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Articles by Textiles recycling
Qatar accelerates circular economy drive
The two-day event, organised by Qatar’s Ministry of Municipality, reflected a comprehensive approach to waste management, extending beyond collection and disposal to include investment, industrial development, technology, data, artificial intelligence, energy recovery, research and public-private collaboration.
Designed with customers, built for recycling
McCloskey Environmental’s new ES-200 shredder has been developed with exactly these challenges in mind. Purpose built for waste wood and green waste applications, the ES-200 combines powerful shredding performance with a compact, transport-friendly design, providing operators with the flexibility to work efficiently across a range of recycling environments.
DIWASS delays trouble exporters
The European plastic recycling market has experienced major disruption following the implementation of the new Waste Shipment Regulation notification system in May. What was expected to be a regulatory transition quickly turned into a serious bottleneck for the European plastic scrap trade, as technical problems with the DIWASS system and delays in processing notifications effectively restricted exports to third countries.
Unlocking value from heavy metal streams
By analysing how X-rays pass through each piece of material, the system identifies differences in density and separates light metals from heavier metals. However, the heavy fraction produced by this process is rarely uniform. It usually contains a mixture of heavy metals – copper, brass, zinc and stainless steel – that still have to be separated to maximise their value. At the same time, this stream can also contain aluminium.
End of British steel?
Up to 2 700 jobs are at risk with the industry body UK Steel warning closure would leave UK customers dependent on international supplies. The UK would be the only G7 member incapable of producing its own virgin steel. British Steel is a long steel products business founded in 2016 with assets acquired from Tata Steel Europe, firstly by Greybull Capital and then China’s Jingye Group in 2020.
Dip in crude steel output
The latest worldsteel data shows that, of the top 10 producers, China is estimated to have had an output of 78.9 Mt in February, down 3.3% on a year earlier. India produced 12.7 Mt, up 6.3% while Japan’s 6.4 Mt was down 8.5%. The United States’ output was 6.0 Mt (-7.0%); Russia is estimated at 5.8 Mt (-3.4%); South Korea 5.2 Mt (+0.7%); Türkiye 2.9 Mt (-5.6%); Brazil produced 2.7 Mt (-1.6%); Germany 2.7 Mt (-13.5%); and Iran 1.7 Mt (-21.8%).
‘Achieve textile circularity through collaboration’
Key barriers to achieving circularity were identified as being low demand for recycled materials, the gap between EU policies and business realities, unfair competition from countries such as China, and the dominance of fast fashion. The event, organised by Euric, the European recyclers’ umbrella, emphasised the need for a systemic shift towards a circular economy, with a strong focus on legislative action and innovation.
A short history of AI in recycling
A fully circular economy relies on consistently high-quality recovered materials, which is not yet possible with today’s processes, and many recovered materials are still downcycled. To avoid this, sorting must become more granular. And this is where AI is a game-changer. There is a common misconception that AI is a recent phenomenon. Infact, AI has been integral to our industry for decades.
Renewed shredder capacity across Europe from TSR, Galloo, Ragg, S. Norton and Derichebourg – who’s next? • Recycling International
The latest project – unveiled on Global Recycling Day – is a 6 000 horsepower shredder at French Derichebourg Environnement’s site in Saint-Pierre-de-Chandieu, near Lyon. Total investment: EUR 45 million. The shredder replaces one that had been in operation for 35 years. The switch required complete redevelopment of the 70 000 m2 site. According to the company, ‘the best available techniques’ for controlling atmospheric, water and noise emissions have been implemented.
Enva expands fridge recycling to London
The site, capable of processing 35 000 tonnes per year, is expected to be operational in the second half of 2026. Barry Phillips, md for fridges, WEEE and glass at Enva, said the development offered ‘much-needed additional processing capacity’. ‘It demonstrates Enva’s commitment to executing its long-term growth strategy and investing in the latest technology to safely and sustainably process end-of-life fridges while realising their commercial and environmental value,’ he added.
Business grows for UK battery recycler Altilium
The company says the move underscores its commitment to building a sustainable UK supply chain for critical battery materials and reducing the environmental impact of battery production. It is already recycling nickel cobalt manganese (NMC) batteries from two leading UK-based automotive OEMs, as well as Gigafactory production scrap, to produce modern high-nickel cathode active materials (CAM) at its ACT1 and ACT2 facilities in Devon. None of the customers is being named by Altilium.
EU backs French aid for chemical recycling
The scheme aims to support chemical recycling technologies that convert mixed and/or contaminated plastic waste back into ‘virgin-like’ raw materials. It is seen as contributing to the EU’s objective of circularity of production and consumption processes as part of a broader transformation of the industry towards climate neutrality. Aid will take the form of direct grants from the French Government and is open to companies of all sizes and operating in all sectors.
