THE TEXTILE RECYCLING REVOLUTION: WHAT IF WE LET NATURE INSPIRE US?

The fashion industry produces mountains of textile waste every year, much of which ends up in landfill or incinerators. A huge challenge that Europe must urgently address, considering the obligation to collect textiles separately by 2025 established by the Green Deal.

THE CHALLENGE OF MIXED FABRICS: WHEN RECYCLING BECOMES COMPLEX

The real Gordian knot of textile recycling? Post-consumer mixed fabrics. A simple jacket can contain polyester, cotton, elastane, synthetic linings, buttons and small metal parts – all materials that behave as “incompatible ingredients” in a traditional “from textile to textile” recycling process.

Pre-consumer fabrics (production waste) are “cleaner” because they are homogeneous and generated in relatively controlled environments, however they present challenges when combining natural and synthetic fibers. This is where current technologies show their limits.

MECHANICAL RECYCLING: RELIABLE BUT LIMITED

Mechanical recycling – the one that grinds fabrics with “Garnett machines” (with rotating rollers, perfected in the nineteenth century) – is like an “industrial blender”: simple, energy efficient, but only works with less than 20% of textile waste. Why? It must start from already selected and homogeneous materials (the manual selection of rag and bone men in Prato or sophisticated vision and robotic systems can help, but the scope of action is limited)

The process shortens the fibers, reducing the quality of the final yarn. It is perfect for producing basic materials, but does not allow for obtaining premium fabrics. In short: reliable but with limited potential.

CHEMICAL RECYCLING: HIGH POTENTIAL, COMPROMISED QUALITY

On the other hand we have chemical recycling, which uses thermal processes, glycolysis or enzymatic fermentation to “dissolve” fibres at the molecular level. It can theoretically process mixed fabrics without prior selection – a huge advantage.

European projects are achieving promising results in “fibre to fibre” recycling. However, the chemical complexity leads to high costs, high energy consumption and often a downgrading of the final quality. Many solutions are still at pilot level and the necessary investments are significant.

RESPETTO: THE HYBRID TECHNOLOGY INSPIRED BY NATURE

At Regenstech we have developed Respetto, a revolutionary technology inspired by the natural digestive process that is both mechanical and chemical.

The result? Not only recycling, but high quality upcycling applicable without incoming selection to all types of waste (textile, artificial animal and mixed fibres). The secondary raw material generated is so high-performance that it can be used to produce designer chairs and premium components.

THE FUTURE IS HYBRID

While the industry debates whether to focus on mechanical or chemical, we have chosen a third way: the intelligent combination of the two technologies. Respetto can process both post-consumer and pre-consumer mixed fabrics, overcoming the limits of traditional mechanical recycling and the qualitative degradation of chemical, with lower investments.

The hybrid approach represents the “decisive turning point” that the textile industry was waiting for: transforming every waste into a valuable resource, truly closing the circle of the circular economy.

Nature has taught us that the most effective processes are those that combine multiple mechanisms. With Respetto, every discarded garment can become the seed of a cleaner and more innovative textile future. It is not just recycling: it is regeneration.