From legislation to learning content

Based on a comprehensive analysis, Skills4circularity is creating three practical training modules on recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. The content of the first module, Recycling Technologies, has been developed and validated together with industry representatives.

The module is set against the backdrop of growing textile waste volumes, limited natural resources and new regulatory requirements that are accelerating the shift towards a circular economy. The European Green Deal and the Circular Economy Action Plan provide the overarching policy framework. Their aim is to keep products and resources in circulation for as long as possible while reducing the use of virgin raw materials.

A central element is the European Waste Framework Directive, whose current revision introduces binding requirements for clothing, textiles and footwear and reinforces the European strategy for sustainable and circular textiles. Extended Producer Responsibility means that manufacturers will in future also be accountable for their products at end of life. Producer Responsibility Organisations support companies in meeting these obligations. EPR fees finance collection, sorting, reuse and recycling and are intended to become increasingly harmonised across Europe. According to Textile exchange's Materials Market Report 2025, global fibre production could reach around 169 million tonnes by 2030, with approximately 92 million tonnes of textile waste generated every year.

Collection and sorting at the heart of circular systems

The project highlights collection and sorting as key steps in textile recycling. Successful collection depends on consumer participation as well as the accessibility and attractiveness of collection systems. Collected textiles must be identified, classified and prepared for recycling by removing non-textile components, separating damaged materials, dismantling components, cleaning and controlling contamination. Many of these processes are still only partially automated.

Sorting is decisive in determining the appropriate recycling pathway. Alongside manual sorting, automated technologies using RFID, sensor-based systems and artificial intelligence are gaining importance. They improve material identification and enable textiles to be assigned more accurately to suitable recycling processes, while experienced personnel remain essential for handling complex fibre blends.

Matching technologies to material streams

Depending on fibre composition and origin, mechanical, chemical or thermal recycling technologies are applied. Production waste is generally more homogeneous and easier to recycle than post-consumer textiles with complex blends and contaminants. Mechanical recycling typically shortens fibre length, whereas chemical recycling can produce fibres with properties comparable to virgin material. Spinning and downstream processing therefore need to be adapted to the specific characteristics of recycled fibres.

The initial content for the Recycling Technologies module shows that textile recycling extends far beyond fibre recovery alone. High-quality circular textile systems rely on the interaction of European legislation, Extended Producer Responsibility, efficient collection and sorting systems and recycling technologies tailored to specific material streams. Developed by partners in Romania, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Spain, the module provides a systematic understanding of these interrelationships across the textile circular economy and underlines that transforming the industry is as much about policy and organisation as it is about technology.