After years of searching for a solution to the worldwide problem of textile waste, pioneering start-up Worn Again joins forces with fashion retailer H&M, and luxury, sport & lifestyle Group, Kering, to bring to market a revolutionary Physical in clothing production and recycling.

In 2014, the global production of polyester filament and cotton fibre was approximately 55 million tonnes. In 2020, the global demand for these fibres is estimated to be 90 million tonnes. To address this, and the growing issue of clothes-to-landfill, Worn Again’s textile-to-textile chemical recycling technology is the first of its kind able to separate and extract polyester and cotton from old or end-of-use clothing and textiles. Once separated, the aim is for this unique process to enable the recaptured polyester and cellulose from cotton to be spun into new fabric creating a circular resource model for textiles.

This new technology addresses major barriers in textile-to-textile recycling, namely: how to separate blended fibre garments; and how to separate dyes and other contaminants from polyester and cellulose.

Worn Again’s technology is entering the next phase of development tests. Forward-thinking global companies H&M and Kering, a its brand PUMA, will be monitoring the testing of this technology. By converting the reclaimed raw materials into yarn, developing fabric and creating garments, these tests will aim to demonstrate that the technology may be commercially viable, and may be able to provide an effective solution for the circular recycling of clothes and textiles.