Trump’s tariffs: US recyclers fear ‘significant harm’
On LinkedIn, Wiener says: ‘With more than US$ 11 billion [EUR 10.7 billion] of recycled materials moving across borders between the US and Canada and Mexico, the tariffs are going to impose significant harm on the recycled materials industry and manufacturing supply chain in the US that relies upon our materials to produce the everyday products and infrastructure that Americans rely upon each and every day.’ Wiener adds that ReMA is actively managing and disseminating information as soon as...
Canon fires recycled steel drive
It will start with office multifunction devices (MFDs), home inkjet printers, large-format inkjet printers and commercial printing presses. The recycled metal to be used will be sheets of electric furnace steel made from recovered end-of-life products. Canon says it has studied the characteristics of electric furnace steel sheets and optimised the processing method so that they could be used in products.
Jaguar cracks polyurethane foam recycling
A collaboration with chemical giant Dow and automotive seating specialist Adient is said to be the first time seat foam content has been successfully used in automotive production. JLR – formerly Jaguar – is putting the material through a full production process before testing its use on pre‑production vehicles early next year. The recycled foam will be one element of a new ‘circular seat’ to halve the impact of CO2e emissions.
'strong recognition' warms and motivates recycling leaders • Recycling International
The 2024 Top 100 was recently published. Recyclers from 34 countries made the list this year. Who? You can find the complete list here and read the new magazine in our online library. ‘We’re proud to be recognised as one of the leading organisations in recycling,’ says Javier Perez (#5) of Mexico’s Recicla Centro. ‘It’s very important for our team.
Partnership drives sustainable aviation fuel in Saudi Arabia
The move comes in a collaboration between state-owned oil giant Aramco, French renewable energy specialist TotalEnergies and the Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC). A joint development and cost-sharing agreement (JDCSA) to assess the scheme was announced when the French president Emmanuel Macron visited Saudi Arabia in early December. The idea is to manufacture sustainable aviation fuel by converting locally generated waste such as used cooking oil and animal fats.
Spain's 3-D printing innovation for leather recycling • Recycling International
Plastics technology specialists Aimplas, shoe manufactuer Pikolinos, polymer manufacturer Evatalking and the Footwear Technology Centre of La Rioja are working on the Ecofap project. The idea is for waste from the footwear industry to be recovered and reused for new products to reduce the industry’s environmental impact and carbon footprint. The partnership is based in the Valencia region which produces 65% of the shoes in Spain, about 70 million pairs per year.
Global recycling scene meets in Singapore
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South-East Asia claims ever-bigger role in recycling
Among the new facilities in recent months is stainless steel recycler Oryx’s yard in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. It’s a modern reloading point for alloyed scrap. ‘This enables us to source more materials from within the region but also to supply mills in, let’s say Korea and India, without having to move scrap all over the world,’ Oryx’s commercial director Joost van Kleef told Recycling International on the sidelines of conference.
Partnership drives zero waste output
‘We process a large variety of waste from C&D waste to that generated by households, including plastics, card, and so much more,’ says CCC Waste director Sean Munro. ‘Much of these streams contain recyclable materials. Recycled aggregates are a large part of our business and an area where we see great potential for further development in pursuit of our zero waste ambitions.
China leads steel production fall
Data from the 71 countries reporting to the World Steel Association (worldsteel) show that China’s total in September was77.1 Mt, down 6.1% on the same month a year earlier.
Van Heerden fights for better aircraft recycling despite terminal illness
The foundation is still in its early stages and, sadly, it is unlikely that Van Heerden will witness its full development. In 2023, he announced via a video message that he was seriously ill and was stepping down from his role at AELS. He had been diagnosed with a brain tumour and a life expectancy of around one year. ‘The diagnosis was made more than a year ago, so in that sense, I’ve been somewhat lucky,’ Van Heerden said in his message.
(Shear)baler producer targets global expansion
Izmir, Türkiye’s third largest city, is home to major industries including steelmaking, food, and petro-chemicals. Another is the manufacture of recycling machinery. Aymas Makina is among the key players serving a growing clientele at home and abroad. Founded by Aytekin Yelekcioglu, Aymas Makina produces a broad range of recycling machines and solutions but the company is mostly known for its scrap (metal) balers and shears – made at its modern production facility some 50 km from Izmir.
Circular wheels are turning but real change is stalling says EuRIC
‘We need to drive investments and preserve the EU plastics recycling industry, which is facing extremely harsh conditions,’ EuRIC states. Plastic recyclers are struggling to remain viable due to low demand and prices. The organisation points out that an average of 80% of plastics recovered from end-of-life vehicles (ELV) are either being landfilled or incinerated. Mandatory recycled content targets are essential to bridge vehicles design with their end-of-life treatment, EuRIC insists.
