Recycled Fraction Research Articles

Investigating the potential of electrostatic charging to separate cementitious binder and sand

The environmental footprint of concrete is largely influenced by the binder. It is therefore of high interest to investigate the potential reuse of the binder retrieved by modern separation techniques. However, studies found that the recycled cement fraction (RCF) still contained a certain amount of siliceous concrete aggregates, which forms an obstacle in the upcycling of RCF. In this study, the potential of electrostatic separation as a method to separate cementitious binder (hydrated and unhydrated) and sand (silica) is evaluated. Different cementitious powders and silica (sand) were prepared, resulting in a total of 9 powders and 8 mixtures. The mixtures consisted of a combination of silica and one of the cementitious powders (50/50 wt%) with a particle size of the components <125 μm. The potential of the studied technique was evaluated through charging measurements and x-ray fluorescence (XRF). Silica was assumed to contain no CaO and the detected CaO was therefore assigned to the cementitious powders. Results showed that silica and silica-rich fly ash (FA) particles became negatively charged, blast furnace slag (BFS) particles remained largely charge neutral and all other cementitious particles obtained a positive charge. Through electrostatic separation an enrichment of the cementitious binder fraction for all mixtures was obtained at the negative electrode. FA-Silica achieved the highest enrichment (89.9%), CEM III/B-Silica the lowest (4.7%) and the hydrates were enriched ranging from 28.0 to 31.8%.

Efficient Use of Secondary Raw Material from the Production of Polyamide Construction Products

This study aimed to assess the possibility of using post-production waste and the impact of the conditioning method on the mechanical and thermomechanical properties of polyamide injection molded parts. Samples containing 5, 10, and 15 wt.% of ground post-production waste were produced using injection molding technology. The rheological properties by oscillatory rheometry, the melt mass flow rate (MFR), and the thermal stability by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) of polymer mixtures containing recycled fraction were determined. The samples were conditioned under the following conditions: 24 h and 14 days in distilled water, in a climatic chamber, and aged in a xenon-light-accelerated aging chamber. Then, the impact and static tensile strength and heat deflection temperature (HDT) were assessed. The results show that the addition of post-production waste in the form of grinding does not significantly affect the mechanical and thermomechanical properties of the finished products. This research provides valuable information regarding the possibility of using secondary materials for manufacturing high-performance construction products. Moreover, it was proven that the process of conditioning polyamide samples in a climatic chamber was the most effective and significantly increased the impact strength of the tested material.

Uncovering the recycling potential of industrial waste in Sri Lanka.

The generation of industrial waste is mainly dependent on several factors, including the type of industry, production capacity, technology use and raw materials involved in the manufacturing processes. The present study is a cross-sectional study that was conducted with 580 industries under six industrial sectors in Sri Lanka in 2022. The main objective of this research was to investigate solid waste generation and estimate the recyclable fraction in the waste. Furthermore, this study calculated the prevailing recycling rate of each industrial sector and the waste generation per person employed in the sector. Industrial processes, the types and quantities of waste, waste disposal methods and management activities in terms of recycling and disposal were evaluated through a structured questionnaire and random field observations. The study identified that the composition of selected recyclable items was 16.7% of the total waste generated in the industrial sector. The prevailing rate of recycling in different sectors was as follows: manufacturing of food products (36.6%), manufacturing of beverages (82.3%), manufacturing of textiles (68.6%), manufacturing of chemical and chemical products (28.5%), manufacturing of rubber and plastic (46.5%) and manufacturing of metallic mineral products (17.8%) from the total generated recyclable material. The study further estimated the waste intensity (waste generation per unit of product output) of the industrial sectors as follows: 0.38 (manufacturing of food products), 0.36 (manufacturing of beverages), 0.27 (manufacturing of textiles), 0.26 (manufacturing of chemical and chemical products), 0.17 (manufacturing of rubber and plastic) and 0.16 (manufacturing of non-metallic mineral products).

