Germany Textile Recycling Market Overview, 2029

A new story of sustainability is being made in the heart of Europe by Germany, turning textile waste into a vivid tapestry of opportunity. The textile recycling market significantly contributes to Germany's economy both through job creation and stimulating industrial activity. It covers all kinds of professions, from workers involved in collection and sorting to engineers and researchers who develop new technologies for recycling. The recycled textiles-based production reduces the need for raw material imports and thus improves trade balances and supports local industries. This diffuses into other big economic sectors such as fashion, automotive, and construction, which rely on more recycled materials in their products. In Germany, one can realize quite a number of environmental benefits from the textile recycling market. This helps reduce the quantum of refuse going into landfills, reducing the likelihood of resulting landfills causing environmental hazards such as soil contamination and production of greenhouse gases. Textile recycling reduces resource consumption by reducing the need for raw materials that are usually extracted and processed at a high cost to the environment. The lesser the virgin fiber used, the lesser is the carbon footprint of the textile industry through textile recycling. Most of the manufacturing processes with the use of recycled fibers require less energy and water compared to virgin fibers, which helps to further increase the sustainability credentials of the market. Consumer participation is yet another significant factor in the success of Germany's textile recycling market. Public awareness campaigns and educational programs have been very instrumental in encouraging consumers to recycle their textiles. Many consumers play an active role in the recycling process by way of donating used clothing to charities or collection bins. Additionally, there is a contribution made by fashion brands and retailers offering take-back schemes and marketing products made from recycled material. The higher level of consumer involvement enables only the maximization of supply with regard to recyclable textiles but also develops a culture of sustainability and responsibility in terms of consumption. Innovations in the recycling process, like enzyme-based recycling that breaks down textiles at a molecular level, are in the process of making more effective and productive operations. Innovations in digital technologies, like blockchain, help in the establishment of transparent and traceable recycling supply chains, which ensure that textiles can be recycled in an environmentally friendly way.

According to the research report "Germany Textile Recycling Market Overview, 2029," published by Bonafide Research, the Germany Textile Recycling market is anticipated to add to more than USD 55 Million by 2024–29. The German Federal Association for Secondary Raw Materials and Waste Disposal claims that the country's textile recycling sector has provided solid proof that there is an extremely efficient collection system for used textiles in Germany. In its entirety, the bvse association represents some 1,000 German and European medium-sized firms in the recycling and waste disposal sector, thus making it the most important industrial association in these two regions. Germany's system incorporates various collectors, which range from the commercial, non-profit, and local government collectors. From the opinion of bvse, the available structure can serve the needs of the country in collecting separate textiles. It is uniform in its requirement when making third-party contracts or authorizations to these collectors, and this is provided under a specific regulation § 22 KrWG. Fischer points out the fact that Germany's collection mechanism of used textiles is comprehensive and stipulated by governmental regulations. Most used clothing collection boxes that are reliable often have the "FairWertung" logo or the "bvse quality seal used textile collection" on the respective collection containers or the collectors' website.

The strict government controls on environmental issues are the primary drivers for the recycling of textiles to reduce landfill wastes and carbon emissions. Another reason is the rising consumer awareness about sustainable fashion and circular economy, which has led to greater involvement in textile recycling. Despite its growth, a number of issues dog the textile recycling market in Germany. The major problems are related to the contamination of textile waste itself due to which it becomes quite problematic to recycle and also diminishes the quality of the recycled product. The expensive nature of sorting and processing in the case of textile waste makes it difficult for small and medium-scale industries to handle it. The non-availability of standardized recycling processes and a limited number of advanced recycling technologies are other prominent constraints to market growth. Some of the key trends observed in the German textile recycling market include Greater innovation and development of advanced recycling technologies, like chemical recycling and fiber regeneration, have improved the efficiency and quality of recycled textiles. There are also more frequent partnerships between fashion brands and recycling businesses to promote sustainable fashion practices. Digital platforms and apps used for gathering and recycling of textiles are emerging and make the process easier for consumers. The German government has several policies and regulations that strengthen the market for textile recycling. Among policies or legislative frameworks setting targets for waste reduction and recycling are the Waste Framework Directive and the Circular Economy Package. This means that producers are forced to take responsibility for the end-of-life management of their products, including textiles, through the EPR scheme. Subsidies from the government are also infused in research and development programs to aid in the attainment of the technologies and processes to be used for recycling.

