Spinning new yarn from old clothes

‘We recycle clothing into fibres. We receive textiles, for example from the healthcare sector, and sort them into different grades. We then put the textiles into a machine that defibrates – or combs out – the textile fibres. We can then spin these into new textiles,’ explains CEO Pål Erik Haraldsen.

It began as a redesign project at Health Workers AS, a company that sells workwear to the healthcare sector. This was where he recognised the significant potential for textile recycling. Norsk Tekstilgjenvinning was established in late 2022 and received R&D funding just six months later. Six months after that, the facility in Sandefjord was ready.

‘We want to help reduce textile waste and increase the proportion of recycled fibres suitable for producing new textiles,’ says Silja Meier, the company’s Chief Operating Officer.

‘Our customers are the Norwegian wool industry and spinning mills across Europe,’ says Pål Erik Haraldsen.

Norsk Tekstilgjenvinning recently joined the 'Made in Norway' scheme. Made in Norway is a protected trademark for promotion. It aims to strengthen the position of Norwegian products and solutions in international markets. The scheme is part of the government's 'All of Norway Exports' reform, which aims to boost Norway's international competitiveness. Read more: NTG breathes new life into used textiles

After a period of testing, they quickly realised that the fibres were of good quality and suitable for textile production. This gives the product a market in Europe and export potential, enabling the company to continue growing.

'The next step is to adopt technologies such as artificial intelligence and camera technology for the sorting process,' says Haraldsen.

The company is now expanding with its own sorting facility, which will have a capacity of around 10,000 tonnes of textiles. It also has ambitious plans to scale up textile recycling. This year, it will recycle around 2,000 tonnes, rising to approximately 5,000 tonnes next year. By 2027, it plans to recycle close to 30,000 tonnes.

We are very impressed by what the company has achieved in such a short time:

We have supported Norsk Tekstilgjenvinning through several rounds of funding. In total, the company has received grants, loans and financial guarantees worth more than NOK 30 million, including a grant of NOK 22 million.

‘Our support from Innovation Norway has made a real difference. Without it, we would not have been able to establish the future of textile recycling in Norway. The support allows us to focus on our R&D, building the knowledge we need to recycle blended textiles into spinnable fibre for textile production,’ says Silja Meier.

CEO Pål Erik Haraldsen agrees:

'The funding has been crucial in getting us to where we are today. We received substantial funding, and you have shown great confidence in our project. I don't think any of this would have been possible without your support,' he says.