February 10, 2025
Sustainability

Swiss Textile Recycling Ecosystem Launched To Pioneer Circular Economy

The Swiss Textile Recycling Ecosystem has been officially launched, uniting key players from the entire textile value chain to foster a circular economy. At the core of this initiative is an innovative recycling technology developed by Worn Again Technologies (WAT), based in the UK. WAT, which recently announced plans to construct a demonstration plant near its technology and scale-up partner Sulzer Chemtech in Winterthur, Canton of Zurich, has inspired the formation of this consortium.

The consortium members will contribute various types of textile waste to WAT’s demonstration facility, capable of processing 1,000 metric tonnes annually. Following processing, the consortium aims to supply industry players with cutting-edge recycled fibres derived from PET and cellulose, creating new, high-quality textiles.

Shareholders in the consortium include WAT, Sulzer, Oerlikon from Freienbach in the Canton of Schwyz, and the H&M Group. Rieter, a spinning machine provider headquartered in Winterthur, will provide support for cellulose spinning. Monosuisse from Emmenbrücke in the Canton of Lucerne, a manufacturer of synthetic monofilaments for industrial applications, will oversee PET fibre production. Swiss retail and wholesale company Coop, headquartered in Basel, will act as a collector and raw material supplier. Texaid, specializing in the reuse of old textiles, will supply starting materials, along with ISA Sallmann from Amriswil in the Canton of Thurgau and Serge Ferrari, a French technical textile manufacturer primarily involved in the construction industry. The coordination of these efforts will be managed by the textile umbrella organization Swiss Textiles based in Zurich.

Torsten Wintergerste, Chairman of WAT and Division President at Sulzer Chemtech, stated, “The collaboration will also play a vital role in developing our capacities and building up a network to support the construction of large-scale plants across the world.”

 

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