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Next generation automated sorting, tracing and closed-loop recycling technologies for non-rewearable textiles

Project description

Solutions for pollutant-resistant recycling of non-renewable textiles

The textile and clothing industry is a crucial sector facing challenges in adopting sustainable practices. To align with other industries in the green transition, Europe’s textile sector needs innovative solutions for a sustainable circular economy. The EU-funded AUTOLOOP project will accelerate the transformation of the European clothing and textile industry by developing state-of-the-art, scalable technologies for intelligent automated sorting and advanced chemical recycling of non-rewearable textiles (NRT). Additionally, it will develop science-based additive tracing technologies and solutions to digitalise the textile value chain. Finally, chemical recycling technologies are pollutant-resistant, can extract pollutants from NRT feedstock, and enable safe and clean fibre product streams.

Objective

AUTOLOOP’s primary ambition is to become a transformative force in the European Textile and Clothing Industry, supporting its transition towards a sustainable circular economy by effectively addressing its current critical challenges. Its overall objective is to develop cutting-edge and scalable technology to build the next generation system for intelligent automated sorting and advanced chemical recycling of non-rewearable textiles (NRT), science-based additive tracing and digitalisation of the textile value chain. Technology development is at the core of the project bringing artificial intelligence powered automated sorting, advanced chemical recycling and additive tracing technologies from their current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 3 to TRL 5. The textile Data Hub will collect and process data from each recycling step in a Digital Product Passport-compatible format, facilitating transparency, data accessibility and interoperability. The AUTOLOOP chemical recycling technologies are pollutant-resistant and can extract pollutants from the NRT feedstock to deliver a clean and safe fibre product stream through the value chain to the customers. Preliminary modelling suggests that 96% of the net input post-consumer textile can be re-used or recycled by the AUTOLOOP system. According preliminary estimations, a total of 33 AUTOLOOP systems with individual capacity of 11.25 t/h post-consumer textile input can process the total current available NRT potential (1.24 Mt/a) producing: about i) 350,000 t/a of pure NRT fractions, ii) 372,000 t/a Lyocell-fibres, iii) 300,000 t/a virgin quality polyester fibres, iv) 114,000 t/a polyamide and other synthetic fibres. A preliminary estimate suggests that by processing the mentioned NRT potential, the resource savings account to approx. 12,500 million m3 of water, 4.5 TWh of energy and 450,000 ha arable land, relieving pressure from land use change issues and making water available for food and feed production.

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Keywords

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Programme(s)

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Topic(s)

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Funding Scheme

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HORIZON-RIA - HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions

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Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) HORIZON-CL6-2024-CIRCBIO-02

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Coordinator

FRAUNHOFER GESELLSCHAFT ZUR FORDERUNG DER ANGEWANDTEN FORSCHUNG EV
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 1 343 607,50
Address
HANSASTRASSE 27C
80686 MUNCHEN
Germany

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Region
Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt
Activity type
Research Organisations
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 1 343 607,50

Participants (12)

Partners (1)

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