Textiles

Pre-sort

The collection of textile waste is done according to 2 circuits.

  • The professional circuit of recyclers who collect manufacturing waste from textile and clothing companies.
  • The circuit of charitable organizations and integration companies which collect used textiles door-to-door from individuals or from communities providing the population with voluntary drop-off points in public places.

Collection

The containers are emptied into specific trucks to be transported to a specialized sorting center.

Life cycle

Textile life cycle diagram

Recycling and recovery

After collection and sorting according to their nature, the textiles are packaged and then sent to one of the four recovery channels:

88% of the textiles collected are sold in second-hand stores or as raw materials in the textile sector.
Soiled textile waste (industrial rags) must be treated in the same way as the product that soils it and follow a suitable disposal route. Most of the time they will be cremated.

It appears that today only fraying constitutes a real recycling sector in the strict sense of the term. Based on the products obtained after fraying, it is possible to find new sectors such as:

  • the thrift store allows the reuse of second-hand clothing in good condition.
  • Industrial wiping produces rags from clothing that has become unwearable or household linen at the end of its life (especially natural fibers) cut to the required dimensions
  • fraying, mainly of woollens, constitutes recycling in the strict sense of the term since the textile, frayed by color, makes it possible to manufacture new fibers which will be woven.
    The mixed fray is also used for seat padding or as insulation.
  • finally the textiles, unusable in thrifting, wiping or fraying, are mixed with wood and cardboard and can be used to make felt cardboard.
    • Reinforcement of different matrices (plastics, bitumen, concrete, etc.)
    • Nonwovens
    • PADDING
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