How Textile Recycling Works

Recycling textiles may sound simple - turning old clothes into new ones - but in reality, it’s a complex process involving multiple steps, materials, and technologies. Each type of fibre, colour, and blend behaves differently, meaning no single solution works for all fabrics.

As discussed in our earlier posts, textile waste is growing faster than our ability to manage it, and recycling is one of the key ways to keep valuable materials in use for longer. The process begins long before the recycling plant - with collection and sorting. Items are separated by material composition, colour, and condition. Reusable garments are resold or donated, while the rest are prepared for recycling.

Sorting is still largely done by hand, but automated systems are rapidly developing. Across Europe, facilities are increasingly adopting optical and near-infrared (NIR) technologies that can identify fibre types in seconds. Some next-generation systems also use AI-based recognition to distinguish between blends, coatings, or even brand-specific textile patterns. These innovations make sorting faster and more precise - a crucial step for efficient recycling.

Once sorted, textiles are processed through one of two main pathways: mechanical or chemical recycling.

Mechanical recycling involves cutting or shredding fabrics into fibres that can be respun into yarn or used for non-woven products such as insulation, padding, or cleaning cloths. However, the fibres often shorten during the process, reducing quality with each cycle.

Chemical recycling, on the other hand, breaks fibres down into their molecular components - for example, turning polyester back into its base monomers or separating cellulose from cotton blends. These materials can then be rebuilt into fibres of nearly original quality. Chemical processes are still developing, but they hold great potential for mixed or lower-grade textiles that mechanical recycling cannot handle.

Both methods depend on a well-coordinated infrastructure - efficient collection, advanced sorting technologies, and cooperation between manufacturers, recyclers, and policymakers. The scale of such systems can vary greatly: in some regions, small-scale sorting and recycling facilities serve local production, while in others, cross-border collaboration allows larger-volume processing. What matters most is building systems that reflect the scale and needs of the local industry.

At RMP, we see textile recycling as a field where innovation meets practicality. While new technologies attract attention, success depends on how well they integrate into real production and waste-management systems. In the Baltic region, the goal is not scale for its own sake, but creating efficient, connected processes that keep textiles in use for as long as possible.

In our next post, we’ll take a closer look at how plastic recycling works - and why managing this material poses its own unique challenges and opportunities.