MYGroup and the University of Leeds have secured funding to develop a circular fibre-to-fibre recycling system from Innovate UK.
Working through a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP), the two organisations will collaborate to address the challenge of end-of-life high-visibility personal protective equipment (PPE) clothing. The goal of the KTP is to develop a recycling process that produces new yarn and thread from the waste material, which can then be used in the manufacture of new PPE in a truly cyclical manner.
High-visibility PPE is vital across a range of settings, from construction sites to children’s nurseries, but items often have a short usable life due to health and safety regulations, posing significant challenges at end-of-life.
The KTP project leverages MYGroup’s industry leading expertise and the cutting-edge research capabilities of the University of Leeds’ world-renowned Leeds Institute of Textiles and Colour (LITaC). MYGroup already works with a number of leading manufacturers and retailers of PPE to recycle end-of-life items, currently processing up to five tons of material a year into new products through its ReFactory arm.
Utilising the large volume of PPE it receives for developing the fibre-to-fibre recycling system is therefore a further step forward for MYGroup in becoming the leading recycling partner for waste PPE in the market. The project will ultimately help inform the viability of investment in a fully operational fibre-to-fibre recycling plant, equipped for handling high volumes of textile waste from wider industry and the consumer market.
Success in proving the circular process through the KTP will also allow MYGroup to support PPE manufacturers in complying with their Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) requirements.
Global environment action NGO, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) – with which MYGroup is partnered under its UK Textiles Pact (formerly Textiles 2030) – estimates that just 1% of end-of-life garments worldwide are recycled back into new textiles, and it is thought up to 90% of all end-of-life decommissioned PPE, workwear and corporate uniforms currently end up in landfill. The World Economic Forum has recently called for PPE producers to implement effective programmes for recycling and reusing equipment.
While the world is increasingly aware of the impact of fast fashion in the consumer market, the issue of expired PPE clothing and other items remains a sleeping giant. MYGroup is thrilled to receive funding for this KTP to collaborate with the University of Leeds and support our existing PPE manufacturing client base to bring a step change in addressing this critical area of waste management.
Steve Carrie, Group Director at MYGroup
Currently, there is no truly circular solution for remanufacturing high-visibility PPE from waste items. This KTP offers a unique opportunity for academic experts to collaborate with MYGroup as a leader in waste management to develop innovative and sustainable solutions to complex and systemic challenges. Partnerships between industry and academia such as this are particularly important for fostering sustainable innovation and, in turn, stimulating green growth across the Yorkshire and Humber region.
Dr Eleanor Scott, Programme Lead MSc Textiles Sustainability & Innovation and Lecturer in Fashion Design: Creative Knit and Innovation at LITaC
I’m truly excited to be supporting this project. It’s a powerful example of how a Knowledge Transfer Partnership can deliver meaningful impact – not just for the business, but also the broader textile industry, as well as for the environment. Collaborations like this demonstrate how innovation and sustainability can go hand in hand to drive novel, transformative processes.
Ann Storey, Knowledge Transfer Adviser from Innovate UK Business Connect
