Study On Recycled Textiles and Textile Recyclability CH

Recycled Textile Fibres and Textile Recycling
An overview of the Market and its possibilities

for Public Procurers in Switzerland
Commissioned by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN)

December 2017
Imprint
Commissioned by: Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Economics and Innovation
Division, Green Public Procurement Service, CH-3003 Bern
The FOEN is an agency of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy
and Communications (DETEC).
Contractor: Be Sustainable
Author: Angela Rengel
FOEN support: Ruth Freiermuth Knuchel
Advisory group: Andreas Stier (Armasuisse), Rita Barros (FOEN)
Note: This study/report was prepared under contract to the Federal Office for the
Environment (FOEN). The contractor bears sole responsibility for the content.
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Acknowledgments
Due to limited availability of published and open source data on recycled fibres and textile
recyclability arising from the fact that the sector still is in its infancy, data and information from
Textile Exchange have been of particular value to this report. Numerous literature sources
and primary data collected through interviews have been analysed. The researcher would like
to thank all the persons who agreed to take part in this project through interviews and
discussions, their input was valuable, insightful and very inspiring.
A full list of stakeholders who contributed to this report is available in Annex 1.
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Executive summary ..................................................................................................... 6
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 8
1. Recycled fibres: an overview .............................................................................. 10

1.1. Background ................................................................................................................... 10
1.2. Recycling processes per fibre ....................................................................................... 11
1.3. Ecological advantages of recycled fibres versus virgin fibres ....................................... 12
1.4. Quality level of recycled fibres versus virgin fibres ....................................................... 13
1.5. Role of product development to encourage recyclability .............................................. 15
2. Professional wear and recycled fibres ................................................................ 17

2.1. Classification of professional wear ............................................................................... 17
2.2. Professional wear with recycled fibres .......................................................................... 17
2.3. Challenges identified for the public procurement of recycled fibres .............................. 18
2.4. Expected future developments of available professional wear ..................................... 19
3. Innovations in recycled fibres and recyclability ................................................... 19
4. Other countries' examples .................................................................................. 22

4.1. The Netherlands: encouraging circular procurement nationally .................................... 22
4.1.1. Dutch Ministry of Defence: procurement pilot on recycled fibres ............................... 22
4.1.2. Dutch Ministry of Defence: recycling their professional wear .................................... 24
4.1.3. Alliander: a vision for circular safety wear ................................................................. 24
4.2. Nordic countries' push on textile recycling .................................................................... 25
4.3. France: a system for end-of-life collection of professional wear ................................... 25
5. Recommendations for Switzerland ..................................................................... 26

5.1. Current examples in Switzerland .................................................................................. 26
5.2. Recommendations for procuring professional wear with recycled fibres ...................... 27
5.3. Recommendations for end-of-life solutions for professional wear ................................ 29
Concluding remarks ................................................................................................... 31
Annexes ..................................................................................................................... 32
List of Tables
Table 1: Two main ways of recycling: mechanical and chemical recycling _____________ 11
Table 2: Description of the recycling process per fiber _____________________________ 12
Table 3: Overview of the ecological advantages of recycled fibres versus virgin fibres ____ 14
Table 4: Overview of the quality of recycled fibres versus virgin fibers ________________ 15
4
Table 5: Description of Design for Re-Use, Re-Pair and Re-Cycle ___________________ 16
Table 6: General overview of the market of professional wear with recycled fibres _______ 18
Table 7: Initiatives working on chemical recycling to separate blends and the investments
made ___________________________________________________________________ 20
Table 8: Example of companies offering solutions for easy recyclability of textile ________ 21
Table 9: Example of companies working on chemical recycling of fibres _______________ 21
Table 10: Wear2Wear partnership explained ____________________________________ 38
Table 11: Relevant EU GPP criteria for recycled fibres and end of life solutions _________ 45
List of Figures
Figure 1: Global consumption of all major fibres in 2015 ___________________________ 10

Figure 2: Global fibre consumption trend from 1960 to 2016 ________________________ 10
Figure 3: Made-By Environmental Benchmark for Fibers ___________________________ 13
Figure 4: Projected increase of environmental impacts based on the icrease of global fashion
consumption _____________________________________________________________ 34
Figure 5: The butterfly model or the visual representation of the circular economy concept 34
Figure 6: Visual representation of the process to make recycled polyester fiber from PET
bottles __________________________________________________________________ 35
Figure 7: overview of fabric composition of key garments in corporate wear ____________ 36
Figure 8: Visual representation of the Refibra™ process ___________________________ 39
Figure 9: SBB tender award criteria for recycled polos and tee-shirts _________________ 42
5
Executive summary
Facing the reality that resources will increasingly become scarce and that the population will
continue to grow, the textile industry is considering and working on recycled fibres, textile–to-
textile recycling and end-of-life solutions as a way to reduce the industry's overall
environmental impact. This study, commissioned by the Swiss Federal Office for the
Environment (FOEN), has two objectives: (a) to give a glimpse of the current state of the
market of recycled fibres, including its use in professional wear and (b) to issue
recommendations to encourage the procurement of textiles with recycled content and
consider end-of-life solutions for professional wear in Switzerland.
Key aspects of the discussion on recycled fibres and textile-to-textile recycling are
summarised below:
Technical innovation:
Many innovations are currently taking place in the
recycling of textiles, mainly in the chemical recycling as
this is more likely to keep the quality of the fibre and
achieve the separation of material blends
(polyester/cotton for example).
Current status:
Most innovations are in development: economical and
technological viability to be able to scale up to an
industrial level still needs to be proven.
Scientific knowledge:
Scientific knowledge on the impact of recycled fibres is
limited because the textile supply chain is vast and
complex. This means that the impact depends on many
factors to be taken into consideration (no one size fits
all).
Outlook:
The industry of recycled fibres and textile recyclability will
pick up in the coming 5 to 10 years provided there is
demand, drive and collaboration between supply chain
actors.
Needs to get there:

• New ways of doing business, disruption, putting
a price on externalities (i.e. the real price of a
raw material).
• Essential dialogue and collaboration between
different market actors.
• More investments and access to financial
mechanisms.
Today, the market of professional wear can offer textiles made of recycled fibres, mainly
recycled polyester from PET bottles. Key challenges identified by suppliers are (a) the price,
which is still higher for recycled fibres and professional wear is a price sensitive sector; (b)
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high product standards, which makes certain recycled fibres more challenging to use due to
quality issues; (c) recyclability, because of potential chemical residues from previous
treatments and the dirtiness of professional wear (e.g. Personal Protective Equipment).
In Switzerland, some public companies have started procuring textiles with recycled content
but it remains marginal. The biggest challenge is that public procurers have little insight into
the market, preventing them from including the requirement for recycled fibres in their tenders.
Suppliers, on the other hand, are waiting for a clear signal from procurers, which would give
them the assurance they need to further invest in the field. A dialogue between public
procurers and suppliers outside tendering procedures is thus highly recommended. Beyond
this, public procurers can already use different tools to include requirements for recycled
fibres in their tenders, such as the updated EU Green Public Procurement criteria on textiles,
which address recycled content and end-of-life solutions. On the end-of-life discussion, Swiss
public procurers are not aware of end-of-life solutions for their professional wear. Some have
taken the lead and implemented their own solutions, mainly through charities and recyclers.
The recommendation would be to further investigate end-of-life solutions for professional wear
in Switzerland in order to determine the needs, opportunities and challenges that will help
consider and develop common solutions.
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Introduction
By 2030, it is projected that overall consumption of textiles will have risen by 63%, from 62
1
million tons today to 102 million tons . The textile industry's current linear model of make, use
2
and dispose of represents an obvious stress on natural resources . Globally, only 13% of
used garments are collected, leaving a staggering 87% of all end-of-use textiles going to
3
landfill and incineration . For professional wear, which is the focus of this study, incineration is
the main treatment of textiles at the end of life (for example an estimated 90% in 2012 in the
4
United Kingdom ).
Recently, a trend has been developing moving away from this unsustainable linear model
towards a more circular one, applying the concept of circularity or circular economy. This is
based on three principles: phase out waste and pollution through design, keep products and
5
materials in use and regenerate natural systems .
This study, commissioned by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), has two
objectives. The first objective is to give a glimpse of the current state of the market of recycled
fibres, including a general overview of professional wear. The second objective is to issue
recommendations to encourage the procurement of textiles with recycled content and to
consider end-of-life solutions for professional wear in Switzerland.
Chapter 1 gives an overview of recycled fibres by reviewing the recycling processes, the
ecological advantages of these recycled fibres and the difference in quality compared to virgin
fibres. Chapter 2 examines the current offer of professional wear using recycled fibres and
discusses some of the challenges voiced by supply chain actors. Chapter 3 looks towards the
future at the innovations taking place in the field and their potential. In chapter 4, case studies
of other countries' use of and approach to recycled textiles and recyclability are outlined.
Finally, in chapter 5, the study gives recommendations to Swiss public procurers for sourcing
professional wear with recycled content and shows that more research needs to be done for
professional wear end of life solutions.
1
Global Fashion Agenda & The Boston Consulting Group, The Pulse of the Fashion Industry (2017), 8,
http://globalfashionagenda.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pulse-of-the-Fashion-Industry_2017.pdf.
2
See Annex 2.
3
Ellen Mc Arthur Foundation and Circular Fibers Initiative, A new Textiles Economy: Redesigning
Fashion's Future (2017), 91,https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/A-
New-Textiles-Economy_Full-Report.pdf.
4
European Textiles & Workwear Market, The Role of Public Procurement in Making Textiles Circular, 5,
https://www.pianoo.nl/sites/default/files/documents/documents/ecapworkwearreport-maart2017.pdf.
5
Ellen Mc Arthur Foundation and Circular Fibers Initiative (2017), A new Textiles Economy., 48
8
Scope
The prime focus of this study is textile-to-textile recycling (or closed loop recycling) which
6
today represents less than 1% of the material used to produce clothing . This study also
considers a wider concept, named ‘the circular economy’, which is increasingly gaining
traction in all sectors and can be defined as follows (see Annex 3 for a graphic
representation):
“A circular economy is one that is restorative and regenerative by design, and which
aims to keep products, components and materials at their highest utility and value at
7
all times, distinguishing between technical and biological cycles” .
In a circular economy, “the value of products, materials and resources is maintained in the
8
economy for as long as possible, and the generation of waste is minimised” .
Methodology
Due to the complexity of the topic and the textile industry in general and the lack of
quantitative data available on the topic, the methodology used in this report combines a
literature review with qualitative research methods (mainly formal and informal interviews).
This research project thus gives an initial overview of the market situation and status to public
procurers but is not meant to be comprehensive.
6
Ellen Mc Arthur Foundation and Circular Fibers Initiative, 2017. A new Textiles Economy, 20.
7
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2015. Circular Economy. www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-
economy
8
European Commission, 2015. Closing the loop – An EU action plan for the Circular Economy,
COM(2015) 614/2, Brussels
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1. Recycled fibres: an overview
This first section gives an overview of the recycling processes of different fibres, the quality
level of recycled fibres versus virgin fibres, the ecological advantages of recycled fibres and
the role of product development in encouraging the recyclability of the product.
1.1. Background
The global fibre market is overwhelmingly dominated by two fibres: polyester and cotton
9
(82% ). The use of synthetic fibres, especially polyester, continues to rise. Polyester currently
represents more than half of the global fibre use:
10
Figure 1: Global consumption of all major fibres in 2015 .
11
Figure 2: Global fibre consumption trend from 1960 to 2016
9
Textile Exchange Preferred Fibre Materials Market Report, 2016.
10
11
10
Textile waste can be classified in two categories:
• Pre-consumer textile waste or industrial waste resulting from fibre processing or

