Textiles

We help recover recyclable fibers through sensor-based sorting technologies for industrial and post-consumer textile waste.

Automated textile sorting systems

Global fiber production has doubled over the last 20 years and is expected to grow to 146 million metric tons by 2030. Through the different stages of textile production, a large portion of fiber, yarn, overstocked fabrics and even finished garments end up in waste. Post-consumer textile waste is also rapidly growing, with recyclable fibers worth USD 100 billion lost to waste management systems every year.

The fashion industry is estimated to be responsible for 10 percent of global carbon emissions. The recycling of post-industrial textile waste saves water and reduces the need for incineration and landfills. From fibers to trimmings and garnetts, textile production waste can be sorted and purified with automated sensor-based sorting systems. We enable the circularity of textiles for a more sustainable future.

Post-consumer textiles

Textiles were one of the first materials ever to be recycled, and there are well established mechanical recycling processes for natural fibers like cotton and wool. Today’s wide range of synthetic polymer-based and blended fibers makes manual sorting of textiles complicated, but scalable sorting solutions enable a circular economy for textiles and fashion.

Our textile sorting systems combine high precision near-infrared (NIR) and visual (VIS) spectrometry sensors to separate whole materials by color and type (cotton, polyester, wool, etc.). You benefit from high content compositions that are also sorted into light and dark colors to meet even the strictest feedstock requirements.

Shredded textiles

Cuttings and shredded textiles can be effectively sorted and purified with a combination of sensor-based sorting technologies. Whether sorting post-industrial materials or post-consumer textiles, our sorting systems offer exceptional quality standards – ideal for creating new products made from recycled fibers.

High throughput, automated sorting of shredded textiles instantly identifies impurities such as trims made of plastics, metal or other materials. Our high precision sorting systems remove unwanted fractions from the textile stream, resulting in high-quality recovered fabrics that can be prepared for either mechanical or chemical recycling processes.

Textiles sorting machines

AUTOSORT™

The world-renowed AUTOSORT™ offers legendary sorting performance that stands the test of time, delivering unparalleled throughput and purity rates across numerous applications.

Multifunctional sensor configuration
Optimized costs & performance
Highly efficient FLYING BEAM™
Future-proof system design
Minimal maintenance

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Challenge us with your material

We love a good sorting challenge, even the complex material streams in metal recovery and waste management.

Test material samples from your operation on our machines. Our sorting experts will help you find the best solution for your needs.

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Related topics

Waste sorting systems

Explore our extensive range automated waste sorting solutions that enable the recovery and recycling of valuable resources for a circular economy.

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TOMRA and STADLER deliver the world’s first fully automated textile sorting plant in Malmö, Sweden

TOMRA and STADLER delivered the fully automated sorting plant for Sysav Industri AB, which sorts pre- and post-consumer mixed textile waste, in Sweden.

Transforming Textiles: TOMRA's new white paper presents circular value chain solutions

TOMRA, a pioneering force in automated textile sorting, presents its latest white paper titled ‘Transforming Textiles: 4 Key Beliefs to Enable Textiles Circularity’. This paper addresses the current state of the textiles industry, strategies and technologies needed for the transition to a circular value chain.