Using Yield and Entropy-Based Characteristics for Circular Economy

Environmental impacts of the extant linear carbon economy and aspects of conservation of resources demand a transformation to a circular carbon economy (CCE). In view of this transformation, carbon-containing plastic products should be reused and recycled to prevent or minimize the release of their carbon content into the environment. Different plastic waste feedstock recycling strategies are applicable, with different degrees of feedstock destruction, depending on the degree of degradation and contamination of the intended recycle fractions. The evaluation of the effectiveness of recycling processes by substance and carbon-based yield and entropic characteristics could be a part of the overall evaluation strategy for recycling processes. Possible principles and base equations of such substance and carbon-based yield and entropic characteristics, extracted from the literature and adapted, are delineated in this article. Substance-based characteristics could be applied for physical recycling processes in which the aspired recovery substances remain preserved and are physically separated. A resort to carbon-based characteristics could be practiced for recycling and combustion processes, in which the feedstock is chemically destroyed, and new substances are possibly synthesized. Stylized process examples depict the way of a joint usage of yield and entropic characteristics.

Induction heating as a pre-treatment for the recycling of Li-ion battery cathodes – Technical feasibility

Production capacities for lithium-ion batteries are being expanded globally to meet the rising demand for energy storage applications. However, high scrap rates represent a key challenge for the production of lithium-ion batteries, especially for electrode manufacturing. The recycling of cathode production scraps that occur as intermediate products in electrode manufacturing offers a good possibility to reuse valuable battery active materials and close the material cycle within the production line. In this work we develop a novel method based on electromagnetic induction to separate cathode coating and aluminum foil. A cathode coil rejected from production was cut into sheets which were inductively heated to 300, 400 and 550 °C. The thermally pre-treated sheets were stressed in a cutting mill. With this method the coating could be separated from the foil up to 99.12 %. The aluminum impurities in the recycled fine powder fraction could be kept at a low level of 0.27 wt.-% at maximum. Agglomerates in the powder fraction could be significantly reduced through the thermal pre-treatment. This work shows the feasibility of induction heating as an energy-efficient and flexible thermal pre-treatment for the recycling of roll-to-roll cathode materials.

Municipal Solid Waste Composition and Generation with Emphasis on Plastics in Nablus City, Palestine

The aim of this study was to characterize the municipal solid waste (MSW) in Nablus city in Palestine, while focusing on the plastic waste fraction. The plastic fraction—an environmentally problematic waste stream—was further characterized into the different polymer types and formats with the aim of suggesting feasible recovery and recycling solutions. Locally generated studies lack data about the recyclable fractions in the MSW and a thorough characterization of the plastic waste stream, although there is global action to minimize and optimally treat this waste fraction. The composition analysis was conducted by collecting 60 samples from five districts with different characteristics (e.g., income, density, level of education, building formats). The fraction of bio- and organic waste is significant in the collected MSW in Nablus, representing about 68% of the total MSW. The recyclables (paper and cardboard, glass, metals and plastics) amount to 27.4% of the generated MSW in the city. The plastic fraction (10.1%) is mainly composed of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films (39.8%), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles (21.9%), high-density polyethylene (HDPE) rigids (19.0%), and polypropylene (PP) rigids (11.5%), all of which are technologically recyclable. The polymer types and container formats indicated that the collected plastics originate mostly from packaging. The outcomes of this research indicate the need to implement a separate collection system for the organic waste fraction, which could be used to produce compost for the agricultural activities in the region. By having such a system, the dry recyclables (including plastics) can be easily recovered with less degree of contamination for recycling, helping the local recyclers to access cleaner materials. Furthermore, the state of Palestine lacks strict regulations for the end-of-life treatment of the different waste fractions; therefore, having clear guidelines and incentive systems will result in the minimization of the generated waste as well as better achievement of recovery and recycling targets. In addition, expertise, funding, public awareness, facilities, equipment and other provisions are currently lacking or inappropriate. In future, these factors must be addressed to enhance sustainable solid waste management.

Effect of quality of separately collected glass, paper plus cardboard and lightweight packaging waste on environmental, energetic and economic sustainability of the material recovery facility operations

Low-quality materials contained in separately collected (SC) packaging waste generate environmental and economic burdens associated to both sorting operations of Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) and landfilling of non-recyclable materials. In this study, based on quantification of both impurities and recyclable fractions, the quality of SC municipal packaging waste streams was determined by compositional analysis of the waste entering a MRF throughout a year. Foreign materials (% w/w) found in the monitored SC glass, paper plus cardboard and lightweight packaging waste, were on average 5.0, 14.7 and 23.0, respectively, while landfilled materials (% w/w) after MRF sorting operations were on average 4.3, 10.3 and 22.0, respectively. A Life Cycle Assessment study was conducted to determine the environmental impact of SC packaging waste streams quality of three different scenarios: current situation (CS), better (BS) and ideal (IS) scenario with reduced presence and absence, respectively, of improper materials in the three examined SC packaging waste streams. Emission of 32.1 kg CO2eq/twaste was calculated for the current situation with a reduction by 66.1% and 98.0% in CO2eq emission for BS and IS scenario, respectively. Similar emission reductions were calculated for ozone depletion, ionizing radiations, particle matter formation, fossil fuel depletion and primary energy demand impact categories. The environmental life cycle costing study demonstrated that total savings of € 35.2 and € 66.6 for each ton of SC packaging waste stream entering the MRF could be obtained for BS and IS scenario, respectively.

