The Textile Recycling Dilemma - Cutting Through the Hype

A while ago, I came across a metal sign hanging on the wall of a local auto repair shop. It read like this:

This dilemma can be transferred to textile recycling. In countless occasions have I been confronted with the wish to have it all – a high quality product, with great sustainability credentials, at a low cost. In as many occasions, I had to convey that such a product does not exist. A truly sustainable material with great performance will not be cheap. I call this the “recycling dilemma”.

However, why can’t it, or why can’t it yet? Moreover, what needs to happen to get closer to this ideal state?

Let's have a closer look into what “GOOD”, “SUSTAINABLE” and “CHEAP” means in the context of textile recycling.

First, what is a “GOOD” recycled product? Opinions may differ, but in my view, it is a product that maintains the strength and durability of its virgin counterpart, has a pleasing aesthetic, is comfortable to wear, is consistent in these factors over time, and is understood and appreciated by the end consumer. By this measure of “GOOD”, the range of recycled options already narrows down quite considerably, as recycling – particularly mechanical recycling – affects fiber length and other parameters that are vital for yarn and fabric performance.

What then is a “SUSTAINABLE” recycled product? Defining this gets even trickier. Sustainability is a concept that is hard to define for a virgin product, and even more so for a recycled one. I tend to define “sustainable” in the recycling space like this: a product that effectively reduces textile waste, is not competing for the same raw material with other industries, reduces water use, energy consumption and emissions, and travels minimal geographic distance between manufacturing steps. Moreover, the material must be verifiable and supported by third party certification, and it must be traceable throughout the textile supply chain. It needs to have an environmentally sound end of life (recyclable, biodegradable, no toxicity issues, etc.), and must be produced by a company with trustworthy and publicly scrutinized disclosure about its environmental impact. By this measure of “SUSTAINABLE”, most recycled materials could not be considered sustainable.

Finally, “CHEAP”. There are a myriad cost drivers for recycled products. A low-cost recycled product would have to be based on abundant availability of raw materials at low cost, minimal additional labor cost, no requirements of specialized machinery, a mature technology with limited R&D needs, low additional processing costs, and production at industrial scale. It needs to be globally available, compatible with existing processing equipment and limited need of modifying the sourcing supply chain. Furthermore, there should be a regulatory landscape incentivizing the material's production and use.

The few alternatives that tick the box of “GOOD” and “SUSTAINABLE” are by now eliminated. There is no such thing as a perfectly good, sustainable and cheap recycled product.

However, given the size of the waste problem, there is no time to wait for perfection. It is time to make choices. Choices that will enable technological progress. What path will the market choose?

• Path #1: GOOD + CHEAP, but with questionable environmental footprint?
• Path #2: SUSTAINABLE + CHEAP but with unsatisfactory quality?
• Path #3: GOOD + SUSTAINABLE, but at a higher cost?

What the textile recycling industry needs to progress is path #3. Only the choice of GOOD + SUSTAINABLE will trigger the industry to innovate, improve and eventually bring down cost.

To help overcome this dilemma, I have put together a list of practical actions for industry stakeholders, particularly brands, retailers and textile manufacturers that can be implemented right now.

1. Focus on reducing waste, not on maximizing waste share in products – 5% waste share in 30% of your products saves as much waste as a 30% waste share in 5% of your products, but it allows producers and converters to adapt technologies and ensure high material quality.
2. Prioritize suppliers who make a clear effort to integrate recycling practices – even if the products you are buying from them are made from conventional materials. Your business will give them more flexibility to innovate.
3. Go for quality – product quality will always beat sustainability. If product quality suffers because materials are inferior, customers will notice and become hesitant to accept products with recycled content. Once established, such preconceptions will be hard to change. Make your customers trade up – a product that lasts longer contributes less to resource depletion.
4. Do not wait for regulatory action – regulation is key to helping producers make recycling a business case and creating a level playing field. However, relying on regulators to enforce recycling practices will delay technological progress and may create unfinished definitions and compromises too quickly.
5. Aim high but do not overpromise – raw material producers and the textile supply chain need to be confident about brand & retail demand for recycled products to invest time and money. Giving clear roadmaps to suppliers will encourage them to take the necessary risks.
6. Try out as many different materials as you can – recycled raw materials will be less standardized and uniform than their virgin counterparts. Success will come from experience, in retail as well as in production. Brands will look out for suppliers with flexibility and expertise. Do not wait for the perfect solution. More variety will create more interest.
7. Be skeptical if you are promised a cheap, good, “plug and play” solution – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Certifications are key, but trust goes beyond papers. Ask questions until you are satisfied with the answers.
8. Scrutinize material blends – picture the most likely path a product you bring to market today will go through until its end of life. Where will it be sold? How will it be used? How will it be discarded? What will the product’s end of life look like? In addition, how will the blend influence each stage? Every product brought to market today should have a clear pathway to be recycled.
9. Demand comprehensive data – recycled raw materials can be more sustainable, and should be more sustainable than their conventional alternatives. However, whether they truly are depends on the processing along the entire textile value chain. A great raw material needs a great process to live up to its environmental promise.
10. Educate your consumers and build trust – the average consumer will not buy a product BECAUSE is recycled, but DESPITE it is recycled – a product consumers do not enjoy emotionally can never be sustainable.
11. Do not make recycling your main sustainability ambition – there are many things that can be done right now to lower environmental footprint with conventional, but responsibly produced materials.
12. Embrace the journey – technological progress is not a highway drive with GPS and projected ETA. It is a scenic route with a classic car and a lot of patience. There will be detours, plan changes and delays, but we will discover new things and connections along the way.

For producers of recycled materials, it is vital to be transparent about what it takes to produce a great, sustainable product, and about why it costs more to produce it. It is good to have high ambitions, but at least as important to keep a close dialogue with industry partners about successes and setbacks.

Circularity is a journey, not a destination.

If you are interested in finding out more about the history, presence and future of textile recycling at Lenzing, reach out.

For further reference, below is an overview of the 30 key drivers of "GOOD", "SUSTAINABLE" and "CHEAP", including a checklist for the textile recycling journey.