Every year more than 113 million tonnes of fibre is produced.
And with the growth of fast fashion and wastage, this number is expected to steadily increase in the coming years.
Many of these polyester products are difficult to recycle, and the textile industry is facing a massive problem in terms of waste.
Earlier this year, more than 150 global companies and suppliers signed the 2025 Recycled Polyester Challenge, led by the Textile Exchange and the United Nations Framework Convention of Climate Change.
This challenge commits the companies to increase their share of recycled polyester to 45 percent by 2025, and to 90 per cent by 2030.
A Queensland-based tech firm has developed a solution it says will significantly improve the ability to recycle polyester and help companies around the world reach these aims.
Over the last six years, BlockTexx has designed, built and commissioned the world’s first commercial-scale chemical recycling facility which is able to take in hard-to-recycle polyester and cotton blends and meticulously deconstruct this waste, separating the cotton from the polyester.
This allows for the recovered products to be used as an alternative to high-value virgin products across a number of industries, including agriculture and construction.
For example, BlockTexx’s technology can take a bed sheet made from a polyester and cotton blend fabric and recover two products: high-grade polyethylene terephthalate and microcrystalline cellulose.
BlockTexx is a finalist in the InnovationAus 2024 Awards for Excellence in the Manufacturing Innovation category. The InnovationAus Awards for Excellence winners and finalists will be celebrated at a black-tie gala dinner at The Venue Alexandria in Sydney on Wednesday October 30. You can book your tickets here.
BlockTexx has collaborated with the Queensland University of Technology and the University of Queensland to conduct a pilot of its technology.
The small pilot facility was scaled up to batch sizes of 5kg, paving the way for the establishment of a commercial-scale plant capable of handling 4000 tonnes per annum, in Queensland.
And this year the facility was further expanded to be able to accept 10,000 tonnes of textile waste per year.
BlockTexx is led by two founders who combined their experience six years ago to form the company with an aim of combating the environmental challenges associated with textile waste, and have now expanded the company to a team of 20 employees.
The company currently gathers the hard to recycle polyester and cotton blends from a range of large companies and government agencies’ uniforms, commercial laundries, charities, manufacturers and local councils.
Looking for brand exposure in front of Australia’s tech ecosystem? Purchase a table of 10 for the InnovationAus 2024 Awards for Excellence and have your logo displayed on screens across the venue and in the event programme as a ‘Table Sponsor’.
The InnovationAus 2024 Awards for Excellence are supported by: Australian Computer Society, Investment NSW, Department of Industry, Science and Resources, Technology Council of Australia, TechnologyOne, National Artificial Intelligence Centre, CSIRO’s ON Innovation Program, Reason Group, Q-CTRL, University of New South Wales, South by South West Sydney and IP Australia.
Protecting your great ideas with intellectual property (IP) rights can lead to lasting benefits for your growing business. IP refers to creations of the mind, such as a brand, logo, invention, design or artistic work. Head to the IP Australia website to find out more about IP, and how it might help your business.
Do you know more? Contact James Riley via Email.