Europe generates around 13.3 million tonnes of textile waste every year – roughly 25 kilograms per person. But donating clothes does not automatically mean they will be recycled. Currently, less than 1% of textiles are recycled into new textile fibres.
At VIENNA FASHION WEEK.26, a panel discussion moderated by Lilian Klebow brought together experts from recycling, industry and fashion to explore what needs to change to make textile circularity work on a larger scale.
Why Textile Recycling Is Still So Difficult
As Nunu Kaller explained, the challenges go beyond technology. Sorting textiles remains a major obstacle, particularly when garments are made from blended fibres. Materials combining polyester and viscose, for example, can make chemical recycling considerably more difficult.
Still, progress is being made. Alexander Opelt, CEO of Saubermacher, joined textile recycling expert Tércio Pinto of Refibertech and designer Gabriele Rigby of FRÖHLICH to discuss practical approaches to closing the loop.
Automated systems can analyse textiles and sort them by fibre type and colour, while buttons and zippers can be removed mechanically. These technologies offer promising ways to improve recycling processes, although making them work efficiently at scale remains a challenge.
Circular Fashion Takes Collective Action
Technology alone will not solve the problem. A functioning textile circular economy requires cooperation between policymakers, manufacturers and consumers. Proper textile disposal, stronger controls against unfairly priced imports and product design that considers future reuse and recycling are all part of the solution.
The discussion made one thing clear: responsibility is shared across the entire life cycle of a garment. How clothes are designed and produced matters just as much as how they are bought, collected, sorted and processed at the end of their first life.
The goal is to move away from a throwaway mindset and towards a system in which materials retain their value for as long as possible – and can become the starting point for something new.
Fashion doesn’t end. It begins anew.