EV battery centre is EMR’s first in UK
Its new Birmingham plant is the company’s second such facility, having earlier this year opened a site at Hamburg, Germany, in partnership with battery manufacturer Northvolt. It will have the capacity to test for reuse or repair and process batteries ready for shredding. More than 2 000 tonnes of batteries can be handled per year. The plant follows EMR’s involvement in the Recovas consortium, a collaborative R&D project launched in 2020 with government funding.
Steel mills 'killing' our business • Recycling International
According to Tavera, business is ‘OK’ despite major competition popping up in recent years. ‘Ten years ago, Puebla had ten scrap yards, today we have 30 or so. Luckily, scrap demand has gone up too.’ Steel mills are increasingly buying up individual yards to secure supplies, notes Tavera.
Entering Fort Knox
On page 8-9 of our new issue (read it here) Kelly calls on to recyclers to open the gates of their facilities to help educate the broader public about recycling and its benefits for society. It’s a very good point, raised by a man who has built most of his career outside the recycling industry. A former restaurant host, Kelly has learned from experience that genuine hospitality and friendliness are key drivers to success.
Stadler helps Italy close the loop for plastics
Stadler invited a group of international journalists to come tour the new facility last week. ‘Iren’s Circular Plastics hub is helping Italy close the loop by sending up to 80% of incoming mixed waste to recycling plants,’ Recycling International heard. A total of EUR 48 million was invested in the new recycling facility, which is situated in the Alps. It employs a workforce of 40, operating in two shifts per day, seven days per week.
A positive message in a bottle for recyclers
Glass counts as one of the oldest materials used by mankind. The world’s first glass bottles, for example, were uncovered in Mesopotamia (Asia) and date back to around 1500 BC. They were considered luxury items, used to store perfume, oil and other valuables. Major glass production facilities emerged in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain in the following 200 years.
European concern for future of textile recycling
Speaking to delegates in Brussels on 17 September, Mariska Boer, president of EuRIC Textiles said: ‘Our biggest challenge is finding a way to regain a competitive position on the global market for textile reuse. It’s only through that we can continue to build a resilient and vibrant industry here in Europe.’ Boer spoke of a continuing decline over the past 10-15 years in the quality of clothing put on the market by brands selling ‘cheap, ultra-fast fashion’.
Bano Recycling heads for new successes
Italian technology provider Bano Recycling has been supplying advanced solutions for non-ferrous scrap for over two decades. Company sales and project manager Laura Minotto shares the latest developments and her outlook on the fast-moving metals market. Bano has ended the summer with a major milestone, reveals company sales and project manager Laura Minotto. ‘On 17 September, we had a special inauguration party to celebrate an exciting project for Bano.
Bollegraaf under new ownership
The takeover comes a year after a Summa report on a circular and waste-free Europe and saying investment of EUR 230 billion would be necessary by 2040 for the required infrastructure and systems. Summa partner Bertrand Camus says Bollegraaf is a key enabler in decarbonising the materials system.
New platform to boost EU ship recycling: ‘All hands on deck’
One of group’s key priorities is to limit the number of vessels leaving the EU at the end of their life. Chaired by Spain’s ship recycler Antonio Barredo, the Ship Recycling Working Group (ESGR) includes founding members Galloo (France), Smedegaarden and Fornaes (Denmark). ESGR aims to address current barriers in ship recycling within the EU.
UK coffee pod takeback trial launched by Costa Costa
It has announced a collaboration with Podback, a not-for-profit organisation created by 27 brands including Nespresso which represent over 80% of the UK coffee pod market. During the trial, customers can pick up free Podback recycling bags in-store and return them for Podback to collect and recycle. The bags are available from baristas in all 133 Costa stores located within Tesco stores across the UK, and nine other Costa stores in the Swindon area.
Atomic energy watchdog backs nuclear accident recycling efforts
The findings, presented by the IAEA to Japan’s environment minister Shintaro Ito, follow a 16-month safety review. The review assessed the approach of the Government in recycling and the final disposal of removed soil and radioactive waste against IAEA safety standards.
Aurubis anode sludge recovery plant ‘live’
The metals giant has announced the ‘go-live’ of its Aspa plant at its site in Beerse. The facility processes anode sludge, a valuable product from electrolytic copper refining produced at Aurubis recycling sites at Lünen in Germany and Beerse. The new process delivers two major benefits: faster extraction of more precious metals and the full recovery of tin from the anode sludge.
Thousands out of a job as Tata closes UK blast furnaces
Tata has struck a deal with the British Government which is giving a £500 million (EUR 592 million) grant towards the costs of switching from blast furnaces to a new electric arc furnace at Port Talbot in South Wales. About 2 500 workers are set to be made redundant with a further 300 expected to go later.
