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Demonstration of polyester of footwear waste recycling into new textile products using glycolysis technology. LIFE-ECOTEX

The growing consumption of polyester in the footwear sector entails a proportional increase in the polyester waste generation, wastes which currently present only two end-of-life routes: (1) mechanical recycling to obtain low added value products and (2) landfilling.

The European project LIFE-ECOTEX is born with the aim to provide an alternative solution in this scenario by focusing on the introduction of the circular economy concept within the shoemaking industry, closing the loop of the polyester textile wastes by means of the feedstock recycling and leading to the obtaining of chemical monomers with high added value which can be employed in the manufacturing of fibres and, in turn, in the manufacturing of new textile products.

Coordinated by the Technological Centre GAIKER-IK4 – expertise in recycling technologies – the project consortium has been completed with the Footwear Technology Center of La Rioja (CTCR) – expertise in footwear technologies – and with the companies BETA Ingeniería – sustainable energetic operator – and EKOREC – synthetic textile fibre manufacturer.

With a budget of 1,246,048 €, the LIFE-ECOTEX project (2016-2019) is co-financed by the European Commission (Ref. LIFE15 ENV/ES/000658 LIFE-ECOTEX), which contributes with a 60% of the total budget through the LIFE Environment Programme. LIFE is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate actions, and its general objective is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental and climate policy and legislation by co-financing projects with European added value.

LIFE LIFE Environment
• Project Ref.: LIFE15 ENV/ES/000658
• Starting date: 01/09/2016 – 31/08/2019
• Total budget: 1.246.048 €
• EU Contribution: 735.827 €
• Beneficiaries: GAIKER-IK4 (ES) (Coord.), CTCR (ES), BETA (ES), EKOREC (ES) and LOGROTEX (ES)

 

 

White Polyester Fibres 100% PET

 

PET-PU-PET Textile 81,94%PET / 18,06%PU

 

Reaction System. Pilot Plant (GAIKER-IK4)

 

Melt-Spinning Pilot Line of EKOREC

LOGROTEX Facilities

 

LOGROTEX Facilities

 

LOGROTEX Facilities

 

Thermoformed Mold Used to Fabricate Shoe Insoles