Over the next 48 months, STFI and its 18 project partners will focus on recycling and transforming mixed polyester/cotton waste into high-quality and pure materials for the next use cycle. aligning with the EU's 2025 textile waste mandatory collection.

On 18 January 2024, the official kick-off meeting took place at one of Europe's leading research institutions, the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, in Espoo. Led by the VTT, the PESCO-UP project will address industry challenges by creating a digital marketplace for information exchange and establishing recycling standards.aiming to enhance the textile recycling value chain and reduce reliance on virgin materials.

The PESCO-UP project’s holistic approach also includes innovative processes such as digitalised material identification, data sharing, and advanced sorting systems. By developing feasible chemical and mechanical separation methods, the project targets up to 90% material processing efficiency.

The project not only advances in technology but also wants to lead the change in transforming this challenge into business opportunities and enhance workforce skills through targeted upskilling strategies and engaging training materials.

As part of a consortium of 19 partners working on the project, STFI will contribute with its expertise and technical equipment in the field of yarn spinning, weaving, knitting and nonwoven production. With these technologies the processability of recycled cotton and polyester fibres developed in the project will be demonstrated as well as the approach of full circularity of textile waste by integrating novel recycling technologies into cohesive and circular industrial processes throughout the value chain.