taking place during the production of textiles. 75% of pre-consumer textile waste is
12
diverted from landfill and recycled into raw materials for industries like the
automobile industry, insulation or mattresses.
• Post-consumer textile waste comes from any textile or household textile article that
consumers no longer want. Some of this waste is collected for a second life - usually
in the form of reselling / downcycling - or for incineration. The presence of fibre blends
(polyester/cotton, for example), dyes and all types of accessories in the recovered
textile makes textile-to-textile recycling very complex and costly.
There are two main ways to recycle:

Mechanical recycling Chemical recycling
Mechanical recycling is mainly about shredding Chemical recycling involves a chemical process in
the material to turn it into a near-fibrous form. order to retrieve the wanted raw material. It allows
Through this process, the fibre can lose its the recovery of more a valuable product and
strength and thus needs to be mixed with virgin currently shows promising technological
fibre (especially in the case of cotton and wool). innovation. Although the industry is actively
This process has been used for many years. working on this kind of recycling, it is not yet
13
technologically or economically mature.
Table 1: Two main ways of recycling: mechanical and chemical recycling
1.2. Recycling processes per fibre
Recycling processes vary per fibre, as shown in the following table:

Fibre Material input Mechanical recycling Chemical recycling
process process
Polyester Polyethylene terephthalate Plastic PET containers are The material is first
(PET), approximately 95% of sorted by type and colour. depolymerised to a base-
which comes from PET The labels are then chemical molecule called
bottle recycling. Recycled removed and the bottle is monomer and then re-
polyester represents about washed, crushed and polymerised with the help
7% of all the virgin polyester chopped into flakes. The of chemical additives
14
production . flakes are dried out and (typically mathanolysis,
sent through a rotating glycolosis or hydrolysis)
screw, which heats the before being extruded into
flakes to 220 degrees. It chips.
then enters a canal and
emerges on the other side
as fine long threads, which
are then further processed
into yarns. See Annex 4.
Nylon / As different types of nylon This is typically done with A polymer is chemically
Polyamide exist, the input has to be post-industrial nylon waste. de-polymerised and
relatively homogenous waste The nylon is cleaned and broken down into its
12
H.-L. Chen and L.D. Burns, “Environmental Analysis of Textile products,” Clothing &Textiles Research
Journal 24 no. 3 (2006): 256.
13
Ellen Mc Arthur Foundation and Circular Fibers Initiative, 2017, A new Textiles Economy, 91.
14
11
material: e.g. nylon, old then simply pelletised for monomer components. It
fishing nets, waste and further use. is then re-polymerised to
scraps from virgin nylon make a new yarn.
production and textiles
provided they are the same
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nylon type .
Cotton The input material is any Mechanical recycling of Chemical recycling of
cotton garment. cotton is the most cotton is currently still at
established recycling lab level but shows
process, but still represents promising innovative
only a small percentage in development where for
volume. It consists of example the cotton is
separating the waste by retrieved from post-
colour and then shredding consumer waste
it before it is re-spun into garments and dissolved to
new yarns. a molecular level. From
there, it becomes a
dissolving pulp to make
viscose and lyocell
products.
Wool The input material is mainly Wool has been recycled This process is not done
pre-consumer wool waste. commercially for at least today.
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200 years . It consists in
separating the waste by
colour and then pulling the
garment back into a fibrous
state to make new
products.
Table 2: Description of the recycling process per fiber
1.3. Ecological advantages of recycled fibres versus virgin fibres
The ecological advantages of recycled fibres versus virgin fibres differ per type of fibre but
also within the same fibre depending on the origin and the recycling process. Quantitative
data is not readily available and this lack remains an important point of discussion in the
industry. More solid and scientific based data is needed to make informed decisions. Some
organisations have set out to fill the gap. A Consortium led by Quantis is building up the World
Apparel & Footwear Life Cycle Assessment Database, which is meant to provide specific data
17
based on reliable life cycle assessments . The Higg Materials Sustainability Index (Higg MSI)
is a material scoring tool from the Sustainable Apparel Coalition that measures the
environmental performance of thousands of materials used in creating apparel, footwear and
18
home textile products .
MADE-BY, a not-for-profit organisation specialising in sustainability in textiles, developed a
benchmark in 2009 to compare the environmental impact of the most commonly used fibres in
the garment industry. Although this benchmark has been criticised for being an
oversimplification of a complex topic (e.g. the environmental impact of a fibre depends on so
15
Textile Exchange Material Snapshot, http://textileexchange.org/downloads/material-snapshot-
recycled-nylon-6/
16
S. Russell, P. Swan, M. Trebowicz, and A. Ireland, “Review of Wool Recycling and Reuse,” in Natural
Fibres: Advances in Science and Technology Towards Industrial Applications, ed. R. Fangueiro and S.
Rana (Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2016), 415-428. doi:10.1007/978-94-017-7515-1_33.
17
Quantis website: https://quantis-intl.com/tools/databases/waldb-apparel-footwear/
18
HIGG MSI Website: http://msi.higg.org/page/msi-home
12
many parameters: country of origin, irrigation used, actual supply chain) leading to a biased
classification, it has the merit of being open source and providing a first glimpse into the
19
environmental impact of different fibres (this benchmark is planned to be updated in 2018) :
20
Figure 3: Made-By Environmental Benchmark for Fibers
Beyond this benchmark, the general ecological advantages of recycled fibers versus virgin
fibers can be summarised as follows21:
19
The benchmark takes into account the production process of natural fibres and artificial fibres from
the origin of the raw material to fibres ready to be spun. The unit of comparison is 1 kg of fibre ready to
be spun. This is an average, so the rankings should be considered approximate. The impact parameters
were defined as greenhouse gas emissions, eco toxicity and human toxicity (allocated a weight of 20%
each), and energy input, water input and land use (allocated a weight of 13.33% each).
20
http://www.made-by.org/consultancy/tools/environmental/
21
Data gathered through the Textile Exchange Material Snapshots except if mentioned otherwise:
https://textileexchange.org/publications/
13
Fibre Recycled Polyester Recycled nylon Recycled cotton Recycled wool
Land use No land use as input material already exists.
Water Both recycled and Both recycled and Low water use in Low water use in
Intensity virgin polyester have virgin nylon have a the recycling the recycling
a low water use so low water use so process and low process.
there is effectively no there is effectively impact compared to
22 23
difference . no difference . growing cotton,
which needs 2700
24
litres to make one
cotton tee-shirt.
Chemistry For mechanically For mechanically Fewer chemicals Recycled wool
recycled polyester, no recycled nylon, no are used than in requires fewer
chemistry is used chemistry is used. conventional cotton chemicals than
other than detergents Chemically recycled as recycling does conventional wool
for cleaning the input nylon uses high not include any as neither farming
material. temperature, high farming operations. nor scouring are
pressure and a required.
common chemical
25
for the process .
Energy Recycled polyester For example, the Energy Energy
uses 59% less energy ECONYL (R) requirements are requirement are
than virgin polyester. Chemically almost 20% lower lower for recycled
regenerated nylon for recycled cotton wool.
uses 60% less than for
energy than virgin conventional cotton.
26
nylon.
CO2 Recycled polyester Recycled nylon By replacing the By replacing the
emissions reduces emissions by reduces emissions need for farming need for farming
32% compared to by 26% compared and avoiding the and hence
27 28
virgin polyester . to virgin nylon . use of synthetic avoiding the
agrochemicals, emissions of
emissions are methane during
minimised. the animal’s
digestive process
and the use of
agrochemicals,
emissions are
minimized.
Table 3: Overview of the ecological advantages of recycled fibres versus virgin fibres
In addition, it can be said that recycled fibers: (a) conserve non-renewable resources by
replacing the need for virgin materials; (b) divert waste from landfill by giving a second life to
the garment and (c) in general, the recycling process asks for less primary energy and waste
and has a lower climate impact than virgin fibres. Yet, some voices express skepticism
towards the calculation methods because the impact of the fiber's first life is not included in
the overall environmental assessment of recycled fibers. If it would, the results could differ.
22
WRAP (2017) in personal correspondence with reference to the footprint calculator used for the
Sustainable Clothing Action Plan http://www.wrap.org.uk/sustainable-textiles/scap
23
24
WWF website: https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/the-impact-of-a-cotton-t-shirt#
25
Aquafil (2017), in personal correspondence.
26
Aquafil (2017), based on Econyl's life cycle assessment.
27
28
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1.4. Quality level of recycled fibres versus virgin fibres
Since the recycling process entails a breaking down process, the quality of the recycled fibre
differs depending on the fibre and the recycling process used. Depending on the fibre, it will
have to be mixed with virgin fibres in order to achieve the required material property and
performance. The table below gives more information per fibre:
Fibre Type General description Mechanical recycling Chemical recycling

