Recycling Innovations in the UK Fashion Industry

In the UK, about 711,000 tonnes of textiles are discarded annually. Recycling firms in Peterborough and Northamptonshire are using technology to address this waste, attracting interest from major brands such as Dr Martens and Coach.

Project Re:Claim, a partnership between The Salvation Army's trading arm and Plan B Circular, operates a commercial-scale polyester textile-to-textile recycling facility in Europe. The facility processes 500kg of fabric per hour, turning discarded polyester items into polyester pellets (rPET) for use in new products. The process requires 89% less carbon than producing virgin polyester. However, the company emphasizes the need for legislation to encourage manufacturers to use recycled polyester and design clothing for easy recycling.

In Peterborough, Gen Phoenix recycles thousands of tonnes of waste leather into new fabric. The company's material, used by brands including Nike and Jet2, has an 80% lower carbon footprint than traditional leather and is lighter, which is important for airlines. Gen Phoenix has saved more than 18,000 tonnes of material from landfill. The company breaks down leather waste into fibres and re-entangles them into a new fabric using water jets, without the need for resin binders, making the new product more easily recyclable.