Fiber recovery from blended textiles without their depolymerization

Textile waste represents a significant challenge, with incineration and landfills being the predominant disposal methods. Fiber-to-fiber recycling is one of the main methods to address this waste crisis. Renasens AB developed a waterless, and patent-pending technology based on supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) that recovers fibers from both pure and blended textile wastes without their depolymerization or degradation. 

This project aims to further enhance Renasens's technology and kickstart its scale-up through a collaboration with key players across the value chain including KTH, RISE, Borås University, ITA Aachen University, Saxion University, Wargön Innovation, Chalmers Industriteknik, Houdini Sportswear AB and Kentaur A/S. 

The goal is to increase the technical and commercial readiness of this separation technology. The success of this project could pave the way for substantial investment at Renasens AB, with the ambitious target of recycling 100,000 tons of blended textiles by 2030 and thus contributing to a more circular textile industry.