Recycled Depending on the application, Can only be done a few The quality of virgin
polyester the material properties of times before the polyester can be
recycled polyester can be molecular structure achieved and it can be
similar to virgin polyester if breaks down and makes recycled several times.
purity of the input (e.g. the the yarn no longer solid. But this process is still
purity and colour of the PET costly and not yet
bottles) is given. widespread.
Recycled The material properties of Hardly done in the High quality due to
nylon/ recycled polyamide/nylon can industry. Some technical advancement
polyamide be similar to virgin fibres, yet companies like Unifi and expertise. It can be
the process is more difficult recycle post-industrial recycled several times.
and the input usually not ideal nylon waste. Only a few suppliers
for recycling (too many offer this making it
different nylon types). rather costly.
Recycled Because of the dyestuff in most The fibre breaks and the Cotton can be a
cotton products, the mechanical quality of the yarn is thus feedstock for the
recycling process results in a not equal to that of virgin viscose or lyocell
colour mix that is difficult to yarn. It usually needs process. Especially the
work with. blends with a majority of lyocell process can
virgin or other material. reach a high quality.
No full colour and yarn
flexibility.
Recycled Recycling of wool has been an Recycled wool has N/A

wool established industry for a long shorter staple length
time. The process is purely (except for wool that is
mechanical. recycled for the first
29
time ) than virgin wool. It
needs to be blended with
a maximum recycled
wool content of around
70%. Limited colour and
yarn options.
30
Table 4: Overview of the quality of recycled fibres versus virgin fibers
1.5. Role of product development to encourage recyclability
Today, product development mainly focuses on design aspects such as the look, feel, comfort
and durability of the product to be procured. Not much thought is given to what should happen
to the product when it reaches its end of life. Yet, this consideration should start at the very
beginning of design/product development. The objective should be to not only take into
29
Cardato Recycled: http://www.3cfilati.it/en/portfolios/cardato-recycled-by-3c-filati/
30
Information based on the Textile Exchange Material snapshots and informal industry expert interviews
as information is not readily available.
15
account the need to be fulfilled by the procurement, but also to consider the following design
strategies:
ü Design for disassembly is a design strategy that considers the future need to
disassemble a product for recycling (e.g. dissolvable yarn, removable zipper or buttons,
pull-off labels, etc). An example of this is Wear2, which is a unique yarn that is specially
designed to weaken when put into a particular microwave treatment. This special yarn
31
makes it easy to remove logos, zippers, etc. in order to enable reuse of the garment .
ü Design for RRR (Re-use, Re-pair, Re-cycle):

Re-Use Re-Pair Re-Cycle
The most environmentally The possibility of repairing Products are designed so that
friendly approach for end of life something can be considered at the whole or individual
is the transfer of a product to a the design stage. Knowing the components (once
second life, either through exact requirements and needs disassembled) can either be
donation or reselling. However, during the use of the product recycled as technical parts or
this is challenging when it comes allows for designs that can be biodegraded into organic matter.
to professional wear, because it repaired once or several times. Products for recycling should be
is difficult to re-use due to logos Especially high-value products produced without hazardous
and security concerns. such as jackets, tents and shoes chemicals and substances to
should be considered, so that enable safe industrial recycling
they do not have to be replaced or safe biodegradation E.g.
but can be repaired. antimony-free polyester allows
ongoing recycling.
Table 5: Description of Design for Re-Use, Re-Pair and Re-Cycle
ü Mono-materiality can be considered the ideal product concept for recyclability. The whole
product is made from one material, for example polyester used for main material, trims,
threads and labels. Once this product enters the recycling stream (and it is known or
marked as such), it can be mechanically or chemically recycled without waste, extra
handling, time or cost. Yet most of the textile in professional wear is blended. In this
case, for easier recyclability, it is recommended to (a) develop textiles with one dominant
fabric (at least 80%) (b) use fibre types that have better recyclability profiles (polyester or
nylon 6 for example) and (c) reduce the different types of materials without sacrificing the
32
functional performance.
31
Wear2 website: http://wear2.com/.
32
Greenblue, Chemical recycling, Making Fiber to Fiber Recycling a Reality for Polyester Textiles, 2017,
19: http://greenblueorg.s3.amazonaws.com/smm/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Chemical-Recycling-
Making-Fiber-to-Fiber-Recycling-a-Reality-for-Polyester-Textiles-1.pdf
16
2. Professional wear and recycled fibres
It is estimated that some 93,000 tons of professional wear were consumed in 2015 in Europe.
More than 8.6 billion euros were spent on the procurement of public sector professional
33
wear . This represents a significant purchasing power, about 15% of the GDP in Europe.
This sector is therefore instrumental in encouraging the market of recycled fibres.
2.1. Classification of professional wear
No formal classification of professional wear exists. As a result, the below classification has
34
been defined for the purpose of this study :
• Workwear: Garments for manual work including overalls, coats, jackets, trousers,
similar styles also used in the catering and wholesale/distribution sectors: usually a
polyester / cotton blend.
• Career wear: Garments used to project a corporate identity. Examples are
administrations, post offices, hotels, schools, caterers. Mostly cotton, cotton blended
with synthetics, wool or wool blends.
• Uniforms: used in the police, military: mostly in wool, or wool blended with synthetics.
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) refers to equipment that protects the user from
injury or infection. Usually this equipment needs to comply with EU standards: mostly
polyester or blends with special protection fibres, fabrics are either treated or
laminated.
More information on typical composition of different professional wear is available in Annex 5.
2.2. Professional wear with recycled fibres
Similar to the fashion market, the offer of professional wear containing recycled fibres is still
limited. Based on several interviews with industry actors, recycled polyester made of PET
bottles is beginning to be most commonly available. See below for a general overview of the
35
market .
33
European Textiles & Workwear Market, The Role of Public Procurement in Making Textiles Circular,
5, https://www.pianoo.nl/sites/default/files/documents/documents/ecapworkwearreport-maart2017.pdf.
34
Supported by DPW Consult GmbH (2017), in personal correspondence.
35
The following professional wear companies / organisations were interviewed (in alphabetical order):
Albiro AG, CWS Boco Supply Chain Management GmbH, Lauffenmühle GmbH, European Textile
Services Association (ETSA), Klopman, Utexbel and Work Fashion.
17
Fibre Currently available Limitations
Recycled Most widely used fibre, with The colour whiteness grade may not be
polyester suppliers starting to offer some as bright as for example the medical wear
garments with recycled polyester. would expect it to be.
The quality is said to be the same,
although more insight is needed as For PPE, using recycled polyester in place
there is still a relatively low uptake in of polyester could be possible in theory
professional wear and, as a result, a but it is hardly done as PPE wear is a
lack of feedback. combination of many different materials
and largely constructed from chemicals
(see Alliander example, p.25).
Recycled nylon Still very small scale in the industry The market is limited to a few suppliers,
in general and hardly mentioned in which makes the access to this fibre more
professional wear. expensive.
Recycled wool Not widely referred to. Although it is an old recycling method, the
market is very small and still needs to be
built up.
Recycled cotton It depends on the applicability. The Lower quality and performance can be an
Dutch example in Chapter 4 shows issue for professional wear.
that using recycled cotton for certain
products is possible. The market and However, these challenges can be
large companies are working to find overcome if recycled cotton is mixed with
solutions, but the journey is a long virgin fibre.
one.
Table 6: General overview of the market of professional wear with recycled fibres
2.3. Challenges identified for the public procurement of recycled fibres
Based on interviews with professional wear suppliers at various stage of the chain, solutions
and technologies are rapidly developing in this area yet some professional wear sector-
specific challenges still need to be looked at/overcome on the recycled fibres topic:
ü Price: almost all interviewees mentioned this as a number one challenge. Professional
wear is a price-conscious sector and as the price of recycled fibres is currently still higher
than that of virgin fibres (by 10-20%), it is challenging to adopt recycled fibres. However,
the sector can only evolve if there is a clear demand for recycled fibres from public
procurers and the industry in general.
ü The high product standards required by professional wear differ from those in the fashion
industry. The fibres need to be of high quality, which could be problematic with certain
recycled fibres. The market can however offer solutions or blends with virgin fibres.
ü Recyclability: the challenge to recycling the garments is the issue of blends, the potential
chemical residue from previous treatments and the challenge of dirtiness in professional
wear. But as examples show, some companies have heavily invested in providing
solutions for circularity (see Chapter 3 of this study).
18
The question is how the market can be supported in order to take on these challenges.
Section 4.1 below discusses Dutch pilot projects with recycled fibres. These projects came to
the same conclusion: the market needs further support.
2.4. Expected future developments in professional wear
Based on interviews with industry actors, the expected developments in the area of recycled
fibres are unclear mainly due to the fact that the market is at a very early development phase.
Nevertheless, some figures have emerged which give some initial insight: Utexbel mentions
that the production of fabrics out of recycled fibres represents less than 5% of their business,
36
but the company is aiming for 10% in the next five years . CWS Boco is expecting the market
37
of recycled fibres to pick up in the next five years, to about 5% versus virgin fibres . Other
interviewees also mention that the next five years will be key in seeing a development in the
circular economy. Professional wear would clearly have a role to play if closed-loop recycling
(textile to textile) becomes technologically and economically viable, because the sector
usually uses high quality material, which can become valuable input material for new
garments. Also, unlike the fashion industry, the professional wear sector has a better control
over a garment's end of life, which makes planning for recycling easier provided recyclability
has been taken into consideration at product development stage (see Section 1.5). Yet the
journey to reach this is still very long.
3. Innovations in recycled fibres and recyclability

