12/09/2024
ChemTex: Water and chemical recovery in a textile recycling process
The textile industry is responsible for about 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and significant water consumption (~2700 L per cotton shirt!). With 92 million tons of textile waste generated annually and only 1% recycled, the need for change is urgent.
To tackle these challenges, new legislative and technological initiatives are emerging worldwide. In Europe, the EU directive 2018/851 mandates separate collection and recycling by 2025. Projects like Textile Change, partnering with B4C, are leading the way by developing energy-efficient recycling processes.
ChemTex is focusing on one crucial aspect of textile recycling: the recovery and reuse of strong alkaline and organic acid solutions using innovative membrane technology. Traditional distillation methods are energy-intensive, so ChemTex is exploring ceramic membranes to make the process more sustainable. A two-step ultrafiltration + nanofiltration (UF+NF) approach is proving effective for water and chemical recovery.
With Proof of Concept testing underway, ChemTex is identifying the optimal process for scaling up textile recycling—paving the way for a more sustainable future.
