Navigating the Legislative Interventions, Challenges, andOpportunities in Revolutionizing Textile Upcycling/RecyclingProcesses for a Circular Economy

Embracing a circular economy in the textile industry represents a crucial steptoward sustainability, where fashion and textile sectors contribute significantly to CO2emissions. However, transitioning from a linear "take-make-waste" model to circularity,poses multifaceted challenges, that highlight the staggering volume of annual textile wastesurpassing industry predictions, thus emphasizing the urgent need for comprehensivestrategies. Despite advancements in recycling technologies, challenges persist in collectingand sorting textile waste, where fragmentation in waste management and recycling processeshinders effective management of post-consumer waste. Addressing these challenges demandselevated efforts in collection, sorting, and pre-processing, alongside regulatory interventions todrive enhanced waste collection and circular business models. Efforts are underway to promotesustainable textile recycling, with initiatives like the EU's Sustainable and Circular TextilesStrategy aiming to reduce reliance on virgin resources. However, achieving a circular textilemarket in the near future requires collaborative action and innovative solutions. Thoughchallenges in scaling and technological limitations still remain, recent breakthroughs in textile-recycling technologies offer promise,signaling a shift toward scalable and sustainable alternatives to virgin fibers, where bio-based chemical processes, andthermochemical recycling processes present transformative opportunities. Where, bold scaling targets, collaborative efforts, andshort-term funding support narrated in this perspective article are imperative to accelerate the transition to a circular textileeconomy, thus delving into the pivotal role of textile recycling, tracing the evolution of recycling technologies, and addressing criticalchallenges hindering widespread adoption.