Determination of Residual Municipal Solid Waste Composition from Rural and Urban Areas: A Step toward the Optimization of a Waste Management System for Efficient Material Recovery

Residual municipal solid waste (RMSW) is a rapidly expanding problem worldwide and a good waste management system could reduce concerns about its correct treatment. The purpose of this study was to characterize RMSW from urban and rural areas with the ultimate goal of estimating the recycling potential of the identified fractions and implementing waste collection and recovery methods according to the type of area that generates them. A direct sampling campaign of RMSW was performed. The results showed that the highest organic waste rate was found in the rural area (11.9%); urban-area-produced RMSW mainly constituted recyclable fractions such as plastic (26.3%), paper (21.8%), glass (3.5%) and metals (3.3%). The physical-chemical characteristics of RMSW showed levels of heavy metals below the detection threshold. The conditions necessary for composting could be met only for the organic fraction coming from rural areas as demonstrated by a pH value of 6.9 and a moisture content of 46.5%. These data will be extended to all the urban and rural areas to design appropriate disposal and/or recovery plants with profitable economic interventions that will lead to a reduction in costs in the planning of the integrated solid waste management.

Behavioral spillover in the circular economy: The importance of consumer goals

The transition to a circular economy requires that consumers take responsibility for both the acquisition and disposal of what they consume. In Europe and around the world, there has for a long time been a focus on reducing and recycling waste, including from households. This implies a responsibility for households to source-separate their waste and take the recyclable fractions to designated containers or collection points, with the dual purpose of reducing landfills and reusing products and materials. However, for the latter to work, and for the economy to become truly circular, consumers must buy used products or products with recycled materials (i.e., circular products). Some consumers reject circular products, assuming they are of lower quality, while others value their environmental friendliness. In this study, we test the hypotheses that (a) the more consumers recycle, the more inclined they are to also buy circular products, and vice versa, and (b) that this behavioral spillover is mediated through strengthening the goal of waste reduction. These hypotheses are tested in a cross-lagged panel structural equation model by means of a two-wave online panel survey in Denmark (Copenhagen) and Portugal (Lisbon) (n ≈ 500 in wave 1 in each country). In both countries, we find a significant and positive cross-lagged effect from recycling to buying circular products, and in Portugal also the other way round. These “spillover” effects are mediated by commitment to and perceived progress toward the goals of waste reduction and saving resources – in Denmark primarily by goal commitment and in Portugal primarily by perceived goal progress. This suggests that communications to engage consumers in the circular economy should emphasize the logical connection between recycling and buying circular products, and in particular the superordinate waste and conservation goals to which both contribute.

Upcycling of demolition material from concrete and brick for the production of cold-bound, alkali-activated lightweight aggregates

This paper deals with the production of artificial aggregates based on the recycled fine fraction (≤ 4 mm) from construction demolition waste. Concrete powder, brick powder and their combination were used to produce aggregates through pelletisation using sodium silicate solution as an activator. For all aggregates, efficiency, bulk crushing resistance, particle density, water absorption and loose bulk density were evaluated. The bulk crushing resistance was evaluated for samples cured with different methods. A higher proportion of concrete powder increased the strength and density. The aggregates were successfully formed with bulk crushing resistance and particle densities in the range of lightweight aggregates.Graphical abstract

Carbon-Fiber-Recycling Strategies: A Secondary Waste Stream Used for PA6,6 Thermoplastic Composite Applications.

