RESYNTEX · Project

Turning Unsellable Textile Waste Into Chemical and Textile Industry Raw Materials

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Imagine all those worn-out clothes that nobody can wear again — right now most of them end up in landfills or get burned. RESYNTEX figured out how to break down those old fabrics into their basic building blocks — proteins, cellulose, polyester, polyamide — and turn them back into useful raw materials for the chemical and textile industries. Think of it like recycling a smoothie back into its original fruits. They built a full pilot plant processing 100 tonnes per year to prove it works at industrial scale.

By the numbers

100 t/y

Integrated pilot plant capacity

30 t/y

Optimized production pilot plant capacity

50%

Target textile collection rate across Europe

Consortium partners

Countries in consortium

Industry partners

SME partners

The business problem

What needed solving

Europe generates millions of tonnes of textile waste annually, and most non-wearable clothing ends up incinerated or in landfills. The textile and chemical industries need sustainable feedstock alternatives, but there has been no commercially viable way to break down mixed fabric waste back into usable raw materials at scale.

The solution

What was built

The project built a full integrated 100 t/y pilot plant for textile waste recycling, a separate 30 t/y optimized production line, and automated machinery for material recognition, decontamination, and sorting of pure and blended textiles. These facilities use cascading chemical and biotechnological processes to separate fabrics into proteins, cellulose, polyamide, and polyester feedstock.

Audience

Who needs this

Textile waste collectors and recyclers looking to monetize non-wearable textilesChemical companies seeking bio-based or recycled feedstock to replace virgin materialsFashion brands and textile manufacturers with recycled content mandatesWaste management companies expanding into circular economy servicesMunicipal authorities managing textile waste streams under tightening EU regulations

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Textile recycling and waste management

mid-size

Target: Textile waste collectors and sorters

If you are a textile waste management company struggling with mountains of non-wearable textiles that have no resale value — this project developed automated sorting machinery for pure and blended textiles, plus a 100 t/y pilot plant that chemically separates fabric into reusable feedstock. With a 50% collection rate target across Europe, the volume of processable textile waste would grow massively, turning your cost center into a revenue stream.

Chemical manufacturing

enterprise

Target: Chemical feedstock producers and buyers

If you are a chemical company looking for sustainable raw material sources to replace petroleum-based inputs — RESYNTEX demonstrated a cascading chemical and biotechnological process that extracts cellulose, proteins, polyamide, and polyester from textile waste. Their 30 t/y optimized production line proved these materials can serve as industrial-grade feedstock. This means a new, circular supply chain for your production.

Fashion and textile production

any

Target: Textile manufacturers and fashion brands with sustainability targets

If you are a textile manufacturer under pressure to use recycled content in your products — this project built a complete value chain from waste collection to new marketable feedstock for the textile industry. The 22-partner consortium across 9 countries mapped the full technical, economic, and environmental viability. Their life cycle assessments identify the most promising recycling routes for different fabric blends.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt this textile recycling technology?

The project data does not include specific licensing fees or equipment costs. However, the technology was demonstrated at pilot scale (100 t/y integrated plant and 30 t/y optimized production), so investment would be at industrial pilot level. Contact the coordinator for pricing on technology transfer or licensing.

Can this scale beyond the pilot plant?

The project built a full integrated 100 t/y pilot plant and separately optimized production at 30 t/y. These are demonstration-scale facilities designed to prove industrial viability. Scaling up would require engineering a commercial plant, but the core process has been validated at meaningful throughput.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

RESYNTEX was an Innovation Action with 22 partners including 13 industry players and 9 SMEs across 9 countries. IP is likely shared among consortium members under the EU grant agreement. Businesses interested in licensing should contact the coordinator SOEX in Germany to discuss access terms.

Does this technology handle mixed fabric blends or only pure textiles?

The project specifically targeted both pure and blended textiles. They developed automated macro-separation and sorting for mixed fabrics, then used a cascading chemical and biotechnological approach to separate blended textiles into their basic components — proteins, cellulose, polyamide, and polyester.

What regulatory support exists for textile recycling in Europe?

The project included evaluation of legislative aspects and involved public authorities in assessing the value chain. With EU circular economy regulations tightening around textile waste, the timing aligns well. The project also developed environmental life cycle assessments that can support regulatory compliance documentation.

How mature is this technology — is it ready for deployment?

Based on available project data, the technology reached pilot demonstration stage. A 100 t/y integrated pilot plant was installed and running, and optimized production was achieved at 30 t/y. This puts it past prototype but still requiring commercial-scale engineering before full deployment.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavyweight consortium with 22 partners across 9 countries, and it leans heavily toward industry — 13 industrial partners (59%) plus 9 SMEs, with only 4 universities and 1 research org in support. The coordinator is SOEX from Germany, a major player in textile collection and resale. The strong industry presence across Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, Slovenia, and the UK suggests the technology was developed with real commercial input, not just academic interest. This mix gives the project credibility for businesses evaluating adoption — the people who built it are the same type of companies that would use it.

SOEX TEXTIL-VERMARKTUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBHCoordinator · DE
INGEG S.R.Lparticipant · IT
CHIMAR (HELLAS) AE - ANONYMI VIOMICHANIKI KAI EMPORIKI ETAIREIA CHIMIKON PROIONTONparticipant · EL
IOS, INSTITUT ZA OKOLJEVARSTVO IN SENZORJE, PROIZVODNJA, TRGOVINA IN STORITVE DOOparticipant · SI
SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTparticipant · BE
TEKSTINA TEKSTILNA INDUSTRIJA DOOparticipant · SI
PROSPEX INSTITUTEparticipant · BE
ETHNICON METSOVION POLYTECHNIONparticipant · EL
INTERUNIVERSITAIR MICRO-ELECTRONICA CENTRUMparticipant · BE
THE MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITYparticipant · UK
UNIVERZA V MARIBORUparticipant · SI
UNIVERSITAET FUER BODENKULTUR WIENparticipant · AT
ARKEMA FRANCE SAparticipant · FR
CONSEIL EUROPEEN DE L'INDUSTRIE CHIMIQUEparticipant · BE
SEPAREX SASparticipant · FR
EUROPEAN APPAREL AND TEXTILE CONFEDERATION AISBLparticipant · BE
Quantis Sarlparticipant · CH

How to reach the team

SOEX Textil-Vermarktungsgesellschaft mbH is a German textile recycling company — reach out to their R&D or business development team for technology licensing inquiries.

Order a report on this consortium See SOEX TEXTIL-VERMARKTUNGSGESELLSCHAFT MBH profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the RESYNTEX team? SciTransfer can connect you with the right people and prepare a tailored briefing for your specific needs.

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