Turning Waste into value: McKinsey’s report on textile recycling

All stakeholders across the textile recycling value chain must act now to accelerate the industry development

[{"selector":"#anim-dfd1072b-22b3-4609-a551-83d34be5a63e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-48ccd4c0-a939-43ad-a686-b33c9482d037","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0ab02a30-aca0-4184-983a-1d0bfb234fa8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-137.28813%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9b0431b6-a653-4985-9f3d-75d6eea9592a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4e430942-bb8f-4719-9b7b-e56f99c96f1a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

According to Mckinsey’s report on textile recycling “From waste to value”, 15 kg of textile waste is generated by an individual during one year in Europe.

[{"selector":"#anim-815924cc-0e8e-495e-8942-e665dc59fe84","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b6aaabd5-5ee6-4393-b709-75964a73645c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c90015a0-992b-4ae3-8b2f-8d858b4896ae","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-128.73134%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-14d480fa-b960-4826-ac6f-861f8295b7d0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c3eeb214-134f-4c8e-ab79-edce0264a0e7","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

The waste management of textile waste products is hazardous to the environment accounting for 3-10% of the total GHG emissions

[{"selector":"#anim-4451530b-5638-4acd-a748-527f5f4b2630","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-baf72a5e-b470-4f30-b61e-ab6de0d4fd9b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8a2b1e1f-1338-4eed-be0b-bf673cb0e163","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-130.70866%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-48315c1b-06c2-43af-8182-ab35560ad7d5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-de2907e8-e700-4c7c-bd09-c7cf22eb2dfa","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Currently, the textile value chain works on the logic of “take-make-waste”. This linear the value chain needs to be transformed into a circular one.

[{"selector":"#anim-749e6f0b-bb3c-45cb-aefb-e8d296fd570f","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f50050da-5888-4cca-afec-ee6f645024b3","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b5a84c3a-6354-4708-bd1a-b1b461aaa5cd","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-125.09091%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1e689e90-c8a3-4586-8e0b-f38c999fdd3e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-95ee83a6-7f12-43c5-bfa9-0a6998dc8d86","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Analysis indicates that fiber-to-fiber recycling could reach 18-26% waste by 2030

[{"selector":"#anim-d590712a-90ed-449e-821a-14c9a881c163","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5a7693c9-e7b5-411d-a2fe-2a39bb9fd744","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3ce76cef-330e-493e-9cae-4e07629b684d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-125.09091%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6647011c-7f0a-4b58-a7d0-3e1bfb278572","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d06853d4-a3fb-4643-ad00-e60518fb2a1a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Around 15,000 green jobs can be created as a result and carbon emissions can be reduced by 4 million ton

[{"selector":"#anim-ad815162-4715-4d40-aa45-042af93889c2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-481b4b34-ec37-481e-bf11-7434a44fb56e","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b916f4e2-fdbf-467f-948a-4719d7936669","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-124.72727%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e1f86489-a77c-4695-a6e3-12c788e79f33","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-acb285d2-0965-468d-b724-3aec7929331c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

There is a need for critical scaling, investment, public factor push, real collaboration, and transition funding as the main ingredients for success

[{"selector":"#anim-a5383aa8-a667-43f8-bdbb-059c7d8251f8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-3cf3819c-7bbc-4021-bc8b-8c221b3d9fef","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a6413d68-2540-415c-ac3a-c8ffbacbcab8","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-123.04965%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-01bcfdab-f198-406a-b132-176381b57b9a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5cf01846-9735-479f-9978-919a2cea9872","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

New value chains to create closed-loop textile circularity are collection, sorting for reuse, sorting for recycling, pre-processing, and recycling.

[{"selector":"#anim-1b99c4d5-841d-4e0f-a8e3-11c5cb453e54","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b4c541ed-c0f9-401b-b00f-ea0bcbcbd12b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-06af092d-f915-4807-8194-915923a03ef7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-123.04965%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bf3ac67f-5b2c-45d4-aad7-1653a77da14e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cd497584-bb3a-48b8-803d-15e1fa6276e5","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Currently four technologies are available for recycling textiles: mechanical recycling, thermo-mechanical recycling, chemical recycling, and thermo-chemical recycling. 10.

[{"selector":"#anim-736f8893-b738-40ab-a213-1d04b49454ed","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ba483baa-88a5-4e5d-982d-8f527a8b3de9","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-23e38675-8bc2-4560-bef0-fd90519b49b4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-122.37762%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bd069da2-3cb2-4376-9e7b-e6ed5c536be1","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f4829c1b-39a6-4c04-86cf-df1c4196a5a6","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Mechanical recycling technologies are the most CO2e emission-friendly, with a CO2 the reduction potential of 60 to 90 percent across all fiber types on spun fiber levels.

[{"selector":"#anim-59997016-f47b-44cc-833b-06bb785bca6e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-dbefbbd9-ea7a-426d-8d3b-0c97b7bf3972","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-70c4435a-c932-4742-8547-b10271b0ca70","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-123.65592%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-32b3ba50-b7f9-42dd-9c70-cee955587fe6","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-46e43512-0c58-4fb7-809d-c3cb99d1fd69","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}]