Aquafil Econyl - Recycling waste into infinitely recyclable nylon yarn | Knowledge Hub | Circle Economy Foundation
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Business case
Aquafil Econyl - Recycling waste into infinitely recyclable nylon yarn
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Aquafil transforms nylon waste, otherwise polluting the Earth, into ECONYL® regenerated nylon. It’s exactly the same as brand new nylon and can be recycled, recreated and remoulded again and again. That means you can create new products and buy new products without having to use new resources.

Problem

48 million tones of clothing are disposed worldwide every year. 73% are incinerated, 12% is reused, 12% is downcycled, and only less then 1% is turned into new clothes.

Solution

Aquafil has been a leading yarn manufacturer for over 50 years and is committed to the research of new production models for sustainable development. This commitment to research and development leads to the regular renewal of processes and products thanks to continuous investments of capital and knowledge. All regenerated yarns by Aquafil are grouped under the ECONYL® brand. These yarns offer the same quality and performance as standard virgin Nylon 6 but with incredible environmental benefits because they come from regenerated waste from landfills and the oceans and are 100% recycled and endlessly recyclable without losing its quality.

THE PROCESS

Rescue of waste (old carpets, fishing nets, pre-consumer plastic and fabric waste, take back programs with brands such as Gucci and Napajiri) which is then sorted and cleaned to recover maximum amount fo nylon possible

Regenerate nylon to its initial purity through recycling

Remake regenerated nylon into yarns for the fashion and interior industries

Reimagine Fashion brands and carpets producers use econyl to make new products with the same quality as primary products and that can be recycled infinitely

Outcome

For every 10.000 tons of econyl material

Material impact: 70.000 barrels of crude oil saved

GHG impact: 65.100 CO2 equivalent emissions avoided

It reduces the global warming impact of nylon by up to 90% compared with the material from oil.

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