After many years of an intensive collaboration and substantial investments in research and development, on March 14th 2018, Valvan Baling Systems<\/a> and Wieland Textiles proudly launched Fibersort<\/a>. For the first time in the history of textile recycling, this optical sorting technology enables the quick and efficient scanning and sorting of numerous stacks of garments into uniform categories of fibers with specified compositions, colours and\/or structures. This paves the way for a circular revolution in the textile industry: a cost-efficient recovery of highly valuable raw materials from discarded garments for the production of new clothes.<\/p>\n In the context of the huge waste and pollution that is caused by the linear fashion industry, the market potential of Fibersort can hardly be overestimated. In the Netherlands, Fibersort could prevent 170,000 tons of discarded garments from a useless demise in the \u2018crematorium\u2019 of a waste incineration plant. Or, in other words: with Fibersort over 170,000 tons of discarded garments can be upcycled as valuable raw materials for new clothes!<\/p>\n Fibersort is able to sort 900 kilo of post-consumer textiles per hour<\/strong><\/p>\n Fibersort is a fully automatic installation in combination with an optical detection port at the beginning of a conveyor belt, that is equipped with air blowers and bags to store sorted clothes. During the input of a stack of clothes, first the assembled clothes, such as jackets and coats, are removed. A garment that is composed out off multiple materials, such as a lined coat, will not be recognized by the optical detection system of Fibersort. Subsequently, garments that are not composed out off multiple materials will be placed under the detection eye of Fibersort at high speed for a 3D scan and analysis by means of spectrography. Fibersort is now able to sort 900 kilo of post-consumer textiles per hour.<\/p>\n Every fiber has its own unique spectrum of colours and therefore, by means of dedicated software, the computer can make a high-speed analysis based on the composition, colour and structure of the used fibers. After this analysis, the garments are transported by the conveyor belt to the location where an air blower blows the analysed clothes in a bag used for the specific group of garments – with one specific composition, colour and structure of fibers, such as a bag with red and woven garments that consist for 60 per cent of cotton and for 40 per cent of polyester.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Discarded garments: to the crematorium or reborn into a new lifecycle? After many years of an intensive collaboration and substantial …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":456,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n