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Working together towards a recycling solution for textiles: eight project partners from industry and research will present the project ‘The Key’ at the launch event of the BMBF funding measure ‘Circular Textiles’ on 11/12 March in Berlin. The pioneering project for the circularity of the textile industry is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The aim is to fully recycle polyester/cotton blended fabrics through various key innovations in order to enable the sustainable use of these materials. These innovations are aimed at the disposal and recycling of textiles, the recovery of foreign fibre content, closing the loop using the revolTEX® process and Design with Circularity.

The following partners are involved in the project: Mewa Textil-Service SE & Co. Management OHG, JAKO AG, matterr GmbH, Research Institute for Textiles and Clothing (FTB) of the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences, Institute for Chemical and Thermal Process Engineering (ICTV) of the Technical University of Braunschweig, ifeu - Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg gGmbH, Klopman International SRL and Hero-Textil AG.
 

The challenge: mechanical and chemical recycling are currently reaching their limits

Polyester/cotton blended fabrics are widely used, especially in workwear and sportswear, but have been difficult to recycle up to now. Mechanical recycling processes often lead to a loss of quality and only allow a certain proportion of recycled fibres to be used in new textiles. Chemical processes offer an alternative, but until now have often led to the loss of one of the two materials. This is precisely where ‘The Key’ comes in, enabling both components to be recycled efficiently and completely. Mechanical and chemical recycling should complement each other in the best possible way.

One of the solutions: The revolutionary revolTEX® process in combination with Design with Circularity
One of the project's key innovations is the revolTEX® back-to-monomer recycling process, which is already being used successfully for materials containing PET. This process enables the targeted recycling of polyester-PET fibres from blended fabrics. Further developments are aimed at the gentle recovery of cotton fibres so that they can also be recycled into textiles after processing:

Polyester (PET): The monomers obtained are to be used to produce new PET fibres - with the same quality as primary fibres.

Cotton (CO): The cellulose it contains is to be converted into high-quality pulp that can be used for the production of new textile fibres.

A second key innovation is the development and realisation of innovative design concepts. This aims to develop textiles from recycled fibres that can be reprocessed and reused again and again.
 

The benefits for the environment and industry

The implementation of ‘The Key’ project results in significant benefits for the environment and the entire textile industry:

- Reduction of textile waste

- Sustainable climate and resource protection

- Production of durable, recyclable clothing

- Marketable recycling of PET in fibre blends

A strong team for a sustainable future

‘The Key’ brings together experts along the entire textile value chain - from material manufacturers to clothing brands, recycling companies and research institutions. This interdisciplinary team is working together to develop a holistic, energy-efficient and circular solution for the textile industry.

‘Sustainability and resource conservation are key challenges of our time. The Key brings together partners from industry and research to develop innovative solutions for sustainable materials, recycling processes and circular business models. Together, we are setting new standards for resource conservation and environmental compatibility in the industry,’ says project manager Dr Diana Wolf, Research & Development at MEWA Textil-Service SE & Co. Management OHG.

The Key’ is a decisive step towards a circular textile economy. The project removes industry-wide hurdles and paves the way for the sustainable use of polyester/cotton blended fabrics. The Key to Circularity!

The project is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) with a total of 1,590,171 euros as part of the ‘Resource-efficient circular economy - circular textiles’ funding programme. This research project is part of the BMBF research concept ‘Resource-efficient circular economy’ and aims to enable the high-quality recycling of textiles. The project will run for three years (01.09.2024 - 31.08.2027/ funding code: 033R408A-F).