Textile Recycling - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2024 - 2029)

The Textile Recycling Market size is estimated at USD 5.10 billion in 2024, and is expected to reach USD 6.40 billion by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 3.86% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

According to industry reports, textiles are the fourth highest source of environmental and climatic change pressure in terms of European consumption. The management of used textiles, as well as textile waste, is a major challenge for Europe. Due to the limited capacity for reuse and recycling in Europe, many used textiles collected within the EU are traded and exported to Africa and Asia, where their future is uncertain.

The US International Trade Commission (USITC) reported in October 2023 that the global apparel sector accounted for 1.8 % of global GHG emissions in 2021. The production of downstream materials (textile fibers and fabrics) accounted for about 90 % of the total sector's carbon emissions. The industry is expected to significantly exceed its carbon emissions target for 2030, which is set in the 1.5°C pathway by the Paris Agreement.

Government policies are important in driving efforts and innovation in the textile waste management industry. They are a reflection of global and national obligations that drive operationalization and technological innovation in the area of textile waste management. For example, in March 2021, the UK government launched a comprehensive Waste Prevention Program to reduce the environmental and social impact of textile waste, as well as in other sectors focused on key areas such as recycling, regulation, compliance, sustainability, value addition, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Textile Recycling Market Trends

Europe is Set to Revamp Initiatives Focused on Reducing Waste

In July 2023, the European Commission issued its strategies to revise the Waste Framework Directive, stressing new rules on the responsibility of textile producers and new targets for reducing food waste. According to the European Environmental Agency, the proposal could face difficulties effectively reducing overproduction and waste in the food and textiles sectors.

Europe faces a threat from climate change and the degradation of natural resources. To meet such challenges, the European Green Deal is set to change the EU into a resource-efficient and competitive economy, ensuring no net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

The European Commission says the European Green Deal has been its lifeline since the COVID-19 pandemic. One-third of the EUR 1.8 trillion (USD 1.93 trillion) investment in the Next Generation EU Recovery Plan and the EU's seven-year budget is financing the European Green Deal.

Technology is Revolutionizing the Textile Waste Management

Low-value waste can be transformed into new high-value textiles by recycling technologies. The need for innovation to exploit new recycling technologies enabling textile waste to be used as a basic material is underlined by political pressures and the climate crisis. To ensure any circular strategy's effectiveness, quality materials that can be recycled must be obtained.

Sulzer Ltd, together with Worn Again Technologies' unique solvent technology, provides equipment, technology, and expertise to form the heart of the process. New technologies and processes are also being adopted by textile recyclers to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. For example, Sulzer and H&M established Worn Again Technologies, which is working on a unique textile recycling process that turns textiles into virgin raw materials at their end of use.

A technology for the closed-loop recycling of textile waste was developed in March 2023 by Korea's Korean Research Institute on Chemical Technology. The KRICT research team has adopted an inexpensive and nontoxic biodegradable material to chemically discriminate polyester from a mixture of waste fabrics.

Textile Recycling Industry Overview

The competitive landscape in the textile recycling market consists of a mix of experienced enterprises, new companies, and organizations working on solutions that can be sustainably implemented. Separate divisions or subsidiaries dedicated to textile recycling are designated by well-established companies in the area of waste management, recycling, and textiles. Some fashion brands and retailers also integrate sustainability into their business models by including renewable textiles in their products. Public authorities and agencies affect the competitive landscape through regulation, incentives, and funding schemes to promote sustainable practices and textile recycling. Global leaders in the textile recycling market are Worn Again Technologies, Lenzing Group, and Birla Cellulose.

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• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
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