Today, many initiatives have emerged to find technologically and economically viable
solutions for textile to textile recycling, but none are at industrial scale yet. The market is
being pushed through the demand from big fashion brands that have committed to circularity
38
such as H&M, C&A and Kering. 62 million tons of textiles are put on the market every year ,
but this waste is not yet becoming an input for recycled fibres. A few reasons for this and
solutions being worked on are analysed below (please note that the list is not exhaustive):
36
Interview Utexbel, August 2017.
37
Interview CWS Boco, August 2017
38
Global Fashion Agenda & The Boston Consulting Group, The Pulse of the Fashion Industry (2017), 8,
http://globalfashionagenda.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pulse-of-the-Fashion-Industry_2017.pdf
19
Challenge 1: textile garments are often a blend of different fibres (polyester/cotton,
cotton/wool, etc.), which makes recycling very challenging.
Solution 1: Chemical recycling to separate blends

Initiative Description Investments
Re:newcell A Swedish company named Re:Newcell is The company is supported by
working on a technology to retrieve the cotton Fouriertransform, the Swedish
or cellulosic fibre from post-consumer waste government-owned investment
through a chemical process. The result is dried body which has invested 5
cellulose called a dissolving pulp, which can be million euros in the company.
used as basis to make viscose or lyocell They are building a production
products (annex 6) site in Sweden that will have a
capacity of 7,000 tons per year,
which equals 28 million t-shirts.
HKRITA and H&M entered into a four-year partnership with The total investment in this
39
H&M the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles project is 30 million euros for a
and Apparel (HKRITA) to find solutions to four-year collaboration.
recycle blended textiles into new yarns and A pilot plant is planned and will
40
fabrics. Through a hydrothermal (chemical) be operation in 6-12 months .
recycling process, they found a way to self- The next phase will be to
separate cotton and polyester blends and the demonstrate the commercial
polyester can be re-used directly without quality viability of the technology, which
loss. The cotton turns into a cellulose powder if positive, will be licensed out to
but the application of this powder still needs to the market.
be defined.
Worn again Worn again works on the separation of No data about the investments
polyester and cotton blends through a chemical but the future model will be to
process. It has managed to separate and offer licenses to commercial
recapture polyester and cotton, which can then recyclers once they are ready
be re-used as virgin-equivalent input in the technologically for scaling up.
supply chain.
Table 7: Initiatives working on chemical recycling to separate blends and the investments made
Solution 2: Design for circularity

The goal of design for circularity is to take into account the end of life already in the design
phase. A few companies have worked on solutions:
Name Concept Description

Schoeller AG / Design for - Offers a fabric made of 60% recycled polyester (with the goal
Wear2Wear circularity of scaling up to 100%) including a technology that makes the
Partnership fabric feel like a polyester/cotton blend.
- At the end of its life, the garment can be recycled into a new
garment through the Wear2Wear partnership (see Annex 7).
- The fabric and garment meet strict waterproofing,
breathability and comfort requirements. Water- and dirt-
repelling technologies based on renewable raw materials
ensure that the textiles are developed and manufactured
entirely without the use of PFC. On the other hand, very
specific performance attributes such as flame retardants
cannot be included, as this would prevent the recyclability.
39 H&M Group, Technological Breakthrough: Successful Method Found for Recycling Blend Textiles
into New Fibres (2017), https://about.hm.com/en/media/news/general-2017/Successful-method-found-
for-recycling-blend-textiles-into-new-fibres.html.
40
Ecotextile News (October/November 2017), 28.
20
Dutch Design for - Developed a fabric called Infinity, which can be mechanically
Awearness circularity recycled up to eight times before having to include virgin
polyester in order to strengthen it.
- Offers professional wear made out of 100% polyester and
offers public procurers a take-back system of the garments.
- Enabled through a circular track and trace system, which
guarantees that the Infinity fabric is in the product.
- Worked on several pilot projects with the Dutch government
and has a lot of knowledge on circular procurement.
Lauffenmühle Cradle to Cradle - In this case, Lauffenmühle developed biologically

C2C regenerative yarns, fabrics and ready to wear accessories
meeting the stringent technical requirements of industrial
laundry and having a high abrasion and pilling resistance.
- C2C takes into account the garment's end of the working life:
the biodegradable material can be taken to a commercial
composter and turned into soil to be returned to the earth
without leaving any traces of harmful substances (more
information in annex 8).
Table 8: Example of companies offering solutions for easy recyclability of textile
Challenge 2: Mechanical shredding can make the fibre shorter and therefore the fibre
loses quality.
Chemical recycling is a strong alternative, as it helps preserve the performance of the
material.
Initiative Description Investments
Econyl from Nylon is more difficult to recycle, because, as Invested 35 million euros to
Aquafil mentioned earlier, it needs a large input of the develop the Econyl Regenerative
same kind of nylon for it to be feasible. However, System and produces more than
Aquafil, a leading company in the production of 20,000 tons of Econyl yarn per
Nylon 6, has developed the Econyl Regeneration year.
System, which produces Nylon 6 from nylon
waste such as fishing nets and carpet fibres. The
ECONYL® yarn can be regenerated infinitively
without any loss in quality.
Refibra™ After four years of research and development, The first partnership of Refibra™
from Lenzing the Lenzing Group launched a new fibre, named with international companies
Refibra™, which is a mix of pulp made of cotton could see up to 48 million
scraps from post industrial waste (20%) and garments produced from 3,000
eucalyptus wood pulp (80%), resulting in a new tons of textile waste.
TENCEL™ Lyocell fibre type. Refibra™ is the
first cellulose fibre including recycled material
that can be produced on a commercial scale and
is applicable for professional wear, especially in
markets already using TENCEL™ branded
fibres. In the next couple of years, Lenzing will
make this fibre available to public procurers via
manufacturers, mainly as a blend between
polyester and Refibra™. See more in annex 9.
Table 9: Example of companies working on chemical recycling of fibres
Textile recycling today is like laying a jigsaw puzzle. All actors of the chain need to work
together, step by step, to find solutions to technological challenges arising from each part of
the supply chain. Only when it becomes economically and technologically available for all
parties, will it take off.
21
4. Other countries' examples
This section discusses measures taken by other countries to procure professional wear with
recycled fibres and to consider end of life solutions for professional wear.
4.1. The Netherlands: encouraging circular procurement nationally
Most notably, the Netherlands shows strong commitment to circular procurement. The country
developed a government-wide circular economy programme named "A Circular Economy in
the Netherlands by 2050". The first established objective is "a 50% reduction in the use of
41 42
primary raw materials (minerals, fossil and metals) by 2030" . In 2013, the Green Deal on
Circular Procurement was launched and 45 public and private parties took part in the
43
challenge to promote the circular economy through procurement policies . The aim was to
build knowledge through pilots (80 in total) meant to be an initial phase before scaling up.
4.1.1. Dutch Ministry of Defence: procurement pilot on recycled fibres
The Dutch Ministry of Defence employs 58,800 people and is a big user of textile products in
its military equipment. Under a national procurement plan for textiles and with the objective of
exploring opportunities for closing the loop, the ministry organised two pilots, one on recycled
fibres and one on the collection and sorting of discarded professional wear. Below, the
44
process of procuring textiles with recycled fibres is discussed :
a. An initial market dialogue
In January 2014, the Dutch Ministry of Defence, with the support of Rijkswaterstaat (part of
the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment), started a dialogue on the application of
recycled fibres through a market consultation and a meeting with suppliers. The meeting
gathered all suppliers working with the Ministry on the one hand and procurers and internal
decision makers on the other in order to investigate how the market responds to the
requirement of using recycled fibres. Suppliers were asked how much recycled content can
be included in a garment (the question was specific to post-consumer textile waste, so
excluding for instance recycled polyester from PET bottles). Answers ranged from 0 to 75%.
41 Government of the Netherlands, A Circular Economy in the Netherlands by 2050 (2016), 5,

