Recycling Rate of 95%! Swiss Factory Gives New Life to Polyester-Cotton Blends

The global textile waste crisis is intensifying, with less than 1% of the over 120 million tons of textile production being recycled each year. In this context, chemical recycling technology is seen as a key approach to breaking the "fast fashion" linear model and building a circular economy.

Worn Again "Accelerator" Factory

Recently, the international innovation company Worn Again Technologies announced the launch of its "Accelerator" factory in Winterthur, Switzerland, injecting new vitality into the large-scale application of chemical recycling of textiles.

Worn Again Technologies' "accelerator" factory showcases its proprietary chemical recycling technology, capable of efficiently separating and recovering polyester and cellulose from discarded textiles, especially for previously challenging polyester-cotton blends. The process uses a multi-solvent system to effectively remove impurities such as dyes and spandex, with a polyester recovery rate of over 95%, and a solvent recycling rate also exceeding 95%, balancing economic viability with environmental responsibility.

Since 2024, the company has successfully spun fibers from recycled output materials, achieving new heights in purity and quality. This modularly designed facility will initially produce spinnable recycled polyester for partners to conduct downstream product testing, and will subsequently produce next-generation cellulosic fibers, laying a solid foundation for the eventual construction of a full-scale commercial plant.