Tex2Tex™, a pioneering textile-to-textile recycling solution developed by Earth Protex™, is now integrated into the Carbonfact platform, marking a big step forward in improving emission accuracy for polyester textile recycling.
Unlike conventional bottle-to-fiber recycling, which downcycles single-use plastics into textiles for apparel, home, and automotive industry, Tex2Tex™ offers a circularity solution by transforming low-value polyester textile waste directly into new, high-quality fibers and yarns using Thermo-Mechanical Reactor™ technology.
Earth Protex™ is now part of Carbonfact’s extended supplier ecosystem, alongside leading material and process innovators such as Manteco, Lenzing, Ever Dye, and the Better Cotton Initiative. These integrations give brands access to primary supplier data for more accurate carbon footprinting directly within the Carbonfact platform.
The fashion industry must move beyond bottle RPET (recycled polyester) as it’s a downcycling solution that disrupts other recycling systems and has a higher environmental impact than the textile-to-textile recycling process.
A side-by-side cradle-to-gate comparison shows that Tex2Tex™ fibers have a total climate impact of just 0.629 kg CO₂e per kg, compared to 4.425 kg CO₂e* per kg for conventional PET filament.
*Assumed that the 3.1246 kg CO₂e figure refers to the production of PET chips only, and that the 1.3 kg CO₂e accounts for converting those chips into continuous filament via extrusion and melt-spinning.
That’s a potential 86% reduction in CO₂e emissions when switching from virgin PET to Tex2Tex™, based on LCA modeling.
Key Highlights:
Note: These values are based on standard LCA assumptions and may vary by ±10–30% depending on energy mix and dataset quality. The ~7× figure is a directional estimate, not a fixed ratio.
Polyester textile waste is recycled by Earth Protex™ using its proprietary Tex2Tex™ Thermo-Mechanical Reactor™ (TMR™) technology. This process mechanically processes the waste to remove contaminants and break down additives that degrade material quality. As a result, the polymer is restored to a high-performance state, making it suitable for repeated recycling into new textile products. This enables low-value polyester waste (typically hard to recycle) to re-enter the production cycle multiple times.
Tex2Tex™ is a large-scale polyester recycling solution that can produce up to 60,000 tons of fiber per year. Certified by the Global Recycling Standard (GRS), it delivers high-quality fibers, yarns, and fabrics in raw white, dope dyed black, off white and ecru.
Carbonfact’s science team has assessed Tex2Tex’s life cycle assessment (LCA) and integrated its bespoke emission factor into the platform. Through this partnership, brands using Carbonfact can now:
Bespoke emission factors are essential for accurately measuring the carbon footprint of innovative materials and processes. While standard data exists for conventional inputs, innovative solutions like Tex2Tex™ require custom calculations to reflect their true environmental impact. Carbonfact develops these tailored emission factors through detailed life cycle assessments (LCAs), primary data collection, and in-depth analysis of emissions across various production stages.
Through Carbonfact’s growing supplier ecosystem, clients gain access to pre-integrated, supplier-specific emission factors from trusted industry partners, including Lenzing, Carbios, Leather Working Group, and many more. This allows brands to calculate footprints using the most accurate data available.