LOOM Carbon Teams with RTI International to Scale Recycling of Hard-to-Process Textile Waste

LOOM Carbon has entered a research collaboration with RTI International aimed at accelerating the commercialization of a thermal chemical recycling technology that converts discarded textiles into reusable industrial materials, a move that comes as governments and brands face growing pressure to address the sector’s mounting waste problem, according to RTI International.

The partnership targets a challenge that has long resisted conventional recycling. Data published by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation shows global textile waste has climbed past 90 million metric tons a year, while most garments still end up in landfills or incinerators due to fiber blends, chemical treatments and contamination. Mechanical recycling remains limited in scope, and earlier policy efforts in Europe and parts of Asia have struggled to lift recovery rates beyond the low double digits.

LOOM’s system is designed to handle mixed and soiled textile streams that are typically excluded from recycling programs. The process uses heat and chemical conversion to break down waste fabrics and generate carbon-based outputs that can replace fossil-derived inputs in products such as pigments, construction materials and composites. Excess thermal energy from the process is reused on site, a feature the company says improves overall efficiency. Observers note that solutions capable of dealing with blended fabrics are increasingly viewed as critical as fast-fashion volumes continue to rise.

Under the agreement, development work will be carried out at RTI’s Pilot Xcelerator facility in the United States, which has been used by startups and government-backed projects to move technologies from laboratory scale toward commercial operation. The 12-month program will focus on increasing throughput, validating product quality and emissions performance, and preparing the technology for deployment at larger facilities. LOOM has indicated the long-term goal is to support processing capacity measured in millions of tons per year across regions including Southeast Asia, Europe and North America, where extended producer responsibility rules for textiles are beginning to take shape.

Industry analysts say interest in chemical and thermal recycling of textiles has intensified as brands seek alternatives to virgin materials and regulators tighten disposal rules. At the same time, industry groups caution that scaling such technologies will depend on reliable feedstock supply, clear sustainability metrics and competitive economics compared with landfilling and energy recovery.

Executives from both organizations framed the collaboration as a step toward market readiness rather than a purely experimental effort. RTI officials highlighted the institute’s role in process engineering and independent validation, while LOOM said the work is intended to support future commercial plants and potential offtake agreements with downstream users.

Looking ahead, analysts expect textile recycling to remain a fragmented field, with no single technology providing a universal fix. Still, they note that partnerships combining proprietary processes with independent testing infrastructure may help determine which approaches can operate at scale under real-world conditions.

Source: RTI International

SUNSHINE Spotlight: The LOOM–RTI collaboration reflects a broader push to turn hard-to-recycle textiles into usable materials as waste volumes rise and circular economy policies gain momentum.