Textiles at the end of their life cycle: what ecological solutions are there to recycle them?

Every year, 92 million tonnes of textiles are thrown away worldwide (Source: UNEP). A staggering quantity, which raises major environmental and systemic issues. Unsold goods, obsolete stocks, end-of-rolls, production offcuts... When a textile no longer has a market value, it reaches the end of its life. The question is: what to do with these materials?

Faced with this central question for the future of the sector, several alternatives are emerging. Some are still too little known or poorly differentiated, even though they can profoundly transform the way we produce. Among them, upcycling is emerging as one of the most ecologically relevant and circular solutions.

Managing end-of-life textiles: a major environmental and legislative challenge

The textile industry is one of the most polluting in the world. It involves massive consumption of water, energy, raw materials and chemicals. Yet a large proportion of the textiles produced end up in landfill or are incinerated.

Only 1% of end-of-life textiles are reclaimed: recycled, reincorporated, upcycled (Source: Ellen MacArthur Foundation). The rest is destroyed, even though a significant proportion could still be used.

On the regulatory front, things are changing. In France, the AGEC law law prohibits the destruction of unsold goods and requires companies to plan for the end-of-life of their products. Landfill and incineration, long considered the default solutions, are increasingly being called into question. The time has come for responsibility, action and reuse.

What are the alternatives for textile recycling?

As soon as a textile leaves the traditional trade circuit, there are several options open to it. These solutions can be classified according to their level of transformation and environmental impact.

Reuse and second-hand

The first stage in the recycling process, reuse extends the life of products without transformation: donation, resale, solidarity circuits, second-hand shops, second-hand platforms... This is the most economical solution, provided the products are in good condition.

Upcycling (or overcycling)

Upcyclinginvolves transforming an existing textile into a new product of equal or greater value, without destroying the material. Unlike recycling, it does not require the fiber to be broken down. This considerably reduces the carbon footprint and water or energy consumption.

Textile recycling

Mechanical or chemical recycling transforms fibers into new materials. This is an efficient but energy-intensive solution, which poses problems when it comes to complex products or mixtures of materials. Recycling remains essential, but should be considered after reuse or upcycling solutions.

The downcycling

Low-value recycling (rags, padding, insulation) gives textiles a second life, but without preserving their original quality. It can delay landfill disposal, but does not create sustainable economic value.

Energy recovery

As a last resort, textiles are burned to produce energy. While this reduces waste, it is not a circular solution: the material is lost forever.

⚠️ A pyramid of priorities:

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Rethinking the textile chain with a circular logic

Today, integrating these solutions is no longer optional. It has become a condition of sustainability and resilience for brands.

This implies :

• Map inventory (unsold, off-cuts, obsolete products)
• Prioritize existing circular channels, according to product condition
• Set up an operational sorting system and an appropriate logistical organization
• Evaluate the impact of different revaluation methods, and make informed choices

All too often, textiles that are still new are treated as waste for lack of a suitable system. The entire value chain needs to evolve, from design to end-of-life.

In conclusion: upgrading existing assets, a key to textile transformation

At a time when textile waste volumes are increasing, it is urgent to act. Not only to reduce the environmental impact of the sector, but also to build a truly circular textile economy.

Reuse, upcycling and recycling are powerful levers, each at their own level. But it' s industrial upcycling that's opening up an innovative way to recycle materials that have already been produced on a large scale, without having to start from scratch.

Giving value back to textiles at the end of their life cycle means betting on more sober, more local, more intelligent fashion.