Recent trends in textile waste recycling: an overview

Abstract

The global textile industry is an important economic driver, but at the same time it generates serious environmental challenges. These challenges are twofold: the vast amounts of textile waste generated each year and the substantial climate impacts caused mainly during the production phase. According to the European Environment Agency, about 80 % of the total climate impact of textiles derives from production, 14 % from the use phase (washing, drying, ironing), 3 % from distribution and retail, and 3 % from end-of-life stage, which includes collection, sorting, recycling, incineration, and landfilling. By 2030, global apparel (clothing + footwear) consumption is projected to rise from around 70 million tons today to approximately 105 million tons. Despite this growth, less than half of textile items are collected for reuse or recycling after use, and only a very small fraction – under 1 % – are recycled into new garments. This gap is primarily due to technical barriers: the processing of mixed fibers, chemical finishing and additives, as well as the lack of scalable and cost-competitive processing systems. This review examines current work on textile waste processing, taking into account technological, regulatory, economic, and environmental factors. It also identifies innovations and strategies for developing a circular economy.