AMSTERDAM – Fashion for Good launches the Sorting for Circularity USA report unveiling significant findings from the project. A first of its kind in the US, the report delves into consumer disposal behaviour, textile waste composition, and the potential for fibre-to-fibre recycling within the country. It provides crucial insights for making informed decisions for further investments, infrastructure development and the next steps towards circularity.
As one of the main suppliers of secondary raw materials for post-consumer textile feedstock, the United States leads the world in both textile consumption and waste production. 85% of the textile waste produced in the US ends up in landfills or incinerators, with only 15% now being recovered.
Infrastructure for post-consumer textile collection, sorting, and recycling is becoming more and more necessary due to upcoming regulations in the European Union and several US states, as well as promises from the public and corporate sectors to support fiber-to-fibre recycling.
Converting textile waste into a useful resource is a major issue facing the textile industry that is addressed by the Sorting for Circularity USA Project. The relationship between consumer behaviour, garbage generation, and existing recycling methods is examined in this project. The idea is to create a system that minimises waste by making the best use of all textiles.
ADDRESSING DATA GAPS
In the pursuit of establishing a functional reverse supply chain and the necessary infrastructure, two critical areas lack data – consumer disposal behaviour, and material characteristics of post-consumer textiles. The Sorting for Circularity USA project addressed these gaps through a comprehensive national consumer survey and waste composition analysis.
The survey revealed that 60% of respondents divert textiles, while 4% discard them, driven primarily by factors such as condition and fit. On the other hand, the waste composition analysis unveiled that over 56% of post-consumer textiles are suitable for fibre-to-fibre recycling, with cotton and polyester being the most prevalent fibre types, indicating a substantial potential for these textiles to be used as feedstock for mechanical and chemical recycling processes.
