Textile recycler BlockTexx wins Gold for sustainability

BlockTexx, a clean technology company that recovers polyester and cellulose from textiles and clothing, has won a significant sustainability award.

The Queensland-based company was announced as the winner of the Banksia National Sustainability Gold Award at the gala event in Melbourne. The Banksia National Sustainability Awards celebrates innovative, impactful solutions to current sustainability challenges.

BlockTexx has created a solution to tackle a major problem: how to recycle clothes made from a mix of polyester and cotton. Most of these fabrics end up in landfills because they are hard to recycle.

Using its technology, the clean tech company breaks down these clothes and turns them into two materials: recycled polyester (PolyTexx) and cellulose (CellTexx), which can be reused in new products.

The Banksia Foundation’s judging panel, made up of sustainability experts, praised BlockTexx on its R&D efforts to solve the growing textile waste issue. Globally, it’s predicted that textile waste will increase to 140 million tonnes by 2030, with Australians seen to be among the worst offenders.

BlockTexx’s recycling plant in Loganholme, Queensland can handle 10,000 tonnes of fabric every year (around 8000 shirts an hour), keeping clothes out of landfills. The company uses blockchain technology to track every step of the recycling process so nothing goes to waste.

“BlockTexx is leading efforts to make the fashion and textile industry circular — their work shows how smart ideas can turn old clothes into something valuable,” Banksia Foundation CEO Graz van Egmond said. “They embody the innovation, passion and impact that the Banksia Foundation has showcased for 36 years.”

BlockTexx won the Circular Economy category first, sponsored by Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre, before being selected as the top of the 14 category award winners. The winners of the Banksia National Sustainability Awards are listed on the Banksia Foundation website.

Image caption: BlockTexx ‘Give a Sheet for the Planet’ initiative. Image: Supplied.