Sulzer giving new life to H&M clothes

Sulzer and H&M have joined forces to recycle textiles, as detailed in a press release. Support will also be provided by Worn Again, a start-up from the UK that is majority-owned by the two companies.

The partnership is based on a technology developed by Sulzer, which not only allows pure cotton garments to be recycled, but also any clothes containing polyester or other artificial fibers as well. During this process, clothing made from cotton and polyester will be turned into polyester pellets and cellulose pulp, which can subsequently be re-spun into new fibers.

Sulzer already operates a pilot system in Winterthur where there individual steps in the recycling process can be tested, according to an article published in “Blick”. The next step will involve Sulzer, H&M and Worn Again constructing a demonstration facility in the UK with a planned output of 1,000 tons per year.

According to the press release, at the moment only around one percent of old clothes that contain both cotton and polyester fibers is recycled. The majority of these garments are either incinerated or simply sent to landfill. The reason for this is, above all, that up to now no efficient technology had been developed to recycle these products. As a result, interest in this new Sulzer technology is accordingly high. “The entire fashion industry is queuing up outside our doors. Everyone is interested in our process”, comments Greg Poux-Guillaume, CEO of Sulzer, in an interview with “Blick”.