Football shirts, sporting event banners, and uniforms are collected, processed, melted down, and recycled into new clothing.
In a groundbreaking initiative in Kettering, Northamptonshire, Project Re:claim utilizes technology used for recycling plastic bottles to reprocess polyester fibers into granules that can be transformed back into yarn for new clothing.
A partnership between the Salvation Army and recycling experts Project Plan B leverages items from the charity’s sorting center. Infrared sensors are used to sort out wool, cotton, and nylon items for experimental reprocessing and yarn production worldwide, including polyester for pellet machines.
Project Re:claim aims to recycle 2,500 tons of waste this year, with expectations to double that amount by 2025. Collaborating with major retailers like Tesco and John Lewis, as well as specialized manufacturers like David Luke, the company encourages suppliers to use recycled polyester in their products.
Bales of polyester ready for Project Re:claim’s new recycling machine. Photo: John Robertson/Guardian
The project receives partial funding from a government-backed grant and aims to address the large volume of unwanted clothing sent to landfill or incinerated annually, along with the high carbon emissions from the fashion industry.
Industry projections indicate a rapid expansion in recycling used fibers to create yarn as legislation and consumer demand prompt retailers to take action.
Source: www.theguardian.com
