Efficient collection and sorting can create golden era for textile industry

There is enough textile produced in the world to last for several generations. At the same time, textile production is expected to continue to increase by 63% by 2030. Wargön Innovation works daily to develop solutions to create the opportunity for a transition where the production of new textiles is greatly reduced, while the textile that already exists is utilized in an efficient way.

- Putting an end to overproduction and instead focusing on longevity are important steps along the way. But to do this, we must also make use of the textiles we have already produced, and there are currently no important steps to make this possible on a large scale," says Caroline Düberg Martinsson, Innovation Manager at Wargön Innovation.

From 2025, there will be a legal requirement to collect textiles and we will need to collect textiles in a similar way to how we currently collect glass or cardboard, for example. According to the proposal that is out for consultation from the government, the municipalities will continue to be responsible for the collection, but what will happen to the textile after it is collected is more unclear.

Automation and new technologies enable efficient sorting

In Sweden, we currently throw away around 9 kilograms of textiles per person per year, a lot of which is given to second-hand shops, but much is thrown directly into household waste, which means that it is incinerated. One of the purposes of the collection requirement is that the textiles should be taken care of and given the opportunity to be used further. With 9 kilograms of textile waste per person per year and almost 10 million inhabitants in Sweden, it is clear that the amount of collected textiles will be extensive.

- At Wargön Innovation, we are working to develop an efficient sorting and valuation system that can handle large quantities of collected textiles. We already know that a large part of the textile collected is in good condition, so it should not primarily be recycled, but we will ensure that it has as high a value as possible by, for example, providing the conditions for reuse or redesign. The right textile goes to the right place," says Caroline Düberg Martinsson.

Today, the sorting and valuation of collected textiles is often done manually, but the manual work has already begun to be supplemented with various automated technologies that, for example, recognize the material composition of a garment. With future technology development and automation, the process will be able to be scaled up and industrialized further, which is necessary for circular textile production.

The new textile industry

Taking care of discarded textiles is complex because several circular flows need to run in parallel. For garments that cannot be resold as second hand, it may involve updating garments, perhaps with a new zipper or a repaired seam, or redesign where new garments are created from existing textiles. It can also involve recycling, where fabric is broken down to create new yarn, new fabric and finally a new product. Circular textiles are so much more than material recycling where used textiles are ground down or processed to become new textiles.

- This complexity of collected textiles demands a lot from us as a society, but at Wargön Innovation we are convinced that it is possible to create a textile infrastructure and, by extension, a new form of textile industry in Sweden that provides extensive access to circular textile material for companies," says Caroline Düberg Martinsson.

Human innovativeness a crucial piece of the puzzle

How textile collection works and what happens to the collected textiles has been in the media spotlight in recent weeks. The problems highlighted need a chain of solutions, where a collective collection is an important step, followed by a well-functioning infrastructure for sorting and valuation. But it also needs many innovative and creative people who see the opportunities in taking care of the collected textiles and creating value from them.

- At Wargön Innovation, we are proud to be able to support a variety of entrepreneurs, companies and public actors on their circular journey and in their work to develop and commercialize new sustainable materials and products. Companies are an important enabler for the transition to a circular and more resilient society," says Caroline Düberg Martinsson, Innovation Manager at Wargön Innovation,

- The transition is being driven from several directions and it is important that Swedish companies have the opportunity to adapt and grow based on these new conditions. We at Wargön Innovation are one of the pieces of the puzzle needed for a company to be able to test and develop its business idea and offer based on the unique knowledge we have of the valuation of used textiles and access to technical solutions for the textile valuation of the future.

Press contact:

Elin Segerlind, Communications Officer Wargön Innovation
elin.segerlind@wargoninnovation.se
0724 - 67 61 81

Caroline Düberg Martinsson, Innovation Manager Wargön Innovation
caroline.duberg@wargoninnovation.se
0768 - 00 98 28