Tackling Global Textile Waste through Innovative Solutions
Recognising the staggering impact of textile waste on the environment, with textiles contributing to approximately 8% of global emissions, EHF Fellows Bernadette Casey, Peter Thompson, and Deborah Crowe set out to find a sustainable solution to address this issue.
They co-founded UsedFULLY in 2020, a cleantech company with a vision to transform textile waste into high-value products, effectively implementing a circular economy for textiles in Aotearoa NZ. Their mission was clear: to prevent textile waste from ending up in landfills and instead repurpose it into valuable products that could serve various other industries. With Bernadette at the helm as CEO, Peter as COO, Deborah as the Business Strategist, and fellow EHF Fellow Jason Kibbey serving as an advisor, these Fellows are scaling UsedFULLY to have a significant impact on the global textile waste crisis.
Reflecting on the creation of UsedFULLY, Bernadette shares:
“Having spent years working on textile development projects around the world, we understood the outsized impacts of textiles, supply chain gaps, and barriers to reuse. Many regions are now regulating to ensure these resource-intensive products do not end up in landfill. Returning to live in Aotearoa, we saw an opportunity to prove a circular economy in a small contained market, creating solutions that would benefit the country and its people.”
Localised Solutions for a Circular Economy
UsedFULLY is demonstrating that low emissions and economic prosperity can coexist by offering a blueprint for sustainable textile recycling. The company’s innovations address a significant challenge in the global reuse of textiles: the lack of local textile supply chains. Only about 1% of textiles is recycled, representing a loss of more than USD $100 billion worth of resources each year. Traditionally, the absence of localised infrastructure has made it difficult to collect, sort, and process textile waste within the same region, forcing many textiles to be exported or landfilled. UsedFULLY has tackled this challenge head-on by developing science-based proprietary technology that enables the efficient conversion of unwanted textiles - whether protein-based, cellulosic, or petrochemical - into high-performing recycled products.
Bernadette explains the innovative approach UsedFULLY took to overcome the challenge:
“We were leading the industry co-design of a textile circular economy in Aotearoa but the lack of textile supply chains onshore was a major hurdle to transitioning to this new economy. So we reached out to Crown Research Institute Scion to investigate how these wasted textile resources could be used in other industries. We trialled Scion’s existing IP developed for the timber processing industry and adapted it for textile processing.”
She adds:
“Another challenge has been the lack of pilot plants in Aotearoa that enable the progress of research from the lab to commercial reality. This is a serious problem for our startup community and our economy, really slowing the path to market for our innovators.”
Therefore, a key element of their approach is the planned construction of a pilot manufacturing plant in Aotearoa NZ that is capable of processing up to 1,500 tonnes of textile waste annually, which will establish a local supply chain. The facility will help to alleviate the environmental burden of textile waste by supplying local industries with durable, recycled products that meet rigorous performance standards, proving that a circular, localised approach to textile reuse is not only possible but also commercially viable.
UsedFULLY’s recycled products have already been adopted by the roading and construction sectors, where they are used in the production of asphalt and other materials, reducing reliance on new resources. This localised focus is crucial for reducing reliance on global supply chains, ensuring that textile waste can be transformed into valuable resources close to its origin, thereby reducing emissions generated by transporting in materials.
UsedFULLY’s beachhead product StrengthTex® a cellulose replacement for roading, made from unwanted textiles, has been used in Wellington
Sustainable Practices for Climate Resilience
UsedFULLY is not just about recycling textiles; it’s about fundamentally changing how we interact with resources in an effort to combat climate change. By looping textile waste back into production, UsedFULLY is helping reduce the need to extract new resources. Their work directly addresses the textile industry’s outsized impact on global emissions, providing a scalable solution that can be replicated worldwide.
