Finland's first industrial end-of-life (EoL) textile refinement plant, developed by Rester Oy in collaboration with Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy (LSJH), will likely open in fall of 2021. Based in Paimio, the plant is expected to process about 12,000 tonnes of EoL textiles every year — approximately 10% of Finland’s textile waste. In processing EoL textiles as an industrial raw material, partner companies Rester and LSJH hope to stimulate the textile sector's transition toward a circular economy.

According to Recycling Magazine, Finland produces about 100 million kilograms of textile waste annually. If the textile industry’s carbon footprint is to be significantly reduced, the recovery and reuse of its materials must be pursued as a means of reducing the sector's use of natural resources. Additionally, the sorting industry generates income primarily through the sale of reusable textiles. A circular textiles system requires an end-market for those textiles which are non-reusable as well.

Finnish company, Rester, a recycler of EoL business textiles and industrial waste materials, is nearing completion of its 3,000 square metre textile refinement plant in the town of Paimio. The textile recycling solutions company works toward commercially effective and internationally significant solutions for recycling textiles. Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto, a processor of end-of-life household textiles, will also hire part of the plant. Both companies' production lines produce recycled fibres that are used to create new yarns, fabrics, insulating materials, acoustic panels, composites, non-woven and filter materials, and geo-textiles, among other applications. Once completed, the refinement plant will enter its testing phase using previously collected textiles.

The Paimio EoL textile refinement plant will be Finland's first and is expected to process about 12,000 tonnes of industrial textile waste annually — approximately 10% of Finland’s textile waste.