Circular solutions for B2B textiles failing to keep pace with rising waste volumes, new research finds
Circular solutions for B2B textiles have yet to scale in line with the volume of waste generated, according to new research by Reconomy, the international circular economy specialist.
B2B textiles include textile-based products used for commercial or industrial purposes such as soft furnishings, automotive interiors, agricultural textiles and construction materials rather than clothing worn by consumers. While these sectors are widely considered to be better positioned for circularity than the B2C sector due to established logistics and the fact that B2B textiles are typically more homogenous in material composition, solutions remain underdeveloped and have not yet scaled, leaving large volumes of material flowing into downcycling or disposal.
The research examines waste flows and market dynamics across five priority B2B textile categories, including: soft furnishings; upholstery and furniture textiles; automotive textiles; agricultural textiles; and geotextiles and construction textiles.
Across all five, the findings point to a common challenge, namely that while circularity is technically possible, it is impeded in practice by weak sorting, limited aggregation, poor data visibility and underdeveloped end-markets – meaning materials that could be reused or recycled are instead lost from the system.
Within UK B2B soft furnishings, for example, the research found that products are dominated by bed, bath and table linen used by the hospitality and healthcare sectors which generate large waste flows. Despite the strong underlying recycling potential of these materials, reuse is structurally constrained by hygiene requirements and low unit value, resulting in most volumes sent to energy-from-waste facilities or landfill.
The research identifies that the primary opportunity for the industry lies upstream, in improving sorting and aggregation at industrial laundries, which act as the key control point for circular and end-of-life material routing.
The report comes amid rising waste volumes, with more than 6,000 tonnes of hospitality textiles lost each year in the UK and four million linen items lost annually by the NHS, including bed sheets, pillowcases and surgical gowns1.
Hear from our leaders
While much discussion around textiles circularity has centred on apparel, non-apparel textiles represent a significant adjacent area that has been largely overlooked. Given our expertise in textiles for clothing and footwear, we commissioned this new research to provide the industry with greater clarity on the structural barriers holding circularity back, and what needs to change to accelerate circular models that reduce waste, cut carbon emissions and lower costs for businesses.
Reconomy
