Festeggiando 20 anni di Innovazione e Sostenibilità
Giugno 23, 2025
Promuovere il riciclo del poliestere
Luglio 4, 2025
Increasing polyester recycling: challenge and opportunity
Polyester recycling is still a challenge for the market. Discover EcoOptimal LCC our tool for economic sustainability.
Challenge and Opportunity for polyester recycling
A recent study by Systemiq highlights that increasing polyester textile recycling could be transformative for environmental and social sustainability—but only if backed by ambitious government policies and industry reform.
The Challenge
Today, less than 1% of the 125 million tonnes of textile fibres used globally come from recycled sources. Despite the availability of advanced recycling technologies, like depolymerisation, a process that breaks down polyester into reusable monomers, the cost of recycled polyester remains 2.6x higher than virgin materials.
The Opportunity
With the right regulatory push, Europe could increase polyester textile-to-textile recycling tenfold by 2035. Key enablers include:
- Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes
- Mandatory use of recycled content
- Clearer rules on textile waste trade
- Scalable infrastructure for collection, sorting, and depolymerisation
EcoOptimal LCC: the tool to support economic sustainability
At Project HUB 360, we support this transformation through Life Cycle Costing (LCC) analysis tailored to the textile industry. Understanding the true cost drivers of polyester recycling—from logistics to process efficiency—is essential for unlocking economic viability.
Our work includes:
- Preliminary analysis of cost centres and service timelines
- In-depth system virtualization and hotspot identification
- Consulting to enhance techno-economic performance
- Long-term support to improve circular business models
To scale assessments across multiple scenarios, we also developed EcoOptimal LCC:
A smart, automated LCC tool that delivers fast, optimized insights across a range of recycling pathways and textile processes—essential for companies, policymakers, and value chain actors navigating the shift to a circular economy.
Bottom Line
Recycling polyester is not a silver bullet, but it’s a crucial step for managing non-reusable textile waste and driving circularity. With robust policy frameworks and the right cost analysis tools like EcoOptimal LCC, Europe has a real chance to lead this sustainable transformation.