A prime example of their commitment to environmental responsibility was their ‘On the Mend’ initiative, a community-focused education series in Wellington that taught basic sewing and mending skills free of charge. Although the programme was discontinued due to COVID-19, at its peak, it attracted around 80 participants per session, with a waiting list, highlighting the strong community interest in changing the current take-make-waste scenario. The initiative taught individuals from all socio-economic backgrounds the skills needed to extend the life of their garments, thereby reducing the carbon footprint associated with producing, disposing of, or offshoring clothes. By creating a culture of reuse and repair, UsedFULLY was driving behaviour change that supported both individual and collective climate action.
Having demonstrated what’s possible through simple, practical solutions with the ‘On the Mend’ programme, the team is now fully focused on system-level changes to support the transition to a low-waste, low-emissions economy. This includes advising on policy changes and exploring regional approaches with Australian and Pacific neighbours through the Textile Advisory Group, which UsedFULLY helped to establish. Bernadette does, however, take pride in seeing the initiative take root elsewhere:
“We are delighted that other organisations around the country have now picked up the On the Mend initiative, and it is being replicated across the motu (nation).”
Educator Sarah Wirth teaching Sashiko, a Japanese technique of mending, to ‘On the Mend’ participants during one of the classes run in 2019
Scaling UsedFULLY’s Innovations
In June 2024, UsedFULLY launched a NZD $3 million capital raise with a pre-raise valuation of $NZD 8 million, to position the company for expansion both domestically and internationally. The capital will also support the construction of their pilot manufacturing plant and ongoing research and development, supporting the company to remain at the cutting edge of cleantech innovation.
Building on their success, UsedFULLY is now poised to scale globally, beginning with the recent announcement of a partnership with Textile Recyclers Australia (TRA), marking a significant milestone in the effort to create an effective zero-waste economy within the textile industry. By combining UsedFULLY's innovative technologies with TRA's extensive recycling infrastructure, a new standard for managing textile waste in Australia is being set: one that aligns with global net-zero commitments.
The partnership also ensures that New Zealand-based customers with operations in Australia can seamlessly tap into UsedFULLY’s solutions. The trans-Tasman collaboration represents a bold step forward in reducing the 300,000 tonnes of textile waste generated annually in Australia, highlighting UsedFULLY’s ability to generate impact internationally and contribute to the big challenge of tackling climate change.
Global Impact and Future Growth
UsedFULLY’s innovative approach has recently been recognised with a nomination for the prestigious Earthshot Prize in 2024, submitted by Victoria University. The nomination demonstrates the global relevance of UsedFULLY’s solutions in advancing sustainable practices within the textile industry. This acknowledgement highlights UsedFULLY’s leadership in Aotearoa NZ’s cleantech sector. By developing solutions specifically tailored for Aotearoa, UsedFULLY has demonstrated methods that are both adaptable and beneficial on a global scale, providing an inspiring example of zero-waste practices.
Looking ahead, UsedFULLY is poised to scale its operations further, with plans to increase their processing capacity to 20,000 tonnes of textile waste per year. This ambitious goal will help to reduce Aotearoa NZ’s reliance on imported products with associated carbon emissions, contributing towards a sustainable and circular economy.
Speaking on the value of the EHF Fellowship in their progression and growth, Bernadette says:
“It has connected us to so many incredible people that work on truly extraordinary projects that literally change the world. The EHF community has been a source of inspiration, exposing us to bold and courageous ideas. It has also been an immense source of support for our work; we found our advisor Jason Kibbey in the Fellowship, and we often tap into the network when we need a sounding board, different perspectives, or help problem solving. The generosity of Fellows is a constant.”
UsedFULLY is a great example of EHF Fellows working in climate innovation, demonstrating how cleantech solutions can drive economic growth while addressing some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Through their forward-thinking work in textile recycling, Peter, Bernadette and Deborah are establishing a new benchmark for how businesses can contribute to a more sustainable and equitable world. Their innovative work highlights the transformative potential of innovation, collaboration, and is inspiring global leadership.
