Aquafil’s plant in Slovenia has begun operations, marking a significant milestone in textile recycling. The facility, launched by the Italian company Aquafil, is dedicated to the chemical separation of elastic fibers from nylon, a process that addresses one of the most persistent challenges in textile waste management: recycling blended fabrics, especially those from sportswear and swimwear.
The technology was developed over a decade of research, starting in 2013 with a collaboration between Aquafil and Georgia Tech University. Although initial efforts did not result in industrial-scale solutions, continuous R&D led to an improved patent in 2022. The demonstration plant now validates that elastic fibers can be efficiently separated from nylon in composite fabrics, a breakthrough that was previously considered unfeasible at scale.
Technical aspects of the process include the use of chemical solutions to selectively dissolve and separate elastic components from polyamide, allowing the recovery of high-purity nylon. The recovered nylon will be processed at Aquafil’s ECONYL® regeneration plant to produce new regenerated nylon for textile applications, reducing reliance on virgin resources.
Aquafil’s next steps involve optimizing the process for large-scale industrial implementation. The company is establishing a network of strategic partners to secure a consistent supply of post-use materials and build an efficient recycling supply chain. This initiative is expected to have a considerable impact on reducing textile waste and advancing the circular economy in the textile sector.