Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems, a company focused on building automated facilities for sorting and processing textiles, has enhanced its capabilities by acquiring a single-line sorting machine from Danish firm NewRetex.

To support fibre-to-fibre recycling, Circle-8 has been developing a network of ATSP facilities in partnership with others, aiming to turn non-reusable textiles into raw materials for large-scale textile recyclers. This new acquisition will also promote greater collaboration with partners across both the UK and Europe.

Cyndi Rhoades, co-founder and CEO of Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems, said: “We’re highly impressed by NewRetex’s automated textile sorting line. It marks a major step forward in shifting from manual to automated sorting of textiles, helping lay the foundation for scaling fibre-to-fibre recycling and other processes in the UK.”

The advanced sorting machine from NewRetex can process large volumes and accurately sort textiles based on material type, colour, and whether they include hard elements like buttons or zippers. The system’s integrated software will also collect essential data, such as the weight and fibre composition of each sorted item.

This strategic move aims to strengthen the UK's circular textile economy by applying advanced technology to ethically recycle textiles that are no longer fit for reuse, supporting a more sustainable future for the industry.