Closed-Loop Recycling Services
An overview of Tex2Tex® Recycling — what we accept, how we engage, and how we scale.
Tex2Tex® Recycling — Overview
Earth Protex Group Inc. delivers textile circularity by facilitating waste-to-resource solutions across the textile and fashion supply chain. Through Tex2Tex® Closed-Loop Recycling Services we offer full waste-conversion services that extend the lifecycle of valuable raw materials, engineer high-quality performance products, and help customers meet their sustainability goals — including internal recycling targets, waste legislation compliance, and the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Recycling is performed using TMR™ (Thermo-Mechanical Reactor™) technology and is therefore strictly limited to 100% PET / rPET polyester. Minor contamination from elastane or co-polymers may be acceptable but must be confirmed during initial project scoping.
Minimum requirements
- Minimum pilot size: 20,000 kg per lot, with the intent to capture a larger ongoing waste stream.
- Waste must be directly collected from the customer supply chain and immediately available for recycling in mainland China.
- Limited to 100% PET / rPET polyester (minor elastane / co-polymer contamination evaluated case-by-case).
- Lots must be free from non-polyester contamination (pattern-cutting paper, packaging, trims, etc.). Sorting performed by Earth Protex™ incurs additional charges.
- Bales / lots must be clearly marked and uniquely numbered with detailed lot information.
- Non-conforming lots may be returned at the shipper's expense.
Three project phases
Project Scoping
Identify waste source, volumes, recycling viability and explore product ideation.
The brand or mill completes a survey covering material attributes and recycling goals. Earth Protex™ delivers a full project proposal and budget at the end of this phase.
Trial Execution
Run small-lot recycling trials and quality testing on the target waste stream.
Trial outputs are evaluated against agreed quality benchmarks before commercial commitment. Fair-market price for the waste is determined at the end of this phase.
Scaled Production
Move from validated trial into repeatable commercial closed-loop production.
Earth Protex™ can also provide free-of-charge marketing and communications support for Tex2Tex® closed-loop program product launches.
Feedstock requirements
All feedstocks must comply with the Tex2Tex® Chemical Compliance Guidelines (see annex). Where any chemical exceeds the tolerance standard, Earth Protex™ reserves the right to return materials at the supplier's expense.
For each unit / facility supplying waste, we collect:
- Unit name, location and primary product type (knit / woven / trim / non-woven)
- Available volumes per month for selvage, yarn and cutting waste (in metric tonnes)
- Average bale size (must be forklift-liftable) and verification method of bale contents
- RSL testing performed across the yarn / fabric lifecycle and any certifications in place
- Average price of bale waste, damage status, and detail of any damage
- Whether the waste is dyed or undyed, dye chemistry used, and any applied finishes
All disclosed information is treated in strict confidence under the terms of a signed mutual MNDA.
Pre-consumer / post-industrial vs post-consumer
Post-industrial waste streams (also referred to as pre-consumer) are the primary feedstock today — selvage, yarn waste and cutting waste from mills and garment factories. Representative samples and material technical data sheets should be supplied to Earth Protex™ for review prior to any waste collection or recycling activity.
Post-consumer garments are accepted where they can be handled in line with local and national waste-management restrictions. Following expansion, our second-generation Tex2Tex® facility — sited near global import zones — will pilot post-consumer garments recycled into PET pellets via Take-Back schemes processed through US, UK and European recyclers, subject to RSL testing and quality testing.
Through joint-venture partners importing post-consumer cotton garments, we can also accommodate CVC (Chief Value Cotton), TC (Chief Value Polyester) and mixed polyester at below-market rates — polyester recycled through Tex2Tex® and cotton via the JV partner. This route is India-based and runs as a separate process; there is no JV equivalent in China.
Commercial models & off-take
- Earth Protex™ may purchase waste streams at a fair-market price determined after the trial execution phase.
- Customers may also provide waste free-of-charge and off-take the recycled output at a pre-negotiated discounted price.
- Customers are strongly encouraged to off-take Tex2Tex® rPET fibres yielded from the closed-loop process. Unless waste volumes reach 100 MT or more, customer off-takes are on a mass-balance basis only.
- For volumes of 500 MT/month or more, Earth Protex™ can extend the service to integrated waste collection, segregation and baling — subject to scoping and evaluation.
- Value-added product development and prototyping (spun yarns, woven and knit fabrics, non-wovens) is available at the customer's expense to guide best-in-class applications.