In the textile recycling sector, there is a widespread belief that feedstock is abundant—after all, there is so much textile waste that it can be recycled endlessly. Indeed, the global volume of clothing and fabric waste is staggering: every year, around 92 million tons of textiles end up in landfills worldwide—equivalent to a truckload of used clothing dumped every second. However, volume does not equal quality. A large amount of waste does not mean that all textiles are suitable for recycling. On the contrary, today only about 1% of used clothing is recycled back into new garments.
In other words, the lion’s share of the textile “feedstock” stream is inaccessible for reuse. The problem is not a shortage of waste but rather that most of it fails to meet the quality standards required for effective recycling.
For textile waste to become true raw material, sheer mass is not enough—its properties and condition are critical. Unfortunately, most post-consumer textiles have characteristics that make recycling difficult. Here are the key factors preventing waste from becoming a valuable resource:
Lack of labeling and information. Many textiles lack proper labeling of fiber composition or chemical treatments. Over time, labels wear off or get removed, making it difficult for recyclers to determine materials and finishes. Without this data, proper sorting is nearly impossible.
Experts note that recycling often fails due to this lack of labeling—fibers and chemicals remain unknown, leading to mixed inputs that compromise recycling outcomes.
Mixed fiber composition. Modern clothing is almost always made from blended materials—natural and synthetic. Popular cotton-polyester fabrics, elastane in sportswear, linings, and decorative finishes all create “problematic blends” of yarns, plastics, and metals that are extremely hard to separate. Current recycling technologies, whether mechanical or chemical, work best with homogeneous input.
Blended fabrics rarely allow full fiber recovery; the result is downcycled material of inferior quality or waste that cannot be respun into new yarns. Complex decorative elements (sequins, metallic threads, inserts) make the process even more challenging and often economically unfeasible.
Contamination and additives. Textile waste often contains contaminants. Used clothing can be soiled with oils and other residues. Even seemingly clean fabrics often contain persistent dyes, coatings, or finishes that hinder recycling. Water-repellent treatments, for instance, render fabrics unrecyclable without extensive pre-treatment.
Additionally, each garment has foreign elements—zippers, buttons, trims, linings—that must be removed before recycling. If not, metal and plastic parts can damage machinery or contaminate recycled fibers. Manual removal is time-consuming and costly, making many items unprofitable to recycle.
Fragmentation of waste streams. Textile waste is generated everywhere—from households to factories—and is difficult to collect centrally. A large share of clothing never reaches dedicated collection points and ends up in mixed municipal waste, where it becomes contaminated and unsuitable for recycling. Even charities that collect second-hand items cannot absorb the excess supply, and much of it still ends up in landfills.
Geographic dispersion also complicates logistics: waste appears in small volumes across numerous locations. Without efficient collection networks and sorting centers, even usable resources remain scattered and “dissolve” into waste streams.
Lack of systematic tracking and traceability. Businesses and governments often lack precise data on the amount and type of textile waste generated and its fate. No unified tracking system exists—data remains fragmented, categories differ, and much is unrecorded. This creates the illusion of “infinite feedstock.” But without transparent tracking, it is impossible to forecast actual volumes of high-quality secondary raw materials.
The EU has recognized this problem: starting in 2025, member states must ensure separate textile collection and mandatory reporting of waste volumes and processing. Ukraine’s new Waste Management Law also requires proper accounting of textile waste, though practical implementation is still limited.
For recycling to succeed, material flows must be transparent and controlled at every stage. A circular economy requires not just large quantities of waste, but high-quality, traceable resources. In practice, this means orderly flows where composition, condition, and destination are known.
Sorting is the critical first step. Textiles must be separated by material type, color, wear level, and stripped of unsuitable elements. Manual sorting is labor-intensive, and automated systems are still developing, though progress is being made with optical recognition and robotic sorters. Still, even the best technologies cannot handle uncontrolled mixtures.
On-site collection and initial sorting—at factories, retail outlets, or collection stations—significantly increase the likelihood of successful recycling. That is why policymakers are pushing for separate textile collection: without it, the transition to circularity stalls.
Transparency and traceability mean every batch of waste has a “biography”: its source, composition, and treatment. This enables recyclers to select the right processing method and ensures predictable results.
New initiatives aim to secure this transparency. Europe is preparing to introduce digital product passports for garments—electronic profiles containing data on fiber composition, materials, and recommended end-of-life recycling options. This innovation will make textile streams more traceable, ensuring garments can be sorted and recycled properly.
Ultimately, quality must outweigh quantity. Businesses should shift focus from sheer tonnage to material quality. A hundred tons of mixed waste cannot replace ten tons of clean, sorted, homogeneous fabric that can be spun into new products. Investment must therefore prioritize transparent collection and sorting systems—only then can large waste volumes be transformed into large volumes of usable feedstock.
The shift from a linear model (make–use–discard) to a circular one requires change not just from recyclers but from waste-generating businesses themselves. Companies should invest in systematic waste management, and here’s why:
Of course, the transition is complex—requiring logistics, sorting, volume planning, and technology access. Each company’s waste stream is unique; no one-size-fits-all solution exists. That is why it is crucial to choose experienced partners to design tailored systems.
Re:inventex offers transparent and legal recycling with full documentation—providing not just a service but guarantees and reporting at every stage. With us, businesses gain a reliable system that turns disposal challenges into valuable resources and a stronger reputation.
The solution to the “myth of unlimited feedstock” lies in collective action. Businesses have a unique opportunity to drive circular transformation. We invite your company to take practical steps today: analyze the textile waste you generate, implement separate collection at your facilities, and—most importantly—work with trusted recycling experts.
The Re:inventex team is ready to guide you through this journey. We will help assess the quality and volume of your waste, establish logistics and sorting, and ensure a full recycling cycle—from fabric scraps or discarded garments to new useful products. Partnering with us means not only eliminating disposal headaches but also gaining a transparent and traceable material flow that enhances your company’s sustainability metrics.
It is time to act: waste becomes a resource only when we create the conditions together. Join the circular economy with Re:inventex—let’s transform textile waste into new opportunities for your business and for the planet. Contact us, and together we will build a sustainable, transparent, and profitable future for the textile industry.
Your business can be part of the solution today—Re:inventex is open for partnership and ready to debunk the “unlimited feedstock” myth, proving in practice that valuable resources are not endless, but created through systematic action.
It’s time to join forces and change the rules of the game—be part of the circular transformation with Re:inventex!
