To assist the expansion of OnceMore, an innovative industrial-scale technology for recycling blended textile waste developed by fiber solutions company Lenzing Group and Swedish forest industry group Södra, EU Life has given a record-breaking amount of €10 million ($10.9 million).

Södra, a Swedish company, and Lenzing Group, an Austrian company, worked together to develop the successful initiative known as OnceMore.

The cash will be utilized for the joint venture Life Treats (Textile Recycling in Europe AT Scale), which is funded by the "EU Life 2022 Circular Economy and Quality of Life" program.

Södra and Lenzing will use their extensive expertise, technological know-how, and experience to improve the distinctive OnceMore procedure even more. Lenzing is a major global supplier of specialised fibers for the textile and nonwoven industries, while Södra's OnceMore process offers a workable alternative for achieving circularity in the textile industry.

By avoiding downcycling, landfilling, or incineration for significant amounts of colored, blended textile waste, the project is positioned to significantly advance the EU Circular Economy Action Plan. Participants will come from all points along the textile circular value chain, from raw materials to manufacture, distribution, collection, and recycling.