https://www.government.nl/documents/policy-notes/2016/09/14/a-circular-economy-in-the-netherlands-
by-2050.
42
Green Deals are voluntary agreements between a central government and other organisations,
intended to stimulate sustainable innovations and remove potential barriers, such as restrictive
legislation.
43
“Green deal on circular procurement: a special partnership”, Magazine Green Deal Circular
Procurement (June 2017), 8, http://www.ecap.eu.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/ENG-Green-
Deal_Circular-Procurement-Magazine.pdf.
44
Information gathered through an interview with Rijkswaterstaat, Dutch Ministry of infrastructure and
the Environment.
22
This initial discussion with different stakeholders in the supply chain was crucial to gaining
insight into market possibilities and to getting the project off the ground.
b. Writing of the tender
This initial meeting formed the foundation for a call for tenders released in October 2015 by
the Dutch Ministry of Defence for the on-demand sourcing of 53,000 green overalls, 10,000
washcloths and 100,000 towels with recycled content over a period of four years. The tender
was very specific and one of the mandatory reward criteria was that the textile must contain at
least 10% of recycled content from cellulose material (not coming from PET bottles). The
higher the percentage of recycled fibres, the more points awarded (see Annex 10 for more
details on the award criteria).
The contracts were awarded in June 2016 to two Belgian companies, which offered, for
example, 36% of recycled cotton in the towels and 14% of recycled cotton in the overalls.
A certification from an accredited institute was required to prove the percentage of recycled
content in the textile, which is usually difficult to test. Microscopic testing can establish if
recycled material is in the product. However, this does not establish whether this is pre- or
post-consumer waste.
45
c. Lessons learnt
More time:
The market needs more time than the usual number of days given between publishing the
contract and the actual closure to adapt to these new requirements. In addition, because it is
an "unusual request", suppliers need to be kept informed on the invitation to tender so they
have enough time to anticipate it.
More functional specifications:

The original Schedule of Requirements (SOR) had too many technical specifications.
Suppliers' feedback showed that procurers must be very specific on quality functions in the
specifications. A circular economy tender must be written in a more functional way to grant
46
the market space for solutions . It needs to concentrate on what a product is to do and be
less interested in materials and dimensions.
45 Dutch Ministry of Defence, Workwear: Dutch Ministry of Defence (June 2017),

https://www.pianoo.nl/sites/default/files/documents/documents/rebusfactsheet15-kledingdefensie-
engels-juni2017.pdf.
46 Workwear Dutch Ministry of Defence note.
23
Be more open with existing tariffs:
Tight budget ceilings limit development potential. As a result, the public authority must be
willing to take a cost increase.
4.1.2. Dutch Ministry of Defence: recycling their professional wear
Historically, the Ministry of Defence had textiles incinerated when they reached their end of
life. In an effort to promote circularity, the ministry explored the potential of recycling and
reusing discarded textiles. As a result, an eight-year contract was signed with the BIGA
Groep, a social company reintegrating people with a disadvantage in the job market, for the
collection and sorting of 750,000 items per year of military uniforms and equipment. The items
are divided into two groups: high-quality clothing is reused and end-of-life clothing is recycled
and turned into new fibres. The objective is twofold: to keep these items in circulation and to
47
encourage circularity . Other Dutch examples of procurement with end of life in mind can be
found in Annex 11.
4.1.3. Alliander: a vision for circular safety wear
48
Alliander , a Dutch public infrastructure maintenance company for the electricity and gas grid,
has an overall vision to be 40% circular by 2020. One of their ambitions under this vision is to
develop a complete circular package for safety workwear and personal protection items.
Based on the results of a complete market scan, this is currently non-existent, at least for the
multi-norm workwear used by Alliander as its safety wear. As a way to help the company
achieve this goal, in June 2017, Alliander published a European tender. In this procedure,
Alliander identified that a fully circular package, including design, manufacturing, distribution,
maintenance, high quality reuse and the required IT systems (including track & trace and a
webshop) is only possible through intensive market cooperation and supply chain integration.
In order to achieve this vision, the market needs time, momentum, understanding,
commitment and basically a change in the business model.
The contractual duration of the tender is specified as 15 years. The reason for doing so is that
the investments to be made by the market and the entire supply chain would be
disproportional if the “standard” tender law duration would have been required. The length of
the project offers the opportunity to support the development phase: giving time and financial
support to the market including a viable return on investment. The stakes are high because
safety wear is made of complex materials, so it is not yet a product fit for recycling.
47
Dutch Ministry of Defence, Workwear: Dutch Ministry of Defence (June 2017),
https://www.pianoo.nl/sites/default/files/documents/documents/rebusfactsheet15-kledingdefensie-
engels-juni2017.pdf.
48
Company website: www.alliander.com
24
4.2. Nordic countries' push on textile recycling
Nordic countries appear to be leading the way on textile recycling in terms of innovations and
initiatives taking place. Under the action plan for sustainable fashion and textiles, “Well
Dressed in a Clean Environment”, launched by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2015,
knowledge and expertise is being promoted through different tools such as case studies of
49
Nordic brands involved in recycled fibres and textile recyclability projects , an analysis of the
50
challenges in the journey towards textile-to-textile recycling and the organisation of a
workshop to increase cooperation between different actors in the chain. In addition, many
ground-breaking innovations on chemical recycling and material recognition take place in this
region, making it a hub for research, expertise and implementation.
4.3. France: a system for end-of-life collection of professional wear
51
In April 2016, France signed its own first four Green Deals , inspired by the Dutch model.
One of these focuses on the collection and recycling of uniforms and professional wear. The
initiative, named FRIVEP (Filière de Réemploi / Recyclage Industrielle des Vêtements
Professionnels: Reuse / Recycling of professional wear), is supported by several entities from
both the private and public sectors, such as the national rail company SNCF, the mail service
La Poste, the City of Paris, the Ministry of the Armed Forces and the Interior Ministry, as well
52
as several small and medium size companies . In June 2017, all entities involved in the
project carried out an inventory of their own professional wear assortment in order to establish
the amount of textile, the main raw material/combination of raw materials used and the
weight. The next phase is to look for a sorting centre that can collect professional wear to give
it a second life. Since most of the professional wear in the case of the participating entities is
owned by the employees, internal awareness raising campaigns have been launched for
employees to return their professional wear when it reaches its end of life. This campaign will
most probably be successful, as employees have already expressed concerns that textiles
49
David Watson, Anja Charlotte Gylling, Tova Andersson, and Pirjo Heikkilä, Textile-to-textile recycling:
ten Nordic brands that are leading the way (Copenhagen: Nordisk Ministerråd, 2017), http://norden.diva-
portal.org/smash/record.jsf?dswid=3034&aq2=%5B%5B%5D%5D&af=%5B%5D&searchType=SIMPLE
&sortOrder2=title_sort_asc&language=en&pid=diva2%3A1147645&aq=%5B%5B%5D%5D&sf=all&aqe
=%5B%5D&sortOrder=author_sort_asc&onlyFullText=false&noOfRows=50&dspwid=3034.
50
David Watson, Maria Elander, Anja Gylling, and Tova Andersson, Stimulating Textile-to-Textile
Recycling (Copenhagen: Nordisk Ministerråd, 2017), http://norden.diva-
portal.org/smash/record.jsf?dswid=-
8842&aq2=%5B%5B%5D%5D&af=%5B%5D&searchType=SIMPLE&sortOrder2=title_sort_asc&langua
ge=en&pid=diva2%3A1161916&aq=%5B%5B%5D%5D&sf=all&aqe=%5B%5D&sortOrder=author_sort_
asc&onlyFullText=false&noOfRows=50&dspwid=-8842.
51
The goal of the Green Deals is to encourage the adoption of innovative green solutions by supporting
public-private partnerships working to lift the roadblocks towards a circular economy.
52
Press Release, April 2016, French Ministry of Economy and Industry: http://proxy-
pubminefi.diffusion.finances.gouv.fr/pub/document/18/20861.pdf
25
are simply incinerated. The cost of collecting is split between the parties involved, with the
objective that the initiative will eventually sustain.
5. Recommendations for Switzerland
5.1. Current examples in Switzerland
Recycled fibres and the end of life of professional wear are hardly addressed in the Swiss
public procurement processes. This is partly due to a lack of awareness and overview of the
current market solutions on the one hand and the fact that recycling may have an impact on
normal procedures and can result in higher costs on the other.
However, some public entities are starting to explore the topic at hand, as outlined below:
• Procurement of recycled fibres