Rotterdam facility is latest big step for SK tes
The new plant in Rotterdam is being called a significant milestone towards providing closed-loop solutions essential for the burgeoning electric vehicle (EV) industry. With the demand for battery production materials outstripping supply, it is a circular investment in the future of battery recycling.
E-cycling progress stalled by fines and lack of incentives
Adams says a misguided approach to circular electronics is a particularly big issue in the US. She recalls discussing recycled content with representatives from Google and Samsung a few months earlier. ‘They proudly told me: “85% of our plastic is recycled content”. But where does it come from? You guessed it – bottles. Great, but I pointed out that has nothing to do with the actual e-waste stream.’ She adds: ‘They said tackling that was impossible. I know that’s not true.
Beating the clock on battery passports
From February 2027, most batteries must have a product ‘passport’ to enter the European market. This includes all electric vehicle batteries and industrial batteries exceeding 2kWh. The deadline from the updated EU Battery Regulation has producers working hard to safeguard timely compliance. Microvast Holdings, which specialises in energy storage solutions and electric vehicle batteries, wants to be ready ahead of schedule. Minespider is currently assessing the company’s readiness for compliance.
Small growth in crude steel output
The data comes from the 71 countries reporting national production to the World Steel Association (worldsteel). As always, the list is headed by China with produced 91.6 Mt in June 2024, up 0.2% on the year before. India’s 12.3 Mt was up 6.0% while the output in Japan of 7.0 Mt was down 4.2%.
Veolia's multi-million-pound fine over recycling death • Recycling International
Stephen Picken, 62, and Mark Kumar were working as demolition operatives for Veolia ES (UK) at an onshore facility in Great Yarmouth. On 17 October 2019, they were removing an overhanging piece of metal pipework known as a skirt pile. The 27 tonne gave way, striking the mobile elevating work platform containing the men, throwing them to the ground 12 metres below. Picken died at the scene and Kumar suffered serious life-changing injuries.
Green steel next stop for Canadian researchers
The innovative method is said to be easy to implement and relies on an oxysulphide electrolyte for electro-refining. Professor Gisele Azimi explains this is an alternative way of removing copper and carbon impurities from molten steel. The process also generates liquid iron and sulphur as by-products. ‘Our study is the first reported instance of electrochemically removing copper from steel and reducing impurities to below alloy level,’ Azimi says.
Alucop unveils non-ferrous hub in Morocco
The ‘cutting-edge’ facility will produce 5 000 tonnes of copper anodes, 4 000 tonnes of copper wire rod and 2 500 tonnes of copper billet per year. It will also deliver 12 000 tonnes of brass billet, 5 000 tonnes of aluminium billet and 20 000 tonnes of aluminium ingots annually. Moroccan minister for industry and trade Ryad Mezzour attended the inauguration ceremony of the plant, built at a cost of EUR 8.8 million.
New chemical solution for plastic waste bottleneck
The Tel Aviv-based company aims to recycle 100 000 tonnes of plastic waste by 2028. It notes that PVC is the third most produced polymer worldwide with an annual output of 40 million tonnes. The solution can also be used to treat HDPE, LDPE, multi-layer plastics, mixed plastics. The low-temperature chemical approach tackles challenging waste streams that cannnot be recycled through conventional mechanical and chemical methods.
All hands on deck to revive retired wind turbines
Globally, over 2.5 million tonnes of composite materials are in use in wind turbines. Cost-effective processing methods for carbon fibre are essential to unlock this material source. DecomBlades, a three-year project with 10 industry partners and EUR 20 million in funding from the Danish government and private investors, has concluded with promising results. A key achievement of DecomBlades is the establishment of a large-scale pyrolysis plant, operated by Makeen Energy.
Barradas setting the tone in battery recycling solutions
Battery recycling plays a crucial role in sustainable development and resource security. Lithium-ion batteries, used in electric vehicles and many other devices, contain valuable metals such as lithium, nickel, and cobalt. These metals are only available in limited quantities and are often mined under environmentally damaging and physically dangerous conditions.
Annual jump in China’s EV output
The number of units manufactured increased from 712 660 in May 2023 to 940 000 for the same month this year. China uses the term NEV to designate vehicles that are fully or predominantly powered by electric energy. This includes plug-in, hybrid and fuel cell as well as the conventional batteries. The data is quoted by Shen Dong, of OmniSource in the US, in a report included in the latest non-ferrous ‘Mirror’ from the Bureau of International Recycling.
Major funding to modernise aluminium recycling in Nigeria
Investment firm TLG Capital and Wema Bank say they are eager to ‘transform’ the metals recycling industry in Nigeria. Both parties provided backing for a market facing many economic challenges. Terra Alloy operates an aluminium recycling plant in Ogun State. Thanks to the new funds, the recycler will be able to recover three Eiffel Towers’ worth of metal over the next five years. This will position Terra Alloy as the country’s largest and first industrial-scale aluminium recycler.
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