A major textile recycling facility is planned for Sillamäe, Estonia, set to become the largest such facility in the Baltic region. The project represents a €100 million investment, with €39 million coming from EU Just Transition Fund money distributed through Estonia’s Enterprise and Innovation Foundation.
Three interconnected companies will collaborate on the project, with each company’s output serving as input for the next stage of the recycling process. The facility aims to process up to 70,000 tonnes of textile waste annually, sourcing materials from both Estonia and neighbouring countries.
The recycling process will begin with sorting incoming textile waste, with higher-quality materials being directed for reuse. Lower-quality synthetic fibres will be combined with recycled plastic to create construction boards, using a mixture of textile waste fibres, waste plastic, and additives.
The entire operation is expected to employ 150 people when it becomes operational, which is planned for late 2026. The three factories will occupy approximately 1.5 hectares of land, and preliminary agreements have already been signed for both domestic and international product distribution.
The project is part of broader EU efforts to support regions facing socio-economic challenges related to achieving climate neutrality, with Estonia directing these resources to Ida-Viru County, one of the country’s economically challenged regions.
Read the original article in full on ERR.ee: https://news.err.ee/1609577692/100-million-textile-waste-recycling-center-planned-for-sillamae
