In October, Svenljunga Municipality became the first municipality in Sweden to start a new experiment with textile collection via postal distribution - in collaboration with PostNord.
The collection is done with special bags that are delivered directly to the mailbox by PostNord. When the bag is full, citizens can easily order collection via the QR code printed on the bag. Each household selects the collection date and places the bag at the mailbox. The collected textile is sent to Wargön Innovation in Vänersborg, where it is sorted and analyzed as part of the joint work in the SorTex project.
In the project, several different methods of textile collection are being tested in collaboration between the partners on both the Swedish and Danish sides. This means that in addition to the mail-based collection in Svenljunga, we are also testing collection via, for example, laundry rooms, workplaces and outdoor bins. In this way, we uncover which parameters affect the collection rate as well as the quality of the collected textile waste.
While collection tests are underway, the work of sorting and analyzing the textile material is also in motion. At Wargön Innovation, the different collection methods are being analyzed and compared to give a better understanding of how different methods work.
By examining both the condition of the material and the collection method itself, we can:
Identify what can be reused or prepared for recycling.
Give new value to textiles that might otherwise be lost.
Both the specific data for each method and the overall analysis of the material flow gives us a solid data base to draw conclusions, share recommendations and discover new business opportunities.
The ambition is that the results from SorTex will become valuable knowledge - both for those working with textile collection and management today and for those who will be responsible for the future producer responsibility for textiles.
