Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.
The companies have conducted the first laboratory tests at the facilities of AITEX, the leading Research and Innovation Center for the textile industry in Spain, located in Alcoy. This milestone represents a significant step forward in validating a solution designed to drive a comprehensive value chain for textile recycling in Spain.
The solutions obtained during these trials will serve as the basis for the next phases of work planned for the project. On the one hand, AITEX will use these materials to conduct wet spinning tests to produce regenerated fibers. At the same time, Ence will use the solutions to produce the first batches of recycled cellulose in its laboratories, advancing the development of processes that can later be scaled up to a future textile recycling pilot plant.
Regatex, a pilot plant for textile fiber recovery in As Pontes
Ence and Sharetex signed their collaboration agreement in 2024 as part of the Regatex initiative, a pilot plant for textile fiber recovery in As Pontes (A Coruña). As a result of this partnership, they have, for the first time, produced recycled cellulose from polycotton, promoting the circular economy. In addition, they have successfully conducted the first textile recycling tests using an innovative technology that does not require high pressure or temperature, nor does it use toxic solvents.
