Circle-8 invests in AI-driven textile sorting

Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems has acquired its first standalone AI-powered textile sorting line from Danish firm NewRetex, in a move that signals growing momentum for automated circularity solutions in the UK fashion sector.

Part-funded by the ACT UK initiative, supported by Innovate UK, the system will be deployed to sort non-reusable textiles by fibre composition, colour, and hardware elements—key barriers to recycling, reported sustainability website letsrecycle.com. The line also features integrated data capture, enabling traceability from collection through to recyclers, laying the foundation for a future Digital Product Passport. Circle-8’s missions is to democratise plastic collection through advanced software solutions.

“This investment accelerates the shift from manual to automated pre-processing and unlocks the scale needed for fibre-to-fibre recycling,” said Circle-8 CEO Cyndi Rhoades. The company plans to establish a network of Automated Textile Sorting & Pre-processing (ATSP) plants across the UK, supporting the country's transition to a circular textiles economy.

The UK generates over 700,000 tonnes of non-reusable textiles annually, with less than 1 percent recycled into new materials. Manual sorting remains labour-intensive and cost-prohibitive—challenges Circle-8 aims to address through AI-driven automation.

TRA CEO Alan Wheeler called the investment a “significant step” toward unlocking high-value recycling markets. “This kind of innovation, coupled with policy reform—such as extended producer responsibility and recycled content mandates—can reposition the UK as a leader in circular fashion,” he said.