What is Textile Recycling?

Textile recycling is the process of recovering fibres, yarns, and fabrics from discarded clothing, household textiles, and production waste, and turning them into new materials or products. It can give a second life to garments that are no longer wearable, offcuts from manufacturing, or even scraps from end-of-life carpets and upholstery.

Recycling doesn’t always mean turning an old T-shirt into a new T-shirt - although that is possible. Recovered textiles can be transformed into:

• New fabrics and clothing - using recycled fibres to create yarns for spinning and weaving.
• Industrial materials - such as insulation, padding, and soundproofing panels.
• Nonwoven products - including cleaning cloths, filters, and automotive textiles.
• Raw materials for other industries - for example, cotton fibres for paper production or polyester pellets for plastic manufacturing.

Depending on the material and condition, textiles may be reused directly (through resale or donation), downcycled into lower-value items, or fully recycled into new raw materials. The aim is to keep fibres circulating in the economy for as long as possible, reducing the need for virgin resources and minimising waste.

In our next textile post, we will look at how this happens - the technologies and processes that make textile recycling possible, from mechanical shredding to advanced fibre recovery.

At RMP, we are exploring how textile recycling can be scaled in the Baltic region, drawing on both proven methods and innovative solutions.