Worn Again Technologies is developing a circular recycling technology for textile.

The continual production of new clothes from virgin materials – such as oil, to make polyester, and cotton, which uses up vast amounts of land, water and pesticides – coupled with poor recycling methods are wreaking havoc on our environment and our economy. And the current mechanical recycling methods are unable to separate dyes and other contaminants nor separate blended polyester and cotton. 

Worn Again Technologies reduces the need to use virgin resources as its technology can separate, decontaminate and extract polyester polymers, and cellulose from cotton, from non-reusable textiles as well as PET bottles and packaging and turn them back into new textile raw materials as part of a continual cycle. This output can go into the supply chain again and again. 

This circular chemical textile to textile recycling technology can break down and recapture the raw materials in old clothing and textiles to be reintroduced into the supply chain as new.

It is unique in addressing the problem of mixed fiber textiles while overcoming other barriers in current recycling methods, including the inability to remove dyes and other contaminants.

Worn Again is working towards closing the loop so that there will be no need for “new” or raw resources bringing the industry to a waste-free circular system. irm, has unveiled its pilot R and D facility at CPI, a technology and innovation centre in Redcar, England.

Worn Again Technologies is a member of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation Circular Economy 100 and a project partner for Circle Economy’s Fibersort project which is a technology used to automatically sort large volumes of textiles by fiber type. The company is part of the Fashion for Good scaling program which offers access to a network of business advisors and industry experts. It will accelerate the development and future adoption of its revolutionary polymer recycling technology.
The company was awarded a grant to become the first chemical recycling technology to be Cradle to Cradle (C2C) certified - 2018.