Table 4 Key recommendations to improve the sustainability of polyester garments during the end-of-life phase of the value chain. GHG = greenhouse gas

Resources

Phase out fossil fuels as source of energy

Strict taxes on GHG emissions

Discontinue buying/selling quotas on GHG emissions

Discontinue subsidies for use of fossil fuels

Incentivize use of renewable energy

Pre-disposal

Reduce volume of discarded clothes

Promote reuse and mending

Disposal

Improve collection of textiles

Provide information to the public on the correct processes for textile disposal and recycling

Facilitate disposal by increasing the number of collection containers

Increase the number of retail stores with take-back schemes

Improve sorting facilities

Invest in new sorting technologies

Recycling

Reduce material rejection

Improve transparency concerning the additives used during manufacturing

Improve monomer recycling technologies

Can chemical recycling be carried out at lower temperatures?

Can enzymatic recycling overcome high crystallinity in fibers in a sustainable way?

Incineration

Modernization of incineration plants

Improve air pollution control systems

Implant energy recovery (both as heat and electricity) in every installation

Biodegradation/biotransformation

Reduce volume of PET textile waste

Research feasibility and optimize different routes