Both Swiss Post and SBB are sourcing items containing recycled fibres. Swiss Post already
started in 2014 with the sourcing of shawls made out of recycled polyester. In early 2017,
SBB issued a tender for high-visibility orange t-shirts and polo shirts complying with the norm
EN 20471. The requirement for recycled polyester was not mandatory, but gave more points
in the award criteria (more information available in Annex 12). The experience was positive:
suppliers could fulfil the requirements and workers wearing the items did not feel any
difference in comfort. The recycled content was verified through laboratory testing in
Germany. In terms of price, SBB was willing to pay slightly more (up to 5%) for a recycled
polyester offer, which encouraged the market to develop solutions.
• End-of-life solutions
Most of the professional wear in Switzerland ends up in incineration due to on the one hand a
lack of awareness and solutions available and on the other hand for security reasons. Some
public entities have however set out to find end-of-life solutions independently, mainly by
giving professional wear to charities. For example, Swiss Post and SBB both work with the
Swiss Red Cross, which ensures the further use of the items through either reselling or giving
it to special initiatives. Through a formal contract with Textura, a recycler in Canton de Vaud,
all services of the city of Lausanne can call a free number and have their professional wear
collected by Textura. The recycler either sells the professional wear in its stores or ensures a
safe downcycling of the products. The collaboration is price neutral and therefore attractive to
both parties. Other initiatives are taking place but on a very small scale, as there is a lack of
knowledge of this topic.
26
5.2. Recommendations for procuring professional wear with recycled fibres
"(Change) never happens with a ‘big bang’, it is almost always about taking many steps
53
towards the goal" . As the Dutch example from the ministry of Defence shows, the market of
recycled fibres needs to be encouraged and pushed by public authorities. Rather than
understanding what the market can supply, the question should be: how can the market be
built up? What kind of incentives does it need to make it work for all parties involved?
• Create a space for dialogue
Creating a space for dialogue between procurers and potential suppliers outside a formal
tendering process is key. It would help public authorities have a better understanding of
the market and know the requirements they can make in order to push the market to
come up with innovative solutions. The circular procurement guide from MVO Nederland
54
gives the following tips about what a public procurer could explore in such a dialogue :
• The amount of recycled content that can be included in the desired product that
maintains the same quality/performance.
• The use of alternative fibres to allow recyclability.
• The opportunity for suppliers to lease the product so that they can include an end-of-
life solution in the tender.
• Removable logos in order to increase end-of-life potential.
• The best fibre mix to encourage recyclability.
In Switzerland, public authorities engaged in Green Public Procurement such as Canton de

Vaud and the City of Zürich have voiced strong interest in such a dialogue on recycled fibres
and textile recyclability (amongst other sustainability topics). This dialogue could be anchored
55
under the new platform Go for Impact , which would be ideal as it aims at exploring how the
Swiss economy can use less resources while improving economic efficiency and creating
social benefits. As a result, it would help public procurers and suppliers to align and explore
ways of preserving resources through sourcing recycled fibres and through considering end-
of-life solutions.
53
Magazine Green Deal Pocurement, June 2017, Bart Vos, page 6: http://www.ecap.eu.com/wp-
content/uploads/2017/07/ENG-Green-Deal_Circular-Procurement-Magazine.pdf
54
MVO Nederland, Circular Procurement Guide, https://mvonederland.nl/circular-procurement-guide.
55
https://www.gruenewirtschaft.admin.ch/grwi/en/home/go-for-impact/Go-for-Impact.html.
27
• Use the EU GPP Criteria on textiles and ECAP
In June 2017, the European Commission published new voluntary EU Green Public
56
Procurement (GPP) criteria for textile products and services . In this version, criteria on
recycled content and end of life solutions have been included and are formulated in such a
way that procurers can integrate them in tender documents with minimal editing (see relevant
EU GPP criteria on recycled content and end of use summarised in Annex 13).
Another tool available to public procurers is the European Clothing Action Plan (ECAP), an
initiative supported by the EU Life, which aims at reducing clothing waste across Europe and
embed a circular economy approach. Public procurers can participate to help develop new
57
criteria and share the knowledge and expertise of other public procurers in the industry .
• Work with functional specifications rather than technical specifications
In the current situation, Swiss procurers sourcing garments with recycled content work with
award criteria assigning more weight to suppliers proposing products with recycled fibres.
When it comes to procurement that considers specifically end of life, product functional
specifications are more important than technical specifications. This allows the market to
come up with more innovative solutions that they would not consider if the technical
specifications were listed.
• Verify the content
As the examples above show, there are two ways to guarantee recycled content in a garment:
a. Certifications
Two main standards on recycled content in textile and other applications are available on the
market. The Global Recycled Standard (GRS) verifies the recycled content in the final product
according to ISO norms. It reviews the social, environmental and chemical requirements at
each processing stage. The Recycled Claim Standard (RDS) is similar, but focuses only on
the recycled content in the product, not on how it was produced.
b. Microscopic examination
This method can show the amount of recycled fibres, but it cannot ascertain whether pre- or
post-consumer waste was used. The public procurer should therefore ask the supplier for
further proof of transactions down the supply chain.
56
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/pdf/criteria/textiles_2017.pdf
57
ECAP project overview: http://www.ecap.eu.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Public-Procurement.pdf
28
5.3. Recommendations for end-of-life solutions for professional wear
Today in Switzerland, the collection of old textiles and shoes from households is organised by
organisations such as Texaid and its daughter entity Contex, Tell Tex or I:Collection. These
organisations prolong the life of a garment, which is seen as the most environmentally friendly
step, because no alteration to the products is needed. For example, the 36,000 tons of textiles
collected by Texaid per year in Switzerland through bins, street collections and selected
clothing stores are processed as follows:
• 65% of the garments are being resold as they are.
• 15% are downcycled into wipes.
• 15% are downcycled into shoddy wool and insulating materials.
58
• 5% are waste products .
Most of the time, professional wear does not enter this stream, because it cannot be resold as
it is (image components like logos have to be removed, for example). Other public entities,
such as Armasuisse, have to incinerate most of their uniforms for security reasons. Yet unlike
the fashion industry, public procurers and public companies know exactly what material is in
the product and when the item is due to reach its end of life, which could be a clear advantage
for the recycling process. Indeed, not knowing the garment composition is a big challenge for
59
recyclers. Different initiatives, for example the SIPtex Consortium in Sweden or the Fibersort
60
from Circle Economy in the Netherlands , are currently working on cutting edge identification
systems that will help recognise the composition of a garment in an automated way which will
in turn increase the efficiency and accuracy of sorting. This will lead to better business
opportunities for recyclers, which is strongly needed for a valid textile-to-textile recycling
business model.
Today, public procurers or public companies organise their own recycling by either
incinerating their professional wear or by giving it to charity. Based on the example of the
French initiative FRIVEP, it would be useful to review other end-of-life options than
incineration for Switzerland. The recommendation would be to:
58
Interview with Texaid, July 29, 2017.
59
IVL, New technology may revolutionize textile recycling (2017),
http://www.ivl.se/english/startpage/top-menu/pressroom/press-releases/press-releases---arkiv/2017-03-
28-new-technology-may-revolutionize-textile-recycling.html.
60
"The Fibersort is a technology that automatically sorts large volumes of mixed post consumer textiles
by fiber type. Once sorted, these materials become reliable, consistent input materials for high value
textile to textile recyclers". Circle Economy website: https://www.circle-
economy.com/case/fibersort/#.WjKC10tG0UE
29
• Investigate the amount of professional wear that would not need to be incinerated if
solutions would be in place.
• Review the reasons behind the current lack of infrastructure for the collection of
professional wear: are there any legal barriers that need to be overcome?
• Review the existing options on the market and the opportunities for collaboration.
• Review the levers that would make recycling economically viable and define the
potential for financing.
Due to the size of Switzerland and the amount of professional wear procured, it would make
more sense to build a system using existing recycling facilities. However, expectations should
be managed: until textile-to-textile recycling technologies are more advanced, professional
wear would be resold or downcycled to make insulation or input for other industries. For now,
the motivation for setting up a recycling system for professional wear would be to divert waste
from incineration rather than to provide input material for textile-to-textile recycling. If textile-
to-textile recycling is the ambition, another few years are needed.
30
Concluding remarks
The current market for recycled textiles and textile recyclability is buoying and
announcements on key recycling innovations are released on an almost monthly basis, which
makes it challenging to keep up to date. Yet innovations still have to prove their technological
and economic viability in order to secure uptake by the industry. Indeed, price remains a
significant barrier for the different actors in the chain, as could be the quality and
performance. The sector needs more hindsight, especially for the application in professional
wear. Based on the different interviews and reports, it is estimated that the coming five years
will be crucial in making the business case for textile recycling, especially when it comes to
retaining the quality of the fibres in the recycling process and addressing recycling of blends
in textile. Recycling technologies need to be further developed and reach industrial scale but
this means that bridging the gap and starting a dialogue between the different actors in the
market is key. Public procurers cannot get a good grasp of whether the market can offer
recycled fibres in the different textile applications they need and the market will only invest in
innovations if there is a clear requirement for recycled fibres in the tenders. This could be
resolved through the setting-up of a platform that would facilitate these dialogues and at the
same time keep up to date on this important and high potential discussion.
On the end-of-life aspect, Swiss public procurers are not aware of end of life solutions for their
professional wear. Some have taken the lead and implemented their own solutions, mainly
through charities and recyclers. This is a good strategy for diverting this waste from
incineration and preventing it from being disposed of in an uncontrolled way. But since the
demand of good quality garments for a textile-to-textile recycling is not yet happening,
professional wear recycling is not attractive for recyclers through their usual recycling
channels. Consequently, more research needs to be done to really define a vision on
recycling of professional wear for Switzerland and explore options, their advantage and their
viability.
31
ANNEXES
32
The annexes below are meant to give additional information about aspects addressed in the
main report.
Annex 1
Much of the information shared by companies is sensitive and therefore details of names and
numbers cannot be attributed to individual companies or persons interviewed. The researcher
would like to warmly thank individuals from the following companies/institutions for having
taken the time to provide input for this study (in alphabetical order):
Albiro AG, Alliander (Netherlands), Aquafil, CWS Boco Supply Chain Management GmbH,
Canton de Vaud, City of Lausanne, City of Zürich, Coord 21, Dibella, Die Post, DPW Consult,
Dutch Awearness, European Textile Services Association (ETSA), Fashion for Good, FRIVEP
(France), Hälg Textil AG, I:Collect, Lauffenmühle GmbH, Lenzing AG, Klopman, Mistra Future
Fashion, Re:newcell, Rijkswaterstaat (Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water
Management), SBB, Schoeller AG, Sustainability in Fashion, The Swedish National Agency
for Public Procurement, Texaid, Textile Exchange, Unifi, Utexbel, Work Fashion and WRAP
UK.
Annex 2
The industry's linear model is an obvious stress on natural resources as shown in the graph
61
below . In 2030, water consumption is projected to increase by 50%, energy emissions by
63% and waste creation by 62%, compared to 2015:
61
Global Fashion Agenda & The Boston Consulting Group, The Pulse of the Fashion Industry
(2017), 10, http://globalfashionagenda.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pulse-of-the-
Fashion-Industry_2017.pdf.
33
Figure 4: Projected increase of environmental impacts based on the increase of global fashion
consumption
Annex 3
The graph below illustrates the way in which technological and biological nutrient-based
62
products and materials circle through the economic system . It is named the butterfly model
and sets to visually explain the circular economy concept:
Figure 5: The butterfly model or the visual representation of the circular economy concept
62
Ellen MacArthur Foundation, Circular Economy System Diagram,
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/circular-economy/interactive-diagram.
34
Annex 4
• This movie about recycled polyester from National Geographic, published in