With a view to achieving sustainable development and a circular economy, this work focused on the possibility to valorize a secondary waste stream of recycled carbon fiber (rCF) to produce a 3D printing usable material with a PA6,6 polymer matrix. The reinforcing fibers implemented in the research are the result of a double-recovery action: starting with pyrolysis, long fibers are obtained, which are used to produce non-woven fabrics, and subsequently, fiber agglomerate wastes obtained from this last process are ground in a ball mill. The effect of different amounts of reinforcement at 5% and 10% by weight on the mechanical properties of 3D-printed thermoplastic composites was investigated. Although the recycled fraction was successfully integrated in the production of filaments for 3D printing and therefore in the production of specimens via the fused deposition modeling technique, the results showed that fibers did not improve the mechanical properties as expected, due to an unsuitable average size distribution and the presence of a predominant dusty fraction ascribed to the non-optimized ball milling process. PA6,6 + 10 wt.% rCF composites exhibited a tensile strength of 59.53 MPa and a tensile modulus of 2.24 GPa, which correspond to an improvement in mechanical behavior of 5% and 21% compared to the neat PA6,6 specimens, respectively. The printed composite specimens loaded with the lowest content of rCF provided the greatest improvement in strength (+9% over the neat sample). Next, a prediction of the "optimum" critical length of carbon fibers was proposed that could be used for future optimization of recycled fiber processing.

Use of recycled fine aggregates and recycled powders in sustainable recycled concrete

The shortage of sand and gravel resources has become a global problem. Processing construction and demolition wastes (CDW) into recycled materials and using them to prepare new concrete is conducive to the sustainable development of the construction industry. In terms of recycled coarse aggregate (RCA), relatively mature technical accumulation and industrialization have been formed, but the utilization technology of recycled fine fractions (RF), accounting for more than 40%, is still scarce. In this study, the feasible use of RF, including recycled fine aggregates (RFA) and recycled powders (RP), in recycled concrete was studied from the perspective of fresh properties (empirical and rheological). The results showed that the reduction in the slump was more prominent in Series with RFA than RP. The highest reduction was observed around 31.71% (30% RP) in Series I at 30mins; and 60.98% (50% RFA) in Series II in mix with 50% RFA, which is due to higher friction and higher interlocking behavior due to their rough surface and higher amount of attached mortar. The mix with RP showed the most significant increase in the static viscosity of 271% at 30% RP and 149% with 100% RFA replacement at 30 min of the time interval. Static yield stress increases greater with RP, which may have caused slump expansion to decrease over time. The friction from RFA's rough surface texture and the mix's extra SP and water content enhance dynamic yield stress and decrease viscosity. The study found that the incorporation of RP and FA in the mixes resulted in a noteworthy reduction in carbon emissions compared to the control mix. Specifically, RPC2 and RPC3 exhibited a decrease of 24.35% and 25.00%, respectively. It is also seen that using recycled fines can lead to stable, low-carbon concrete for leading to a sustainable automated construction industry.

Sustainable Handling of OR Waste - a Difficult Issue with Great Potential

Surgical interventions often result in large amounts of waste. Contaminated waste must not be separated in recyclable fractions but must directly be burned for thermal recycling. Clinical waste is classified according to the potential dangers in accordance with the European Waste List (EWL). Unfortunately the waste number does not contain information about recyclable material. Only about 5% of clinical waste is hazardous waste resulting from contact with notifiable diseases in accordance with the definition of §6, German Law on Infection Protection. This waste must be burned or be further sterilised. By using separate collection of packaging material without contamination with body secretions, up to 50% of waste from operating rooms can be disposed of via the German "Dual System" free of charge. Nearly 30% of packaging waste will undergo material recycling. The recycling of contaminated high-class single use surgical instruments (SUSI) is not allowed unless they pass through a disinfection procedure that is certified by the responsible authorities. Two examples will be presented. Other separated waste fractions (for example paper, pasteboard, cardboard packaging or light packaging like PET etc.) can be sold directly to specialised recycling companies. Conclusion: Responsible handling of clinical waste from operating theatres preserves our environment, can save money and motivates staff members who care for the future of our planet earth. When sustainable waste management is introduced, all staff members must be introduced from the start. Doctors must function as role models.

