SOEX is preparing for the introduction of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) programme for textiles to continue to make a significant contribution to sustainability and the circular economy for textiles. As part of the EU textile strategy, manufacturers will remain responsible for their products along the entire value chain.
This means that retailers and manufacturers are no longer only responsible for the production of textiles, but also for the post-use phase. The aim of the new directive is to minimise the environmental impact of the textile industry. SOEX relies on advanced technologies to support its cooperation partners as a strong collaborator in this important transformation and in the upcoming challenges.
By utilising fully automated material recognition technologies, SOEX remains at the forefront of its role as a textile recycler in Germany. This innovative technology enables SOEX to sort used textiles efficiently and sustainably by material and colour, which is crucial for recycling. Less than one per cent of all clothing worldwide is currently recycled into new clothing.
The problem: for fibre-to-fibre recycling, the textiles must be sorted very precisely so that the sorted clothing can be reprocessed into new textiles. This is because different fibres require different recycling processes. The exact sorting by material has presented the industry with particular challenges to date. SOEX manages this type of sorting efficiently and reliably with the use of fully automated material recognition technology.
At this point, the extended responsibility of manufacturers and SOEX technological development go hand in hand. SOEX can provide its partners with solid support in promoting recycling and jointly creating a basis for recyclable products. This fits in with the EU‘s textile strategy, which aims to promote recycling and upcycling by obliging manufacturers to use recyclable materials and set up programmes for recycling or upcycling clothing.
By considering the entire life cycle of textiles, manufacturers will be encouraged to produce higher quality products that last longer and need to be replaced less often. In the EU, 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste are generated every year. Currently, only 22% of post-consumer textile waste is collected separately for reuse or recycling. The EPR should help to reduce the amount of textile waste that ends up in landfill or is incinerated. In the long term, the EPR should encourage the textile industry to focus more on sustainability and find innovative solutions to environmental challenges.
SOEX believes it is ready for this important change and at the same time is working to continue to actively prepare for the EPR programme for textiles and drive forward its sustainability goals. SOEX is currently evaluating new technical options for its automated sorting facility. These advanced technologies will enable SOEX to further optimise its processes and consolidate its leading position in the sustainable textile industry.
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