In Germany, textile recycling is quite an established industry when talking about waste management and sustainability in the country. Cotton occupies the top position in the textile recycling market because it is a natural fiber and its usage in clothing and home textiles is high. Germany uses mechanical recycling methods to recycle cotton wastes into new products. This process involves sorting, shredding, and spinning fibers to create new yarn. Since, in every round of recycling, cotton fibers degrade, hence the number of times cotton can be recycled is thereby limited. Scientists are now experimenting with technologies that can dissolve cotton at its very molecular level to be re-used; for example, chemical recycling. The significant contributors to the textile recycling market, are polyester and polyester fibers. Unlike cotton, polyester is recyclable a number of times without any degradation in its quality. After all, it simply requires the melting of polyester waste and the extrusion into new fibers. The advanced technologies of recycling, like chemical recycling, are being funded in Germany to make correct treatment of polyester waste possible. In this sector, "growth" resulted from the increasing usage of polyester in the textile industries and because it is easily recyclable. Nylon and nylon fibers occupy a very special place in the textile recycling market. Nylon is recyclable, although this process is very complicated and highly energy-expensive. The mechanical recycling of nylon is indeed very prevalent, although the resulting fiber quality is poor. Chemical recycling is very promising since high-quality nylon can be gotten from waste. Companies in Germany are doing active research and development into more efficient nylon recycling methods to tap into this market. Another natural fiber recycled in Germany is wool. Woolen textiles are sorted, cleaned, and shredded into fibers that are spun into new yarn. It is as common due to its lower market share and the problems involved in processing wool waste. Other materials of interest in Germany include silk, linen, and synthetic blends. In most cases, the recycling route that is followed is vastly different depending on the material composition or properties. Among these, especially the blended fabrics, are highly challenging since they need advanced sorting and separation technologies.

The German textile recycling market represents a very broad spectrum of waste streams, all posing different problems and opportunities. The apparel wastes, which often can be the largest contributor, arise from consumer discards and unsold retail inventory. The category has recently garnered heightened interest because of fast fashion trends and rising public environmental awareness. Home furnishing wastes include curtains, bedding, and upholstery, representing another large portion. This often has the advantage that, due to its durability, it can be effectively recycled or upcycled. Automotive textile wastes are comparatively small in quantity but important because of the specialized nature of the materials used in the vehicle interior. Beyond these primary categories, several other important sources are covered by the market. Pre-consumer waste from industrial textile manufacturing processes adds a significant load that is often more easily recyclable due to its more homogeneous nature. Institutional sources present the twin problems of special hygiene concerns and opportunities for large-scale initiatives. Carpets and rug wastes, domestic and industrial, form a class of their own with dedicated ways of recycling. Technical textiles used in agriculture, construction, and other industries require particular treatment, as their constituents are very diverse. Pre-consumer textile wastes, which are wastes coming from the scrapping and clipping in the manufacture of new clothes, do yield very high-grade raw materials when recycled. Post-consumer non-clothing textiles bags, shoes, accessories are another matter altogether with mixed materials that complicate the recycling process. Most recently, Germany developed a very sophisticated infrastructure for recycling and is highly devoted to the process of the circular economy, thereby giving it a lead in textile recycling. Most likely, there is the interaction of collecting points, sorting facilities, and specialized recycling plants that make it more competent than others. Innovative technologies have been continuously developed to raise efficiency in recycling and to solve the fundamental problems relating to fiber separation and chemical recycling. Policy initiatives, including extended producer responsibility schemes, could play a pivotal role in shaping the market. Partnerships between fashion brands, retailers, recyclers, and researchers can give impetus to innovation in textile-to-textile recycling.



