The ECORUG project aims to manufacture 100% recyclable carpets and rugs made from polyester materials which can be recycled by shredding, eliminating the costly and time consuming separation process.

The demand for polyester fibre is increasing yearly, to the point that it is now the most commonly used fibre in textile manufacturing. This means that the vast majority of waste is from polyester, increasing environmental pollution. Through this project, AITEX seeks to ensure that at the end of a carpet’s life it can be reprocessed into new products, supporting a circular economy.

To achieve this objective, the project aims to optimise the enhanced properties of feel, appearance and resilience of the resulting textured multifilament yarns and create a substitute for latex that will maintain the bond between components without altering the necessary physical properties. Different polymer functionalisation tasks have been planned, including spinning by melt spinning, etc. The best meltspun multifilaments will be texturised using DTY and BCF and the various parameters of the different texturing technologies will be adjusted to optimise the subsequent prototyping.

The expected results will enable:

• Spun multifilament yarns with excellent properties of touch, appearance and resilience, using the resulting functionalised blends.
• DTY and BCF texturising of the best yarns obtained in the spinning mill to make consumer prototypes using tufting technology.
• The creation of sustainable ink-jet finishes for the prototypes made with these yarns and commercially available yarns.
• The replacement of latex with a polyester material.
• Total and direct recyclability of the manufactured prototypes.

FILE: IMDEEA/2020/21

This project has the support of the Conselleria d’Economia Sostenible, Sectors Productius, Comerç i Treball de la Generalitat Valenciana, through IVACE, and is co-financed by EU ERDF funds, within the ERDF Operational Programme of the Comunitat Valenciana 2014-2020.