Avery Dennison and TEXAID Advance RFID-Based Textile Sorting for Circular Fashion

Materials science and digital identification specialist Avery Dennison has expanded its collaboration with European textile recovery company TEXAID to explore how RFID technology can improve textile sorting and recycling processes.

The initiative focuses on embedding digital identifiers into garments, enabling automated systems to recognize products and direct them into appropriate reuse, resale, or recycling streams. The technology is designed to address one of the fashion industry’s biggest challenges: efficiently processing growing volumes of textile waste while meeting stricter sustainability regulations.

Europe generates millions of tonnes of textile waste annually, yet only a fraction is collected separately and recycled into new materials. Upcoming European Union policies, including mandatory textile waste collection requirements and Digital Product Passport (DPP) regulations, are expected to increase pressure on the industry to improve traceability and recycling performance.

Under the partnership, garment information stored through Avery Dennison’s digital identification platform can be accessed throughout the sorting process. This allows recyclers such as TEXAID to identify fibre composition and other product attributes more accurately, helping route items toward the most suitable end-of-life solution.

Pilot projects have demonstrated the potential for RFID-enabled systems to significantly increase sorting efficiency compared with traditional manual methods. Automated identification can also improve accuracy when processing garments made from mixed fibres or dark-colored fabrics, which often present challenges for conventional optical sorting technologies.

Industry participants view the technology as a possible foundation for large-scale textile-to-textile recycling, providing the detailed product data needed to recover materials more effectively and create higher-quality recycled feedstocks.

The companies argue that wider adoption of digital product identification could help fashion brands comply with future regulatory requirements while supporting broader circular economy goals. In addition to improving recycling outcomes, RFID-based tracking may offer benefits across the product lifecycle, including inventory management, supply-chain visibility, and product authentication.

As policymakers and brands seek solutions to mounting textile waste volumes, the collaboration highlights the growing role of digital technologies in building more efficient and transparent recycling systems.