Tell-Tex to handle sustainable recycling of old textiles in the City of Zurich

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Zurich/Safenwil - Recycling of used textiles in Zurich will become more sustainable from 2026 onwards. The aim here will be to reuse and recycle old textiles locally wherever possible, with Tell-Tex AG now having been tasked with handling the sorting and recycling processes. The textiles will be sent to the secondhand market. Anything subsequently left over will be recycled.

(CONNECT) According to a press release, new rules for the recycling of used textiles will enter into force in the City of Zurich from 2026 onwards. Local reuse rather than expensive recycling abroad will be the order of the day in this regard, while there will additionally be an emphasis on fiber-to-fiber recycling and transparency in recycling flows.

According to the Waste Disposal + Recycling Department, with these new targets in mind the City of Zurich launched a tender process to find a new sorting and recycling partner company. The contract has now been awarded to Tell-Tex AG from Safenwil in the canton of Aargau. The clothing collection firm will be tasked with bringing the used textiles to the secondhand market in “appropriate quantities and quality”. At the same time, fiber-to-fiber recycling is to be introduced for the resulting surplus. To this end, Tell-Tex is planning a sorting and recycling center.

Through a more developed resale market, the hope is that the textile cycle can be made more sustainable. According to Simone Brander, a member of the city government of Zurich, this change, which is unique in Switzerland, will make a valuable ecological contribution to the net-zero target in addition to strengthening the sustainable economy.

From 2026, damaged clothing will also be collected. This is intended to ensure more textiles end up in the circular material lifecycle. At present, the annual volume amounts to 2,000 tons. It is important that all damaged textiles and shoes are clean. Collection containers are located at around 160 municipal recycling centers, according to the press release.

Textiles that are no longer usable or leftover will be reused in Europe, downcycled or destroyed at a waste incineration plant in Switzerland. These innovations are part of the city's Circular Economy Implementation Agenda 2024-2026 with scientific support from an analysis carried out by the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts and a pilot monitoring project handled by the Cantonal Office for Waste, Water, Energy and Air. ce/heg