The evaluation of the used diapers recycling process in Bank Sampah Bersinar

Disposal of used diapers causes environmental pollution problems. Bank Sampah Bersinar, which is located in Bale Endah, Kabupaten Bandung, West Java Province, Indonesia, has made an effort to recycle used diapers and has been operating since 2021 with a capacity of around 5 tonnes of used diapers per month. The process is started by shredding the used diapers and separating the plastic fraction. The fibre and super absorbent polymer (SAP) slurry are then cooked at about 85 °C and squeezed to separate the SAP gel. The fibre resting in the laundry bag is washed and then sun-dried. The performance of the process has been evaluated and reported in this paper. The recycling efficiency of fibre and plastic was around 1.12% and 31.9%, respectively. The highest loss occurred in the shredder, i.e., about 51% of the material was left in the bottom of the shredder. Both recycled fibre and plastic fractions still contained contaminants. The recycled plastic fraction was difficult to dry since it was contaminated by SAP gel. Three washing methods of recycled plastic have been tried. The recycled plastic fraction with 6–10% of moisture was obtained by using the counter-current washing system. About 73% of recycled fibre was categorised as long fibres, longer than 2 mm. However, the fibre fraction still contained plastic flakes contaminants. The cooking process at 180 °C reduced the number of microorganisms in the fibre fraction effectively. The recycling process still needs to be improved, especially to reduce material loss and get cleaner fibre and plastic fractions.

Performance analysis, techno-economic and life cycle assessment of Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae) seedcake gasification and Fischer-Tropsch integrated process for bio-methanol production

The overall economic performance of biodiesel production can be improved by reducing the cost of methanol required for the transesterification process. Gasification integrated with Fischer-Tropsch synthesis provides an alternative route to biomass conversion. In this study, a thermodynamic model of steam gasification of Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae) seedcake and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis of the syngas is developed to forecast the production of bio-methanol using Aspen Plus. The combined effects of the gasification temperature, steam flow rate, and off-gas recycling percentage were investigated using a response surface methodology to pinpoint the optimal operating conditions. The results showed that a gasification temperature of 820 °C, steam flow rate of 740 kg/h and off-gas recycle fraction of 0.6 were the optimum operating conditions for producing the highest amount of bio-methanol (53.13 wt.%). An initial capital investment of 7.4 million dollars and a minimum production price of bio-methanol of $0.91/L was determined. Integrating the bio-methanol production process in biodiesel plants reduces the cost of producing biodiesel by 26.36%. The environmental impact analysis showed that the process had an overall effect of −10 potential environmental impacts/kg of bio-methanol generated. Utilizing optimized process parameters may improve the process’ competitiveness on a commercial scale and improve sustainability in the biorefinery process.

An investigation on mobility of heavy metals for assessing the reusability of soil-like material reclaimed from mining of municipal solid waste dumpsites

Landfill mining, often referred to as “bio-mining”, enables the recovery of resources, including combustible, compostable, and recyclable fractions from landfills. However, most of the materials mined from old landfills mainly consist of soil-like materials (SLM). The reuse of SLM depends on the concentration of contaminants, such as heavy metals, soluble salts, etc. A sound risk assessment requires sequential extraction to determine the bioavailability of heavy metals. This study focuses on the mobility and chemical speciation of heavy metals in SLM from four old municipal solid waste dumpsites in India by performing selective sequential extraction. Additionally, the study compares the results with those of four previous investigations to identify international similarities. It has been observed that Zn was mainly available in the reducible phase (average 41%), whereas Ni and Cr proved to have the highest distribution in the residual phase (64% and 71%, respectively). Pb analysis showed a large portion in the oxidizable phase (39%), while Cu was mainly present in the oxidizable (37%) and residual (39%) phases. Similarities with previous investigations were observed for Zn (primarily reducible 48%), Ni (residual 52%), and Cu (oxidizable 56%). Correlation analysis showed that Ni correlated with all heavy metals (ρ = 0.71–0.78), except with Cu. The present study suggested that Zn and Pb are associated with a high risk of pollution due to their maximum distribution in the bioavailable phase. The findings of the study can be used to assess the heavy metal contamination potential of SLM prior to its reuse in offsite applications.

Material flow and environmental performance of the source segregated biowaste composting system.

Life cycle assessment (LCA) is performed to investigate the environmental impacts of two alternative approaches in a biowaste management system. The system inventory is based on actual data and on-site sampling for two consecutive years at the mechanical and biological treatment (MBT) facility at the prefecture of Chania (Greece). The facility pertains as MBT for household waste and material recycling (MR) for the recyclable fractions in two different process lines. The mass balances and environmental performance are assessed from waste generation to end-use. The LCA and ReCiPe 2016 methodology estimate the endpoint environmental impacts on human health, ecosystem quality and resource scarcity. The results show that biowaste source segregation in an integrated waste management system not only significantly benefits its recoverability potential it also improves its environmental performance. Impacts on human health (HH) have reduced by 4.6 times, on freshwater ecosystem quality (EQf) by 6.3 times and resource scarcity (RS) usage by 2.5 times when biowaste is combined with compost production and use, material recovery and reprocessing for fertilizer and raw material substitution.

