SOLUTION / PUBLIC SOURCE RECORD
NTG breathes new life into used textiles
- Published 9 January 2025; updated 28 September 2026; estimated reading time 3 minutes. Listed as available in Europe under Fashion, Furniture and interior design, Circular economy and Made in Norway.
- NTG (Norsk Tekstilgjenvinning) receives, sorts, prepares and mechanically recycles used textiles into fibres for new textile production. The page says current feedstock is mainly cotton and polyester/cotton blends from healthcare and hospitality, turning textiles previously destined for landfill or incineration back into the value chain.
- Challenge context: the article says only 1% of used clothing is recycled into new clothes. It notes that from 1 January 2025 EU/EEA countries were required to separately collect textile waste, while local textile recycling capacity remained limited.
- NTG conducts R&D to improve circularity, including camera and AI-assisted sorting to speed processing and improve efficiency. A named project, “Innovating Norwegian Wool,” recycles production waste from the Norwegian wool industry.
- Environmental benefits described include less textile waste and lower demand for virgin fibre production, which can reduce water and energy use, land use and greenhouse-gas emissions. CEO Pål Erik Haraldsen claims replacing virgin fibres with NTG recycled fibres could save 90–97% in CO₂-equivalent emissions. The company also says its mechanical process avoids toxic chemicals.
- Market/regulatory context: the EU Sustainable and Circular Textiles strategy states that by 2030 products placed on the EU market should be durable, repairable and recyclable, largely made of recycled fibres, free of hazardous substances, and produced in line with social and environmental requirements. NTG expects recycled-fibre use in new garments to grow and describes textile recycling as an expanding industry in Norway and Europe.
- Linked to SDG 8, Decent work and economic growth, for local employment; SDG 12, Responsible consumption and production, for reducing textile waste; and SDG 15, Life on land, for reducing pollution associated with conventional textile practices.
- Contact section displays Silja Meier, PhD and Pål Erik Haraldsen images, plus a general “Get in touch” contact link; no direct email is displayed. Company: NTG – NORSK TEKSTILGJENVINNING AS, Pindsleveien 2, 3221 Sandefjord, Norway; ntgas.no.