15 December 2020 
3min to read 
Worn Again Technologies’ purpose and mission
Worn Again Technologies was founded in 2005 by Cyndi Rhoades whose vision was to eradicate textile waste. In its early days, the quest of the business was in upcycling, turning disused textiles – from items. The company has also helped in the design and recyclability of the special McDonald’s uniforms for the London 2012 Olympic Games.
While the experimentation in turning textiles waste into second life products provided useful learning, it soon became clear that if the company wanted to solve the actual problem of waste to landfill, it needed to be doing more. To be a catalyst for a circular textiles industry, it needed to develop a process which could recycle textiles, at a molecular level.
In other words, the company wanted to recycle used and non-re-wearable textiles made of polyester and cotton into new raw materials, virgin equivalent, for the clothing industry. Since then, the company has begun its technology development and has partnered with the likes of H&M and strategical technical support of Sulzer – Chemtech.
Worn Again Technologies’ contribution towards the circular model
A large amount of plastic and textiles are being dumped in landfills or are being incinerated. This is happening all over the globe. The high and growing demand for textiles and plastics combined with the current recycling methods and business linear model have meant that more and more of what is being produced end up as waste.
Worn Again Technologies’ regenerative recycling process allows for non-re-usable products to be decontaminated and then for the polyester and cellulose to be extracted and recycled back into production supply chains. This circular business model allows for a longer and more sustainable system, without the need to keep producing so many more virgin raw materials. If all the world existing resources were recycled in a consistent circular way it would bring social, economic and environmental advantages. Worn Again Technologies is finalising its development and its first pilot plant was commissioned at the beginning of 2020 in Redcar, UK. The next step they are working towards will be a demonstration facility and the company hope to scale and licences their technology globally.
Why is the circular model important?
Recycling clothes is crucial nowadays, with fashion and styles constantly changing and updating, more and more clothes are being thrown away. In the UK alone it is said citizens discard around a million tonnes of textiles a year. The circular model is important as it will allow for used clothes to be recycled and made into new ones as it is a regenerative system. Worn Again Technologies is striving to implement this model around the world. With less than one percent of clothing being recycled into new textiles there is still room for improvement, but with the process that Worn Again Technologies has developed, progress is being made.
How can I learn more about the circular model and Worn Again Technologies?
To find out more information about Worn Again Technologies, visit their website below. Here you will find some infographics explaining their regenerative recycling process, as well as a list of some of their partners. If you are interested in learning more about the circular model in textiles, Worn Again Technologies’ founder, with other trailblazers in the industry, has recently launched World Circular Textiles Day which will happen every year on the 8th October. As part of the initiative they introduce an ever-evolving roadmap towards full circularity by 2050.
Visit the following link: https://wornagain.co.uk/ and www.worldcirculartextilesday.com
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