Essaimons is a winner of Refashion's Industrial Challenge

Created in 2021 on the initiative of PLAXTIL, ESSAIMONS is a social integration enterprise specializing in preparing plastic and textile waste for recycling. 

ESSAIMONS' vision focuses on industry, the environment and inclusion. It works for a responsible future through recycling and vocational training. Based in Châtellerault, ESSAIMONS has a 1500m² workshop and employs 11 FTEs, the majority of whom are on integration schemes.

The EcoTex LOOP project is led by Charlotte Caillet, Essaimons Director.

 

A word from the Chairman

"The first challenge is to ramp up production and move to industrial scale. We're going to install the first optical sorting line for textiles dedicated to chemical recycling in France. The fact that we are supported by Refashion means that we are fully integrated into the industry, providing solutions both upstream and downstream."

Olivier Civil, President of Plaxtil and Essaimons

ECOTEX LOOP PROJECT'S OBJECTIVES

Ensure the commissioning and industrial deployment of an automated spectral recognition sorting unit to prepare 10,000 to 12,000 tonnes of textiles per year, mainly for closed-loop recycling. 

 

TYPE OF CHF COVERED: Clothing and household linen, mostly cotton or polyester

RECYCLING CHAIN STAGE: Sorting by spectral recognition (oversorting) and manual unraveling (material pre-processing)

CUSTOMER RECYCLING TECHNOLOGY: Chemical

OUTLETS (MARKETS): Spinning / Recycled fiber

OUTPUT: Over-sorted textiles composed mainly of cotton or polyester, untrimmed when necessary

 

Financial support from Refashion:

820 000€

 

Project duration:

36 months

The project in 3 stages

1) Securing sources and supply methods: collection and sorting of used textile sources by collector-sorters in response to ESSAIMONS specifications.

2) Implementation of the automated sorting solution using spectral recognition and preparation of used textiles (including delamination) according to customer specifications: 100% cotton, 95% cotton/5% polyester, 90% cotton/10% polyester, etc. Securing sources and supply methods: collection and sorting of used textile sources by collector-sorters in response to ESSAIMONS specifications.

3) Packing of batches in bales and transport to customers for recycling