The report reveals that whilst the market potential for textile-to-textile recycling in Europe is clear — with volumes of post-consumer textile waste suitable for fibre-to-fibre recycling projected to reach 1.2 million tonnes by 2030, along with  increasing regulatory pressure — realising a viable business case remains challenging due to two interconnected barriers: limited access to quality feedstock, and a lack of infrastructure at scale.

Despite the abundance of textile waste, feedstock for chemical recycling remains limited and expensive, predominantly due to low collection rates and a lack of incentive for sorters to provide feedstock of a quality needed for recycling. Current inefficiencies in sorting and pre-processing result in high material losses, highlighting the need for further R&D in sorting and recycling technologies, whilst high energy and labour cost highlight the need for energy-efficient operations and access to low-cost renewable energy for recyclers. 

Key levers to unlock progress include mandatory recycled content targets, eco-modulated EPR, smarter design, investment in renewables and automation, and public-private finance models. 

Yet challenges remain. Much of the current analysis depends on early-stage demonstrators and incomplete data. As the sector matures, better data on costs, yields and material flows will be key. That’s why the path forward must include harmonised EU-wide systems to track textile waste and its composition, along with more detailed assessments of pre-processing technologies and recycling compatibility

Download the report.