In the fourth quarter of 2021, Accelerating Circularity Inc. (ACP) began trials in the United States to show that used textiles are too good to waste. The objective of the group is to create systems that will employ the embedded value and resources in existing textiles to create new goods, reducing the nearly 11 million tonnes of textile waste that ends up in landfills each year. The trials will assist assess whether the current infrastructure can support the creation of circular products, as well as identify areas that require more support and development in order to scale textile-to-textile circularity.

While creating demand for new sorting and preprocessing outputs for recycling is vital, there are problems in a market with high demand for current products and a workforce reduction owing to COVID19. These new outputs, which include post-consumer cotton and polyester feedstocks, are sent to recyclers and chemically and mechanically processed into new recycled fibres. Cotton, polyester, poly/cotton, and Refibra™ blended yarns will be spun or extruded from these novel recycled fibers. Throughout, data on quality, aesthetics, and performance will be collected and reported in ACP reporting.

Karla Magruder, Founder & President of ACP, said that as they progress through each stage of these experiences, they are always learning. One of the significant outcomes they hope to achieve from these trials is tool kits that the industry can use to expedite and improve their own future trials and timetables for circular products. The scope and scale of the USA project trials encompass 14 unique recycled items in numerous yarn combinations and fabrics, with the goal of producing at least 10,000 product units each trial or through a mix of brand partners. The trial participants are critical to the success of the project.

These tests are at the forefront of the industry's circularity transition. This is the first time a company has developed circular items on a large scale. It's vital to have the complete value chain in place, from collectors to sorters to pre-processors to recyclers to brands and merchants. The goal is for everyone to work together to make textile-to-textile recycling a reality. Brands, for example, can provide input on what constitutes a commercial product that is realistic given the existing capabilities of the circular system.