The Environmental Impact of the Textile Industry and Valorization Solutions

The Textile Industry: A Global Value Chain with a Considerable Ecological Footprint

With over $2.5 trillion in global revenue, the fashion and textile industry is one of the world's largest. But this economic success has a dramatic environmental cost: 1.2 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year, 10,000 liters of water per kilogram of cotton, and 92 million tonnes of solid textile waste annually.

Textile Waste: An Untapped Resource

Despite alarming statistics, textile waste represents a considerable resource waiting to be valorized. Their physical properties — mechanical strength, thermal and acoustic absorption capacity, lightness, flexibility — make them ideal for insulation manufacturing.

Existing Valorization Channels

• Fiber recycling into new textiles
• Thermal and acoustic insulation (Rebrick's specialty)
• Technical non-wovens for geotextiles and automotive
• Solid recovered fuel (last resort)

Conclusion

The textile industry has a considerable environmental impact, but it also generates waste that can become resources. Rebrick transforms this challenge into an opportunity. Together, let's turn tomorrow's waste into today's materials.