Circle-8 cancels £1.6m Innovate UK-funded textile sorting line order. Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems has cancelled its order for an automated textile sorting line part-funded by a £1.6 million ACT UK grant from Innovate UK and UKFT, letsrecycle.com has reported. The company says it remains focused on the same intended outcomes, with timelines under review.
The cancelled order was for an automated textile sorting and pre-processing plant from Danish technology supplier NewRetex, capable of sorting non-reusable textiles by material composition, colour and the presence of hard parts. Funding came through ACT UK, a two-year initiative between Innovate UK and the UK Fashion and Textile Association supporting automated textile sorting in the UK. Circle-8's award of around £1.6 million was the largest under the programme.
A Circle-8 spokesperson told letsrecycle.com: 'Our activities remain focused on delivering the same intended outcomes. As with capital-intensive projects in challenging market conditions, timelines continue to be kept under review to ensure long-term success.' The second-hand textiles market has faced sustained pressure from falling demand and rising supply, and a textile Extended Producer Responsibility scheme expected as part of the UK Circular Economy Growth Plan has been delayed to an unconfirmed date.