December 2009, explains the mechanical recycling of PET bottles:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyF9MxlcItw.
• Below is an overview of both mechanically and chemically recycled polyester.

Chemical recycling includes an additional chemical step compared to mechanical
63
recycling (shown as an add-on text box below) :
Figure 6: Visual representation of the process to make recycled polyester fiber from PET bottles
In chemical recycling, the material is

first depolymerised to the base-
chemical molecule called monomer
and then re-polymerised with the
help of chemical additives (typically
mathanolysis, glycolosis, or
hydrolysis) before being extruded
into chips.
63
https://www.trustedclothes.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/recycledpolyester_01.jpg
35
Annex 5
64
Below image is an overview of fabric composition of key garments in corporate wear :
Figure 7: overview of fabric composition of key garments in corporate wear
64
WRAP UK, A review of corporate workwear arisings and opportunities (2012), 19.
36
Annex 6
Re:newcell
Founded in 2012, Re:newcell is a Swedish company that recycles garments using a chemical
process. The process, initially developed by the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, is
as follows: they collect pre- and post-consumer textiles made out of cotton or cellulosic fibres
from textile collecting and sorting companies, retailers and textile manufacturers. They then
chop it to equal size, de-dye and de-finish the textiles and dissolve the material to molecular
level. At this level, they separate the cellulose from other materials such as polyester and
then dry the cellulose. The dried cellulose is called dissolving pulp, of which viscose and
lyocell products can be made. The company is supported by Fouriertransform, the Swedish
government-owned investment company, which has invested 5 million euros in the
65
company . They are building a production site in Sweden that will have a capacity of 7,000
tons per year, which equals 28 million t-shirts.
"Re:newcell’s technology has the potential to become a commercial and scalable solution for
the industry and accelerate the journey from a linear fashion industry towards a circular one",
says Cecilia Brännsten, Acting Environmental Sustainability Manager and circular economy
lead at H&M group.
Annex 7
Wear2wear
Wear2wear is an innovative industrial partnership dedicated to bringing solutions for closing

the textile loop. Five European companies, each representing a phase of the recycling
process, collaborate in order to develop cutting-edge production systems that will turn textile
fibres from used clothing into new functional fabrics (textile to textile). The five companies are:
Fabric supplier Outer material Recycler Upcycler Project initiator

and linings
Schoeller Textile Sympatex AG Glaeser Märkischer Dutch Spirit
AG Faser
Develops the Provides a Takes the Makes new Brainchild for
sustainable and 100% garment made polyester yarn the wear2wear
high-tech Inspire recyclable, of the Inspire out of the inspire concept, Dutch
fabric with PTFE- and PFC- fabric back and fabric through Spirit's mission
maximum free membrane prepares it for an upcycling is to increase
clothing comfort. as well as the recycling process. the awareness
recycled outer process of sustainable
materials and (removing clothing and
65
Press release: http://www.fouriertransform.se/Global/pdf/Pressrelease-Renewcell-160923-eng.pdf
37
linings. zippers, buttons, provide circular
etc.) clothing in the
corporate and
workwear
segment.
Table 10: Wear2Wear partnership explained
Wear2Wear started in 2016, so the partnership is still in its infancy, but it offers a promising
solution for recyclability. The challenge will be to have enough Inspire fabric on the market to
be able to collect it in order to make new Inspire products out of it. This is where the
professional wear sector is key, because the end of life is mostly planned and provides a
defined and significant input of material in order to create a new recycled yarn out of it.
Annex 8
Lauffenmühle
In an attempt to break away from professional wear being seen as disposable, Lauffenmühle
successfully developed products in line with the Cradle to Cradle principle. The idea was to
explore the possibilities to return such clothing to the biological cycle at the end of its working
life. Overall, the project incorporated the development of yarns, fabrics and ready-to-wear
accessories, all of which needed to be biologically regenerative while meeting the stringent
technical requirements of industrial laundry and have a high abrasion and pilling resistance.
Following the stringent C2C requirements, all processes have been designed and developed
from spinning (yarn called infinito® which is a biodegradable polymer derived from oil blended
with Tencel®) to weaving, finishing and to fabrics called reworx® fabrics.
The most challenging for garment makers working with fabrics from Lauffenmühle was the
lack of suitable C2C accessories (sewing yarns, cords, elastic straps, labels, zippers,
buttons). The company therefore developed a range of own accessories certified C2C.
Lauffenmühle sees this Cradle to Cradle registration and certification as the "Supreme
Discipline Of Circular Economy" as there is no loss of material throughout the loop. It also
gives public procurers full transparency on the professional wear supply chain from fiber to
garment. Cradle to Cradle takes into account the garment's end of the working life: the
biodegradable material can be taken to a commercial composter and turned into soil to be
returned to the earth without leaving any traces of harmful substances. The company
continues working on the topic and is looking to find solutions to obtain biogas out of the
compost.
38
Annex 9
Refibra™ from Lenzing
Lenzing is an Austrian company whose main business is to develop and commercialise high
quality, botanic cellulose fibres, mainly made from wood. These include TENCEL® (lyocell),
Lenzing Modal®, Lenzing Viscose®, which are their main brands. A world leader in this area,
Lenzing is very much invested in sustainability. Early in 2017, Lenzing launched its Refibra™
fibre, which it sees as its initiative to drive circular economy in the textile world.
Figure 8: Visual representation of the Refibra™ process
Cotton scraps represent approximately 20% of the pulp that is used in the final fibre
composition and it is made of post-industrial but pre-consumer cotton scraps. The success of
this fibre relies on having access to an ongoing supply of waste materials from reliable
sources, which Lenzing secured through a collaboration with a big international brand. The
remaining 80% is actually eucalyptus wood pulp, the same process as used for TENCEL™
lyocell fibres. This is why this new fibre is called the Reborn TENCEL™ fibre. In order to
assure the customers that the fibre, made from recycled material, is really in the textiles,
39
Lenzing has developed a new identification system, which helps to identify Refibra™ in the
66
finished textile . The quality level is said to be the same as that of virgin TENCEL™.
Annex 10
Dutch Ministry of Defence Award criteria for their pilot on recycled content in overalls
and other products:
The tender is awarded as follows:

• 40 points for the most economically advantageous offer
• 20 points for the highest percentage of recycled content from cellulose material
• 20 points for the confirmation of the amount of recycled fibres
• 10 points for the Data sheets with quality and material requirements
Regarding the content, the points are calculated as follows (based on the percentage of
recycled content in the final product):
≥50% - 20 points
30% - 10 points
10% - 0 points
Ten percent of recycled content is the minimum requirement. The intermediate steps are
calculable by 0.5 point increments. Everything above 50% content does not add extra points.
The price is related to the amount of recycled fibre content. If a tenderer is more expensive
due to a higher content of recycled fibres, the score is calculated accordingly by adding a
multiplication on the price score. For 10% content = factor 1.0, 20% content = factor 1.2, 50
content = factor 1.8.
If microscopic examination shows that the indicated amount of recycled fibres is observed,
the full 20 points are allocated. Higher amounts do not add extra points.
66
Lenzing, Refibra™ fiber – Lenzing’s initiative to drive circular economy in the textile world (2017),
https://www.lenzing.com/en/press/press-releases/detail/article/2017/1/07/refibraTM-lenzings-beitrag-zur-
kreislaufwirtschaft-in-der-textilwelt.html.
40
Annex 11
Under the series of pilots on circular procurement organised in the Netherlands, other projects
were initiated:
Public entity Project
Rijkswaterstaat Leasing temporary professional wear to be recycled:
(Ministry of . Lock stewards work seasonally in the summer to supervise the waterways.
Infrastructure . 50 lock stewards were issued caps, polo-shirts, raincoats and fleece jackets
and the (100% recyclable polyester) supplied by Dutch Awearness.
Environment) . Overall good performance and the items could be recycled to the same items
the next year.
. Only the raincoats had to be mixed with virgin material to have the strength
required for a new item.
Dura Vermeer Circular professional wear:
(Construction The project, started in 2014, was a pilot to engage discussions with the
and markets on the possibilities for circular workwear. The project focused initially
Infrastructure) on safety vests. In 2015, Dura Vermeer gave three market parties the contract
to develop a softshell parka and waterproof trousers containing material up to
85% reusable. The safety vest proved to be a difficult project to start with due
to high safety requirements and the fact that the market is still in an early
stage.
Annex 12
Regarding the SBB tender, the following items and material composition were asked:
Type Material Composition

T-shirt 60% Tencel / 40% PET
T-shirt 100% Polyester
Polo-shirt 60% Tencel / 40% PET
The requirement for recycled polyester was not mandatory but awarded more points in the
award criteria, which were divided into price (70%), comfort (10%), recycled content (10%)
and environmental certification (10%).
The SBB tender award criteria, weighing and awarding of the different criteria are as follows
(not translated).
41
Figure 9: SBB tender award criteria for recycled polos and tee-shirts
42
Annex 13
Below is a selection of the relevant GPP criteria for recycled fibres and end of life solutions
(these were taken as is from the EU Green Public Procurement Criteria for textile products
67
and services).
Core Criteria Comprehensive Criteria

Subject Matter
The purchase of textile products with a reduced environmental impact
Technical Specifications
TS4. Polyester recycled Content
Polyester fibre product(s) to be used in
fulfilment of the contract must be
manufactured using a minimum recycled
content of 20%
Note: Technical issues may be encountered

in meeting other quality specifications
required in a contract. This should be taken
into account when evaluating tenders and
could also be addressed through market
enquiries or during competitive dialogue (if
used).
Award criteria
AC2. Polyester and polyamide (nylon)
recycled content
Points will be awarded for polyester and/or
nylon fibre product(s) to be used in fulfilment
of the contract for each additional increment
of 10 % greater than a minimum recycled
content of 20 % pre-consumer and/or post-
consumer waste.
Note: Technical issues may be encountered

in meeting other quality specifications
required in a contract. This should be taken
into account when evaluating tenders and
could also be addressed through market
enquiries or during competitive dialogue (if
used).
AC3. Polyester recycling

Points will be awarded to tenderers that can
demonstrate:
- that the design of the final textile product
facilitates ease of separation for polyester
fabrics at the end of a product’s service life;
- the provision of a voluntary take-back route
for the textile product so that the contracting
authority can return polyester fabrics to be
recycled or reused.
67
European Commission, EU Green Public Procurement Criteria for textile products and services,
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/gpp/eu_gpp_criteria_en.htm.
43
Durability and lifespan extension
Technical specifications
TS8. Availability of parts and accessories
(Same for core and comprehensive criteria)
The successful tenderer must make spares available of all parts and accessories (e.g. zips,
buttons, fasteners) that form part of the products to be supplied for a minimum of two years
after product delivery or the duration of the supply contract (whichever is the longest). An
indicative price list for these parts and accessories must also be provided.
Design for re-use and recycling

Award criteria
AC5. Design for reuse and recycling
Garments must be designed so that any logos or distinctive identification features can be
easily removed or overprinted without damaging the
Core Criteria Comprehensive criteria

Maintenance
Technical specifications
TS2. Maintenance of the textile assets
This could also be combined with or formulated as an award criterion rewarding the most
ambitious maintenance approach.
The tenderer of textile services, as part of their asset management plan, will extend the useful
life of workwear and interior textiles by providing ongoing maintenance and repair services.
This will, as a minimum, include (as relevant to the textiles to be provided):
- provision of basic repairs, including repairing seam splits and stitching, the replacement of
broken/lost parts and the fixing/replacement of zips and fastenings;
- fabric panel replacement for workwear;
- the retreating and proofing of functional coatings.
Take Back
Technical specification
TS3. Take-back system
This could also be combined with or
formulated as an award criterion rewarding
the most ambitious take-back approach.
The tenderer as part of their asset
management system must operate a take-
back system, or have formal arrangements
with a take-back scheme, for the textiles
supplied for use within the contract, to include
the following elements:
· _collection systems installed in the
contracting authority’s own premises to
facilitate (where appropriate) the sorting and
classification of textiles;
· _training and guidance material to ensure
that staff of the public authority have a clear
understanding of how to use the system;
· _post-collection sorting activities in order to
maximise the value obtained from reuse or
recycling. This will, at a minimum, include
segregation based on fibre, colour and
condition of garment.
Contract Performance Clause
44
CPC2. Take-back system
The tenderer must report on the performance
of their take-back system in accordance with
the following requirements:
· _Surveys will be carried out of staff at the
contracting authority’s facilities to determine
how easy it has been to use the
collection/segregation systems. These will be
carried out within the first six months of the
services and the findings used to
identify/implement potential improvement
measures.
· _The proportion by weight of the collected
textiles that have been reused or recycled
and the associated value/kg of textiles
obtained from the destination end markets to
which they are sent will be determined and
recorded on an annual basis.
The tenderer will provide a short summary of

the staff survey findings and the potential
improvement measures identified. An annual
report providing a breakdown of the
destination of the textiles and the value
obtained from each end market will be
provided.
Table 11: Relevant GPP criteria for recycled fibres and end of life solutions
45

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Recycled Textile Fibres and Textile Recycling

An overview of the Market and its possibilities

Commissioned by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN)

A full list of stakeholders who contributed to this report is available in Annex 1.

1. Recycled fibres: an overview .............................................................................. 10

2. Professional wear and recycled fibres ................................................................ 17

3. Innovations in recycled fibres and recyclability ................................................... 19

4. Other countries' examples .................................................................................. 22

5. Recommendations for Switzerland ..................................................................... 26

Concluding remarks ................................................................................................... 31

Figure 1: Global consumption of all major fibres in 2015 ___________________________ 10

Needs to get there:

• Pre-consumer textile waste or industrial waste resulting from fibre processing or

There are two main ways to recycle:

1.2. Recycling processes per fibre

Recycling processes vary per fibre, as shown in the following table:

1.3. Ecological advantages of recycled fibres versus virgin fibres

Fibre Type General description Mechanical recycling Chemical recycling

Recycled Recycling of wool has been an Recycled wool has N/A

1.5. Role of product development to encourage recyclability

ü Design for RRR (Re-use, Re-pair, Re-cycle):

2.1. Classification of professional wear

2.2. Professional wear with recycled fibres

2.3. Challenges identified for the public procurement of recycled fibres

2.4. Expected future developments in professional wear

3. Innovations in recycled fibres and recyclability

Solution 1: Chemical recycling to separate blends

Solution 2: Design for circularity

Name Concept Description

Lauffenmühle Cradle to Cradle - In this case, Lauffenmühle developed biologically

Table 8: Example of companies offering solutions for easy recyclability of textile

Table 9: Example of companies working on chemical recycling of fibres

4.1. The Netherlands: encouraging circular procurement nationally

4.1.1. Dutch Ministry of Defence: procurement pilot on recycled fibres

a. An initial market dialogue

41 Government of the Netherlands, A Circular Economy in the Netherlands by 2050 (2016), 5,

b. Writing of the tender

More functional specifications:

45 Dutch Ministry of Defence, Workwear: Dutch Ministry of Defence (June 2017),

4.1.2. Dutch Ministry of Defence: recycling their professional wear

4.1.3. Alliander: a vision for circular safety wear

4.3. France: a system for end-of-life collection of professional wear

5. Recommendations for Switzerland

5.1. Current examples in Switzerland

• Procurement of recycled fibres

• Create a space for dialogue

In Switzerland, public authorities engaged in Green Public Procurement such as Canton de

• Work with functional specifications rather than technical specifications

• Verify the content

• This movie about recycled polyester from National Geographic, published in

• Below is an overview of both mechanically and chemically recycled polyester.

In chemical recycling, the material is

Figure 7: overview of fabric composition of key garments in corporate wear

Wear2wear is an innovative industrial partnership dedicated to bringing solutions for closing

Fabric supplier Outer material Recycler Upcycler Project initiator

Refibra™ from Lenzing

Figure 8: Visual representation of the Refibra™ process

The tender is awarded as follows:

Type Material Composition