Since Overshoot Day on July 24, 2025, humanity has used up its resource budget for this year. The textile industry contributes significantly to this: it causes around eight to ten percent of global CO₂ emissions. In the TexPHB feasibility study funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour, Energy and Climate Protection (MWAEK), the partners show how this balance can be improved.

The approach: textiles that are difficult to recycle, such as mixed polyester-containing waste from fast fashion, workwear or industrial cleaning textiles, which are usually incinerated, are converted into the fully biodegradable bioplastic polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB).

Together with textile services and textile waste companies, the Beneficial Design Institute investigated how textile waste previously destined for incineration could be recycled. The process developed by matterr GmbH for the hydrolysis of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), in which the central raw materials of PET – terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol – are recovered in their original quality, was tested for the first time for these critical material fractions. Scientists at Fraunhofer IAP used the ethylene glycol produced as a nutrient medium for wild-type bacteria, which convert it into the biopolymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). At the Biopolymers Processing Centre in Schwarzheide, the PHB obtained was further processed and tested for its material properties. "We have thus demonstrated that PET waste from the textile industry can be converted into a biodegradable polymer using chemical and biotechnological processes, which could replace petroleum-based plastics in the long term," says Dr Maren Wandrey, biochemist at Fraunhofer IAP.

As part of the study, Beneficial Design Institute GmbH identified possible fields of application for the biopolymer. "PHB is completely biodegradable and biocompatible. Compared to other bioplastics, PHB also has a good barrier effect against oxygen and moisture. This means it offers great potential for products that are intended to degrade in the environment or in the body – for example, for medical applications, geotextile for erosion protection or agricultural products," explains Prof. Friederike von Wedel-Parlow, Managing Director of Beneficial Design Institute GmbH.

A recently published strategy paper translates the consortium's findings into concrete recommendations for policy makers in Brandenburg. It comprises a multi-stage package of measures designed to lay the foundations for a textile circular economy in Brandenburg.

Entitled "From Fabric to Bioplastic – From Waste to Value", the TexPHB market study and strategy paper will be presented on 25 November 2025 at a partnering meet-up in the State Chancellery in Potsdam. The event will take place following the 6th Brandenburg Waste Prevention Forum and will bring together stakeholders from business, research, politics and design. The aim is to initiate cooperation and investment that will drive forward the sustainable transformation of the textile and waste management industry in Brandenburg.

The TexPHB project exemplifies how textile waste can be converted into high-quality, biodegradable plastics – and what opportunities this opens up for a circular economy. The results of the study will serve as a basis for further research and development work. In the long term, the aim is to create a continuous process chain – from textile waste recycling to the production of new biopolymers.

The textile industry is one of the most resource-intensive sectors and generates significant amounts of waste and emissions. In 2020 alone, approximately 6.95 million tonnes of textile waste were generated in the EU. Worldwide, 92 million tonnes of textile waste end up in landfills in the Global South or in incinerators every year. Mixed polyester-containing waste from fast fashion, workwear or industrial cleaning textiles in the lowest waste category is among the most difficult residual materials to recycle. The EU's Circular Economy Strategy therefore promotes circular processes in the textile sector.

In a joint feasibility study, the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP at Potsdam Science Park, Beneficial Design Institute GmbH and matterr GmbH (formerly RITTEC 8.0 Umwelttechnik GmbH) investigated how polyester-containing waste textiles can be converted into the bioplastic polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB).

"With our innovative matterr process, we recover the monomers terephthalic acid (TA) and ethylene glycol (EG) in virgin quality from polyester-containing textile waste – suitable for the production of new polyester," explains Dr. Tim Seedorf, Head of Research & Innovation at matterr GmbH. "We have also shown that the ethylene glycol obtained can be converted into the biopolymer PHB with the help of bacteria," adds Dr. Maren Wandrey, biochemist at Fraunhofer IAP. An analysis by the Beneficial Design Institute further shows that establishing a textile hub in Brandenburg can make a significant contribution to strengthening the regional circular economy through the sustainable use of textile waste and the establishment of new value chains.

The policy paper translates the consortium's findings into concrete recommendations for political decision-makers in Brandenburg.

PHB zählt zu den Biokunststoffen, die vollständig biologisch abbaubar, resorbierbar und biokompatibel sind. Prof. Friederike von Wedel-Parlow vom Beneficial Design Institute betont: »PHB vereint ökologische Vorteile mit wirtschaftlichem Potenzial in neuen Märkten. Unsere Untersuchungen haben deutlich gemacht, dass Design Wissenschaft und Industrie gemeinsam Lösungen entwickeln können, die diese Vorteile für Gesellschaft und Wirtschaft nutzbar und Ecodesign-Denken zu einem Erfolg, auch für Brandenburg, machen.«

The bioplastic has a wide range of applications, especially where materials remain in the environment permanently – for example, in water, soil or the human body. Examples include geotextiles for erosion control, artificial shoreline reinforcement, tree and branch protectors, or medical products such as suture material.

The policy paper recommends a multi-stage action plan to lay the foundation for a circular textile economy in Brandenburg. It comprises six key recommendations. Clima State Secretary Dr. Haase explains: "The goal is to retain value creation in the region, establish qualified jobs and position Brandenburg as a model region for this EU initiative. The project consortium's policy paper and the preliminary study results contribute to bringing together ecological sustainability and economic strength in Brandenburg."

The results also have supra-regional significance with potential for close cooperation between Brandenburg and partners in Poland and the Netherlands. Through these collaborations, the state can strengthen its position as a pioneer in the circular economy and build European value chains that incorporate design-driven added value.