Behind the collection bin: a conversation with Tell-Tex AG

What happens to our clothes when we stop wearing them?

Many of us drop the clothes we've sorted out into a textile collection and assume that this automatically gives them a second life. Perhaps they'll be worn again, donated, or even recycled into new clothes.

The reality is far more complex. Not every collected garment can be resold. And collecting textiles is still a long way from turning an old garment into a new one.

That's why, together with Sascha Sardella, Operations Manager at Tell-Tex AG, we wanted to take a closer look: what happens after collection, which textiles can actually be recycled today, and what can consumers and brands do better?

Textile collection is under pressure

The volume of textiles collected in Switzerland is currently rising slightly. What once would have sounded like good news is now a challenge.

Energy, transport and sorting costs are rising, while the selling prices for used textiles have fallen by 40% over the past twelve months.

“The big problem is the steadily declining quality of the textiles we collect,” says Sascha Sardella.

Today, textile collection is financed largely by selling the collected goods. When fewer pieces can be reused and prices fall, the whole system comes under pressure.

What happens after collection?

Tell-Tex AG delivers all the textiles it collects to sorting plants in Europe. There, every piece is sorted by condition, material and possible use, into 300 to 600 categories in total.

Clothing in good condition goes to reuse and can be worn again. What can no longer be worn is, depending on material and condition, either recycled or used for energy recovery. Some of the textiles are processed into new fibres in an open loop and used for other applications.

The long-term goal is a closed loop: old clothing becomes new textile fibres for clothing.

“Only 1% of the goods collected worldwide are used in a closed loop,” explains Sascha Sardella.

This requires suitable materials, facilities on an industrial scale and a market for recycled fibres. Today, these are often considerably more expensive than new fibres.

That's exactly why the choice of materials matters from the very beginning: the simpler a product's construction, the better its chances for fibre-to-fibre recycling in the future.

What can we do as consumers?

The most important step happens before the collection bin.

“When buying clothes or shoes, you should ask yourself: do I really need this?” says Sascha Sardella.

Not every new purchase can be avoided. But shopping more consciously, wearing clothes for longer and passing on pieces in good condition makes a real difference.

Recycling starts with design

A working textile cycle doesn't begin at collection, but when a garment is first developed.

At HoLM THINGS, the fabric, sewing thread and labels are all made of cotton. This monomaterial approach makes later recycling easier, because different fibres and components don't have to be separated first.

“The monomaterial strategy makes recycling simple and cost-effective,” says Sascha Sardella. “For us at Tell-Tex AG, HoLM THINGS textiles are the right and well-thought-out way forward.”

Why Take Me Back exists

With Take Me Back, we take back HoLM THINGS pieces that can no longer be worn and store them together.

Our goal is to hand them over to Tell-Tex AG for fibre-to-fibre recycling as soon as a suitable facility is available in Switzerland. A lot is moving in this area, both politically and within the industry.

There is also the option of mechanical open-loop recycling. Here, the cotton fibres are put to further use, for example in materials for the construction or automotive industries.

The path of every returned piece remains clear: it doesn't end up in landfill, but in controlled and meaningful recycling.

So responsibility doesn't begin at the end of a garment's life, but with its development: with a conscious choice of materials, clothing that can be worn for a long time, and a clear plan for what comes after.