Two Women Turn Textile Waste Into Global Tech Solution

Two women who met in graduate school are now leading a technology company that could transform how the world recycles clothing.

Agustina Mir and Constanza Gómez founded Sortile in 2021 after discussing the mountains of textile waste piling up in Chile's Atacama Desert. What started as an academic conversation became a mission to solve a problem that affects the entire planet.

Their solution is deceptively simple but technologically complex. Sortile's machines use advanced algorithms to identify what fabrics are made of and automatically sort them for recycling. This makes it possible to recover valuable materials that would otherwise end up in landfills or deserts.

The company now operates across Chile and the United States with a full technical team. They've developed proprietary software and hardware that competes directly with companies from Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Mir says the timing is perfect because textile recycling doesn't really exist yet as an organized industry. "We are working in a sector that is being built right now," she explains. "It's challenging, but it's also incredibly exciting because there is so much room for innovation."

The scale of the opportunity is staggering. Millions of tons of unwanted clothing flow through Chile each year, much of it ending up abandoned in the northern desert. But this isn't just Chile's problem; it's a global crisis that has lacked technological solutions.

The Ripple Effect

Mir has noticed something unexpected in the emerging circular economy sector. Women are leading the charge. "This industry is being built with tremendous female leadership," she says. "Women are a powerful force behind this emerging industry."

She hopes her story will inspire girls and women to pursue careers in technology and entrepreneurship. "Perhaps tomorrow a girl or another woman will hear our story and think, 'It's possible. I can dream big and use my abilities to solve enormous challenges.'"

For Mir, being Chilean is central to her work. She's proud that a company from Chile can compete globally in cutting-edge technology. "My desire to innovate is connected to that determination to solve problems, take risks and create positive impact," she says.

Sortile proves that some of the world's biggest environmental challenges can be solved by determined people with good ideas, regardless of where they come from.