Germany is one of the strong markets in the European textile recycling landscape. Much concentration has been placed on the collection and treatment of post-consumer and pre-consumer textile wastes. The wastes of discarded clothing and household textiles amount to about 82% of the nearly 7 million tons generated in Europe per annum. Germany is at the top when it comes to collecting textiles; more or less, it is said to recover approximately 74% of the textiles placed on the market, with very good public awareness and a well-organized waste sorting system. The questions have been raised over the accuracy of the reported collection figures, which could be based on very outdated data and assumptions. As the European Union speeds up its ambitious target on collecting textile wastes with separate collection by 2025 and doubling by 2030 Germany revises national waste legislation to shift responsibility from householder-based to municipal-based textile waste collection. The amendment would offer improved quality and efficiency in recycling. On the other hand, there is pre-consumer textile waste. This means all the fabric wasted during manufacturing or made redundant by faulty garments. It's estimated that 25% to 40% of the fabric used by factories worldwide is wasted. In Germany today, initiatives have started in an effort to improve the level of recycling significantly. This type of waste requires local collectives in factories. The country has also made considerable progress in fibre-to-fibre recycling technologies, with firms like I:CO and Altex pioneering the process. In addition, the country supports certification programs for green products, such as the Green Button label, which helps customers choose sustainable products.

There are two major processes involved in Germany's textile recycling market are mechanical and chemical. Mechanical recycling will involve breaking down the textiles into smaller pieces through various mechanical means such as shredding and carding. This process is normally used to recycle synthetic fibers like polyester and nylon. The mechanical process starts with sorting, during which the textiles will be sorted according to their material type, color, and quality. Afterwards, they are washed to remove dirt, stains, and other impurities. These washed textiles are shredded into smaller pieces to bring out the surface area, followed by a carding process that cleans by brushing to arrange fibers in the same direction. Finally, spin the carded fibers into yarns for the making of new apparel.While this is so, mechanical recycling has its limitations, especially in heterogeneous fabric types like the blends of nylon, cotton, and polyester with spandex. The blended fabrics would undergo mechanical recycling because fibers making up the blend differ in their properties, hence very difficult to separate and process. Mechanical recycling often results in lower quality fibers which cannot be used in high-end textile applications. On the other hand, chemical recycling has much more flexibility in the final product's quality, color, and performance. Through the use of chemical solvents, it allows the breakdown of textiles to regenerate raw materials for new fibers. Chemical recycling can better recycle blended fabrics, and the resulting recycled fibers would have the strength and performance characteristic features of virgin fibers. The chemical process also starts with sorting and cleaning like the mechanical one, but instead of shredding and carding, it goes through a process of dissolution in a chemical solvent to break the fibers down to raw material. The dissolved fibers are further purified of impurities and regenerated into new fibers. Some companies in Germany are dealing with both mechanical and chemical recycling processes. An urgent need exists for scaling up the capacity of recycling textiles all over the EU-27, failing which large portions of separately collected wastes from textiles will end up landfilled or incinerated.

Considered in this report
• Historic year: 2018
• Base year: 2023
• Estimated year: 2024
• Forecast year: 2029

Aspects covered in this report
• Textile Recycling market Outlook with its value and forecast along with its segments
• Various drivers and challenges
• On-going trends and developments
• Top profiled companies
• Strategic recommendation

By Material
• Cotton
• Polyester & Polyester Fiber
• Nylon & Nylon Fiber
• Wool
• Others

By Source
• Apparel Waste
• Home Furnishing Waste
• Automotive Waste
• Others

By End-Use Industry
• Apparel
• Home Furnishings
• Industrial & Institutional
• Others

By Textile Waste
• Post-consumer
• Pre-consumer

By Process
• Mechanical
• Chemicals

The approach of the report:
This report consists of a combined approach of primary and secondary research. Initially, secondary research was used to get an understanding of the market and list the companies that are present in it. The secondary research consists of third-party sources such as press releases, annual reports of companies, and government-generated reports and databases. After gathering the data from secondary sources, primary research was conducted by conducting telephone interviews with the leading players about how the market is functioning and then conducting trade calls with dealers and distributors of the market. Post this; we have started making primary calls to consumers by equally segmenting them in regional aspects, tier aspects, age group, and gender. Once we have primary data with us, we can start verifying the details obtained from secondary sources.

Intended audience
This report can be useful to industry consultants, manufacturers, suppliers, associations, and organizations related to the Textile Recycling industry, government bodies, and other stakeholders to align their market-centric strategies. In addition to marketing and presentations, it will also increase competitive knowledge about the industry.