Australian textile recycler, BlockTexx, has teamed up with the HELP Enterprises social initiative as it looks to convert 50,000 tonnes of textiles into new raw materials over the next four years. The partnership has already seen HELP Enterprises, which supports those living with disabilities; decommission more than 10 tonnes of used clothing and textiles at its Eagle Farm facility in Queensland.
Workers remove the buttons, zips and uniform tags from garments ahead of delivery to the BlockTexx processing plant. Then the recycling company produces microcrystalline cellulose, known as celltex, from recycling the cotton or the cellulose, which is commonly found in cotton and hemp.
Recovered polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is also polymerised to create virgin-quality plastic pellets known as ‘PolyTexx,’ which is suitable for injection moulding, packaging, building products and textiles.
The process is said to successfully reclaim up to 98 percent of resources from cotton and polyester garments, which are the world’s two most-used textile fabrics.
Adrian Jones, Co-Founder, BlockTexx, says the partnership with HELP Enterprises is a key element of the social contract that BlockTexx plans to grow.
“On one hand we are diverting textile waste from landfill and creating valuable new resources and, on the other hand, we are working with a great local, social enterprise to provide meaningful jobs for people living with a disability,” he told.
“When we first started BlockTexx, we set out to create a company that not only provided forward-thinking solutions for the resources sector but also giving back environmentally, economically and socially.”
The recycling company is reported to have previously secured commercial supply contracts with the likes of Workwear Group and The Star Entertainment Group to feed its textile recycling processing facility, but the new initiative will create a further 20 jobs at HELP.
HELP Enterprises CEO Denver Fresser says: “Our supported employees already have the opportunity to serve coffee at our cafés, make bins for Brisbane City Council and mailboxes for the likes of Hutchinson Builders, as well as nurture their green thumbs at our nursery.“And now, BlockTexx brings a new skillset for our workers to learn and gain experience in a supported environment.”
The company will head to Europe next month to introduce its resource recovery technology to the global textile industry at ITMA 2023.
