Level 1 - Entering RR network

STEP 1 - Factory profile information in RR network

As a first step, we need more information about your facility. For gathering the needed details we have created a form to be filled in:

https://www.reverseresources.net/supplier-waste-profile 

Once all the needed information about your facility is available to RR we can prepare segregation instructions based on profile information. By entering RR network, you agree to send monthly statistics about the leftovers (please see the next step).

Level 2 - Participating in RR network

STEP 2 - Segregation of textile leftovers

Segregation of the textile leftovers is needed to increase their value.

Collection and segregation of textile leftovers should happen In the same location where waste is created. For example in a cutting room textile waste should be swept straight from the table into a bin not swept onto the floor. When a new fabric(different colour/composition) is cut, the existing waste in the bins needs to be emptied out in a bag or /sack to ensure no mixture of different colours/compositions. When the bag is full it is closed and labelled by fabric composition, colour, name of the factory and brand (where necessary). This procedure will ensure easier identification of waste in the storage where all the sacks are kept together.

All waste should be kept separate by type of waste and by composition category to maximize the value of the waste for the next possible users. However, if waste segregation is not yet a common practice for the facility, we suggest selecting a few of the most common categories of waste with the best market value (e.g. 100% cotton cutting scraps in Black, White, Off white solid colours, etc.) to start with.

Following is a list of suggested waste type categories (not comprehensive).

The suggested composition categories for segregation are:

Additionally, keeping waste separate based on the certificate of the fabric or brand whose production waste is coming from could be considered. This is feasible only if waste with a certain certificate or brand is representing a significantly big share (>50%) of the total waste in the facility and does not significantly increase the waste categories of segregation in total.

Step 2.1 – based on RR instructions, the labels already need to be printed out and attached with the laying sheet and passed on to the cutting floor. Please see the next section for more information about labels.

Step 2.2 – Once the fabric against a laying sheet is cut and the scraps are dumped into the waste collection bins, the cleaning personnel should empty the bins and store the scraps by categories so that the label on the bag represents the content of the bag.

The emptying of the bins should occur when the cutting as per a particular laying sheet is complete or the bin is full. Labels from the laying sheet should be attached onto the bags, once the bags are closed.

Important: collected waste materials should not be contaminated with the sweeping dust from the floor or the waste collected from the sewing floor.

Step 2.3 – Bags are then moved and stored in the waste store.

STEP 3 - Using RR online inventory system for reporting waste volumes to RR network

RR will provide a login account to http://rr.reverseresources.net for each person from the factory with an individual login account. Please provide the list of email addresses to RR for all who need to have access to the system.

The online tool enables following functionality for regular waste reporting:

• Create waste categories. Identify key categories that you commonly have running through production:

• by composition (e.g. 100% cotton, 98% cotton - 2% elastane, etc),

• by key colour groups - cotton-rich waste streams are more valuable for recyclers with more precise colour tones kept separately, for other compositions colour is less important

• by certificate - recyclers are more interested in REACH compliant waste, organic cotton, etc

• by yarn type - scraps from ring-spun yarn fabric is more valuable for recyclers than open-end yarn

• Add/decommission volumes (kg) of waste to each category when such waste is generated in the cutting room and/or stored in the waste warehouse. Make sure the communication between the cutting room and waste warehouse is adequate for the waste warehouse to be able to identify that waste is registered under the right category in the system, if this is not already done in the cutting room.

• Register shipments of waste whenever waste is moved out of the warehouse to keep waste inventory up to date. if the waste is segregated and reported on RR platform, but the factory does not yet trade waste through RR platform or occasionally gives waste to other stakeholders, shipments of waste still need to be registered on the platform to inform RR network that such waste isn’t any more available.

STEP 4 - Labelling of the segregated textile leftovers

Leftover bags need to be labelled accordingly so that the contents can be identified at the collector or trader warehouse at a later stage as well.

Label to have the following fields on it:

Category ID is the code that is generated by RR online inventory system which enables to identify the right data in our system for the waste handler at the next stage.

 

Level 3 - Trading waste on RR platform

Textile leftovers trading can be done directly in RR platform. Trading platform is also to be used once a recycler or any other buyer would like to see a digital trace and more thorough background info about the leftovers.

STEP 5 - Getting and fulfilling a recycler’s order

Once the factory starts entering waste data to RR inventory on a regular basis, RR will be able to do matchmaking of the waste with recyclers in our network.

1. RR will occasionally collect samples from the factory waste warehouse for our recyclers to confirm the waste quality.

2. Once we have confirmed sample quality and order volume with the recycler we will come back to the factory with a request for target volumes and prices with a target deadline to be confirmed by the factory within 2 working days.

3. The factory takes the responsibility for the composition and any chemical requirements made by the recycler to match the waste passed over to the waste handler for each particular order.

4. RR will appoint a waste handler to confirm details regarding logistics, transportation, security escort, etc.

5. The waste handler arranges logistics for the shipment and makes payment of 50% of the waste during pickup.

6. Factory registers shipment of the waste on RR platform (see step 8)

7. Waste handler carries through a secondary quality check for the waste to remove any unwanted contamination (paper, plastic, threads, sidestiches) from the waste and takes responsibility for the waste to be consistently clean as per recycler’s requirements (except composition and chemical background check which can’t be identified in manual sorting). Waste handler uploads a quality report for each batch of waste to RR platform.

8. After a quality check done by the waste handler, rest of the payment is made by the waste handler or by RR depending on the destination of the waste. In case the contamination of the waste exceeds 2% of what was confirmed with the order sheet, extra contamination % will be deducted from the second payment.

STEP 6- Registration of Shipment of the fabric leftovers

To keep the digital trace intact and leftovers’ background information intact for the recycler to get the full trace of the waste, the shipments must be registered in the RR platform. The shipment registration system is linked to the inventory system, meaning that once the shipment is registered, the volumes of waste will be automatically deducted from the inventory.

Level 4 - Tracing factory waste to confirm circularity for your buyers

STEP 7- Quarterly reports provided by RR platform

On the RR platform, all the needed statistics are generated automatically from the inventory and shipments registered by the factory. Once the data entry becomes regular, the RR platform will provide the following reports to you on a quarterly basis:

1. Detailed track report: each shipment registered by the factory will be listed to show where that waste ended up at

2. Circularity report: total volume of waste per quarter and overview of how and where this waste got recycled

Subscription to the quarterly reports cost 0.01 USD/kg of waste traced. If the factory is not interested in the quarterly reports, using the RR platform is free of charge.

To get a personalised estimate for your company, please contact: mumit@reverseresources.net