Circular Talk with Stephen Copp von Around Systems
«It's about more than just recycling - it's about a systematic, scalable solution for the entire life cycle of textile products.»
CLIMATEX: What challenges do companies face when they want to tackle recycling projects?
Stephen Copp: The main problem is that many companies are not fully prepared for the scale, scope and complexity of the issue. Once they realize how much effort and resources are required, recycling can become quite overwhelming.
«We offer brands,
product managers and designers a circular design platform, which supports them in their choice of materials, finishes and suitable
recycling methods.»
Stephen Copp, Gründer Around Systems
Around Systems focuses on lifecycle management. On your website, you compare the recycling of textiles with that of aluminum and plastic. Can you explain the connection?
It's about more than just recycling - it's about a systematic, scalable solution for the entire life cycle of textile products. Our aim is to demonstrate the efficiency of recycling technologies. To this end, we are taking the Swedish aluminum industry as a model, which has been operating a closed-loop system for many years. The use of barcode technology ensures that the material is correctly identified and efficiently recycled. In this way, an impressive recycling rate of 80 percent is achieved.
In the plastics industry, similar to the textile industry, there is very little control and the sorting systems are not able to process mixed plastics efficiently, so a large proportion is incinerated. Although clothing and textiles are more complex than aluminum, the underlying philosophy is the same. I am therefore convinced that a systematic approach can also be applied to textiles.
“Although clothing and textiles are more complex than aluminum, the underlying philosophy is the same. I am therefore convinced that a systematic approach can also be applied to textiles. ”
How did you come to this conclusion?
I worked on a military project a few years ago and saw how the same uniforms of 200,000 soldiers were incinerated due to a lack of recycling options. The uniform system would be a good opportunity to systematically recycle textiles. Unfortunately, the authorities were not interested in pursuing this idea at the time.
You stuck with it despite the headwind...
The sight of the huge amounts of waste and the realization that a systematic approach was possible motivated me. I started looking for ways to process mixed materials in functional clothing, because chemical recycling is only possible with mono-materials or polyester-cotton blends. During my research in 2021, I came across CLIMATEX and was fascinated by the idea of combining two yarns with a third, destructible yarn. I contacted Fredy Baumeler and together we developed a workwear fabric for a proof of concept to test disassembly on a large scale. The aim was to show potential customers that it is not a manual process, but something that can be industrialized, scaled and automated. Only with pressure, high temperature and water and without a special recycling plant.
In addition to the workwear fabric, STITCHLOCK, our dissolving yarn, is also a result of your research...
Exactly. STITCHLOCK is an EOL destructible yarn that dissolves at high temperature, pressure and water and is one of the key requirements for the design-for-disassembly approach. It supports the creativity of designers by enabling the easy disassembly of garments.
What are you currently working on with Around Systems?
We want to make circularity a reality on a large scale and reduce the disassembly time of garments to just ten seconds. This requires material combinations that can be disassembled and recycled easily and efficiently. Our focus is to make it easier for designers and product developers to make decisions about material composition without the need for in-depth technical knowledge.
That is ambitious. How can we imagine it?
We want product developers not to have to know every technical detail, but to be able to make informed decisions within a guided system. This ensures that certain criteria are met and that the product design is optimized for recycling. This is challenging, but necessary if we want to achieve high recycling rates.
So the key to improving recycling efficiency is to better understand the composition of all the materials used in garments and finished textile products?
Yes, because if we know what is in and on the textile, we can better predict how it will behave during recycling. We are working on connecting finishers with recycling technologies to ensure that even with a polyester or polyamide T-shirt, the chemicals used on the textile do not interfere with the recycling process. It's not just about the materials, but also about knowing the additional applications and chemicals on the textiles. Many brands, especially smaller and medium-sized ones, lack this knowledge.
“The recycling technologies are available and could be used on a large scale. However, the biggest challenge is to ensure a constant supply of high-quality raw material for these plants.”
How can these changes be implemented?
The industry needs a complete change in production, a new start.We need to produce textiles that enable EOL recycling. If the quality and compatibility of materials cannot be guaranteed, this leads to inefficiencies, operational failures and can ruin entire plants. The slow progress is due in part to the complicated nature of scaling up recycling technologies, as well as the need for precise input control to ensure consistent quality of output.
It is becoming increasingly clear why progress in this area is so slow...
The recycling technologies are available and could be used on a large scale. However, the biggest challenge is to ensure a constant supply of high-quality feedstock for these plants. Instead of rushing to build chemical plants, we should first focus on securing reliable raw materials. Recyclers therefore need to work closely with major brands and communicate clearly which specific dyes and finishes they can process.
So recyclers should advise and guide brands in their choice of materials?
Exactly. Recyclers must provide information about which materials and combinations can be used - and which cannot. This also includes the labeling of products for certain recycling technologies and complete traceability from production to recycling. A product passport can be a great help here.
What does such a product passport contain?
The final content is not yet legally defined, but will include aspects of traceability, repair, resale and recycling of the product. For a polyester sports jacket, it is currently assumed that it can be recycled. However, without traceability of materials and a clear recycling plan, this is just a pipe dream. The product passport would ensure that every component of the jacket is documented and EOL can be dealt with appropriately.
What steps does the industry need to take to introduce such a system?
The industry needs coordinated and clear guidelines to introduce traceability systems. This requires collaboration between recyclers, brands and regulators. The key is to produce recyclable textiles where every step - from production to disposal - is documented in terms of material, chemical treatment, efficiency and sustainability. We are working on such a system, the "Circular Engine".
“The Circular Engine provides structured templates and guidelines to incorporate recyclable materials and enable easy disassembly for EOL.”
That sounds exciting! Who is the "Circular Engine" designed for and what can it do?
We offer brands, product managers and designers a circular design platform that supports them in material selection, finishing and suitable recycling methods. The Circular Engine provides structured templates and guidelines to incorporate recyclable materials and enable easy disassembly for EOL. This promotes sustainable thinking in the design process, reduces waste and opens up new sources of revenue. Conflicts in relation to sustainability decisions are highlighted and alternatives offered. Everything is then transferred directly into common design programs.
One of the biggest challenges here is retraining designers, who have often not dealt with EOL considerations before. Many have been trained to focus on aesthetics and functionality without considering the impact on the material. We tackle this problem by breaking down complex sustainability concepts into actionable steps in the "Circular Engine".
What advice do you have for companies that want to promote circularity?
I strongly recommend that they take a systematic approach and go beyond simple material selection to also consider the challenges and requirements of disassembly. By taking a close look at these processes - or working with us - brands can better manage the complex interrelationships.
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