Evaluation of Removed and Recycled Mineral Nutrients in Italian Commercial Persimmon Orchards

Persimmon is a typical fruit crop of the Mediterranean region and, since it is considered a minor species, little information is available on its nutrients need. In the present experiment, it was estimated the quantity of removed and recycled nutrients by Kaki Tipo and Rojo Brillante, the two main varieties of persimmon grown in Emilia-Romagna region (Po Valley, Italy). Plants from ten mature orchards were selected and harvested; organs (leaves in summer, fruits at harvest, abscissed leaves, roots and skeleton) biomass and mineral composition were determined. The yearly uptake of macronutrients was similar for the 2 varieties, accounting for (kg ha−1): N 89-91, P 10-11, K 79-91, Ca 132-162, Mg 22-26 and S 9. While K was mostly found in fruits, Ca and Mg were mainly partitioned to leaves. Among micronutrients, Mn and Fe showed the highest values (1.1–1.3 and 1.2–2.1 kg ha−1, respectively), followed by B (370 g ha−1), while Cu and Zn showed the smallest amounts (less 100 g ha−1). Nitrogen, Ca, Mg and S were those more recycled than removed, while K showed an opposite trend; among the microelements, the annual recycled fractions of B and Mn were higher than that removed.

Role of the gradient slope during the product internal recycling for the multicolumn countercurrent solvent gradient purification of PEGylated proteins

Protein PEGylation, i.e. functionalization with poly(ethylene glycol) chains, has been demonstrated an efficient way to improve the therapeutic index of these biopharmaceuticals. We demonstrated that Multicolumn Countercurrent Solvent Gradient Purification (MCSGP) is an efficient process for the separation of PEGylated proteins (Kim et al., Ind. and Eng. Chem. Res. 2021, 60, 29, 10764–10776), thanks to the internal recycling of product-containing side fractions. This recycling phase plays a critical role in the economy of MCSGP as it avoids wasting valuable product, but at the same time impacts its productivity extending the overall process duration. In this study, our aim is to elucidate the role of the gradient slope within this recycling stage on the yield and productivity of MCSGP for two case-studies: PEGylated lysozyme and an industrially relevant PEGylated protein. While all the examples of MCSGP in the literature refer to a single gradient slope in the elution phase, for the first time we systematically investigate three different gradient configurations: i) a single gradient slope throughout the entire elution, ii) recycling with an increased gradient slope, to shed light on the competition between volume of the recycled fraction and required inline dilution and iii) an isocratic elution during the recycling phase. The dual gradient elution proved to be a valuable solution for boosting the recovery of high-value products, with the potential for alleviating the pressure on the upstream processing.

The supply and demand balance of recyclable textiles in the Nordic countries

The textile industry is on its early steps towards circular economy. Being a highly resource-intensive and waste-generating industry, it is essential to embrace fiber-to-fiber recycling in addressing the increasing textile waste problem. Several innovative initiatives are happening within this area, not least in the Nordic countries, where automated sorting and fiber-to-fiber recycling technologies and capacities are developing. These large investments require economy of scale; however, this is challenged by the fractioned supply due to the specific fiber requirements of the recycling facilities. To ensure economy of scale and support strategic planning, it is important to investigate the balance of the demand of those capacities with the supply of recyclables generated in the region. Local and regional perspectives are needed in order to avoid unnecessary transportation of low value materials. Based on a synthetises of existing textile flow studies and interviews with relevant actors in four Nordic countries, this study investigates the balance between the supply of recyclable textiles and the sorting and recycling capacity. This is accomplished by estimating the volumes of recyclables and their fiber composition (based on developed weighting average method) and comparing these with the current and upcoming capacities in each country and in the Nordics as a whole. The findings indicate that the upcoming automatic sorting and recycling capacity will be sufficient to deal with the total recyclable fraction in the Nordic region, except for some of the synthetic fibers. However, there are imbalances between supply and demand within individual countries, highlighting opportunities for collaboration.