-known engineering and construction firm in Queensland.

Adrian Jones and Graham Ross, co-founders of BlockTexx, credit a trifecta of factors for their company's success: a fundamental shift in the country's priorities toward sustainable design and solutions; partnering and engaging with ethically-minded organizations; and a clear strategy for "breaking down the fibers of misconception."

Ross said that BlockTexx is ramping up its textile resource recovery technology. The separation of fiber technology (S.O.F.T.) is a commercial-scale method for eliminating textile waste and breaking down no-longer-needed garments and textiles.

The textile recovery plant at BlockTexx is a world-class facility that combines chemical separation techniques with sophisticated manufacturing. Wiley will be in charge of the delivery of BlockTexx's new facility, as well as the installation of equipment and the plant's commissioning.

BlockTexx has raised $5.5 million in Series A funding, due to a combination of private investment, grant monies from three levels of government (including a $997,617 Federal commitment and $155,000 from Logan City Council), and seed investor backing.