France introduces first automated textile recycling plant

On November 30, 2023, Nouvelles Fibres Textiles officially inaugurated France’s first industrial plant for automated sorting and recycling of textile waste. This significant achievement is the result of a collaborative effort between Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, waste sorting specialist Pellenc ST, and technology group ANDRITZ. The partnership addresses the challenge of textile waste in the EU, aligning with the EU’s strategy for sustainable and circular textiles, aiming to increase the use of recycled fibers in textile products by 2030.

The newly inaugurated plant features an automated sorting line capable of sorting garments by composition and color. This technology meets the needs of both post-consumer and post-industrial waste markets. The automated line efficiently removes hard parts such as buttons and zippers, preparing the material for further processing in an ANDRITZ tearing machine. This advanced sorting system is a crucial step in developing a complete ecosystem in France for a textile circular economy.

The automated textile sorting line at Nouvelles Fibres Textiles is dedicated to industrial-scale production, customer trials, and research and development activities. It will process textile waste to produce recycled fibers for industries such as spinning, nonwovens, and composites.

This collaborative effort brings together various stakeholders in France, including the fashion industry, social and solidarity economy actors, waste management companies, and textile producers, all working towards the common goal of a circular economy for textiles.

Eric Boel, General Manager of Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, expressed the significance of the new line as a milestone in turning textile waste into valuable resources. Plans are already underway for a second material preparation plant with the capacity to process 25,000 tons of post-consumer textiles annually. Alexandre Butte, General Manager of ANDRITZ Laroche, emphasized their pride in contributing to sustainable transformation, highlighting the substantial role ANDRITZ plays in advancing a circular economy for textiles.