News
Morocco exports the majority of its textile products to the EU. Image: Shutterstock
IFC pilot program in Morocco demonstrates feasibility of textile recycling
Pilot trials conducted as part of the Morocco Textile Circularity program led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC, which is the World Bank Group’s development institution) show that recycling textile waste in Morocco is both technically viable and commercially feasible, and that scaling it could attract $1.9bn in additional private investment and generate more than 30,000 jobs. The program more than doubled its original targets as 427 tonnes of textile offcuts
were turned into new materials, with a further 2,400 tonnes committed for recycling. Recycled-content fabric met standard commercial quality benchmarks across all tested parameters, and has been proven to be able to re-enter the supply chain without compro- mising performance or quality. “Scaling textile circularity in
Morocco will create tens of thousands of jobs and build a globally competitive industry,” said David Tinel, IFC’s Regional Manager. “The proof is in place.
Scaling now establishes Morocco at the forefront of sustainable manufacturing for global markets.”
Harnessing the full potential of this opportunity requires targeted policy action. IFC said: “Textile circularity is a timely matter as global buyers – par- ticularly in the European Union, which absorbs 93% of Moroc- co’s textile exports – are tightening requirements on sustainability, traceability, and recycled content.” Recommendations call for:
Circ teams up with Huafon in China to build polycotton recycling plant
Circ and Chinese spandex producer Huafon have entered a partnership to build and scale a new multi-phase textile-to- textile recycling site. The project will be located
within Huafon’s industrial footprint in China, and will use Circ’s technology to process polycotton textile waste and recycle both inputs, recovering recycled PTA, recycled MEG, and recycled cellulosic pulp for use in new textiles. The site will be developed in
phases, with Phase 1 designed for approximately 200 tonnes per day and additional capacity planned. “Circ has developed one of the most promising textile-to-
textile recycling technologies we have seen, and Huafon is ready to help bring it to market,” said Feifeng You, Vice President, Huafon Group, and Chairman, Huafon Microfibre Shanghai Tech. “By combining Circ’s innovation with our
industrial strength and investment, we can turn textile waste into high-quality materials at a scale the industry needs.” Huafon is investing capital in
the project, while its engineer- ing, procurement, logistics, and
Image: Circ
commercial experience, are expected to provide an efficient path to industrial deployment. Meanwhile, Circ brings an established network of global brands, manufacturing partners, and downstream customers ready to adopt material the platform produces. Huafon has demonstrated the ability to expand globally through its acquisition of DuPont’s former Biomaterials business, now called Covation Biomaterials, which provides established operations at several US sites and various commercial relationships outside China. •
https://circ.earth • Huafon LinkedIn Page
Textiles Loop • Autumn 2026 9
reclassifying factory offcuts as industrial by-products rather than waste; reforming customs rules to allow brands to transfer legal ownership of those materials to local manufactur- ers; establishing a national traceability platform to meet the EU’s Digital Product Passport requirements which enters into force in 2027; and investing in domestic spinning capacity so that recycled fibre no longer needs to be exported for processing. •
www.ifc.org
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