AIMPLAS will focus in this phase on the dissolution of PVC in textile waste and the chemical recycling of polyurethane foams. tExtended solutions are to be soon tested on a Europe-wide level and replication potential is to be studied regionally. Activities will also involve local community actors in the development and improvement of its blueprint.

AIMPLAS
The focus on finding solutions to the growing issue of textile waste is growing at both European and global levels. The EU-funded project tExtended is developing a blueprint - a knowledge-based masterplan to demonstrate effective textile recovery, reuse, waste valorisation and recycling processes.
After two years of extensive research, tExtended is now entering the second phase of work. The project continues developing its Conceptual Framework, a knowledge-based solution that targets quality retention. tExtended is also preparing to test it in an Industrial-Urban symbiosis collaborative real-scale demonstrator to show its potential to reduce textile waste by 80%.
AIMPLAS, the Plastics Technology Centre, will play a key role in several areas of this phase. The centre is working with advanced technologies such as optical sensors (NIR, RGB and hyperspectral cameras) in collaboration with VTT. The aim is to assess the composition of textiles to meet recycling requirements.
It will also develop methods to separate non-textile parts, such as electrostatic and triboelectric separation, and classify garments by type through air separation. It will use equipment adapted to process textile parts on a pilot scale. The team is investigating the dissolution of PVC in textile waste to facilitate the separation of other materials and improve their recycling once separated.
AIMPLAS is also working on a chemical recycling process for polyurethane foams to recover polyols that can be reintegrated into polyurethane foam formulations. “This integrated approach will allow AIMPLAS to significantly advance the sustainability of textile and plastic materials, promoting innovative solutions for recycling and the circular economy” says Nacho Montesinos, Chemical Recycling researcher at AIMPLAS.
The four-year project, funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, also focuses now on the social aspect of the textile sector by involving local community actors in the project activities. Through citizens’ participation in different actions on pre-sorting and returning used textiles, tExtended will raise their awareness about the sustainability and circularity of textiles.