AITEX took the opportunity of ECOFIRA to present our latest R&D and sustainability and textile recycling projects: the classification and processing of post-consumer textiles, mechanical recycling, recycling by fusion of thermoplastic fibres and chemical recycling (polyester and cotton).

R&D for businesses and the circular economy

Sorting and processing of post-consumer textiles

The textile recycling process begins with the separation and shredding of textile waste, which often contains several different materials and components like buttons and zips, etc. before the waste can be prepared for further recycling.

Mechanical recycling

One of the most commonly used recycling strategies is mechanical recycling. The process is simple and starts with the textile waste. AITEX strives to improve the recycling of PET in garments, curtains, tracksuits and pre-consumer remnants, and polyolefins in sports nets and nonwovens made purely from polypropylene and polyethylene to provide customised solutions for industrial textile waste.

Chemical recycling

AITEX is committed to developing chemical recycling, which we see as the most promising option to achieving the medium-long term objectives set out by Agenda 2030. Its main advantage is that waste can be recycled an infinite number of times without losing its properties, creating new high quality virgin polymer for use in the manufacture of new textile products.

Carbon fibre recycling

AITEX boasts all the necessary infrastructure for reusing carbon fibres found in textile articles in the manufacture of thermoplastic composites, which have a range of applications in sectors such as transport, construction and aeronautics, etc.