#Recycling / Circular Economy

2025-01-30

Worn Again Technologies becomes a Gold-Level sponsor of EuRIC

Worn Again has announced that it is now a Gold-Level sponsor of the European Recycling Industries Confederation (EuRIC). This partnership strengthens the company’s commitment to building a sustainable and Circular Economy, both within the textiles sector and wider industry.

In November 2024, WornAgain announced the breakthrough they had been aiming for with their technology: the recycling of polycotton. Mike Schwarz presents the technology here under the motto “From colorful shirts to pristine white fibers” © 2025 WornAgain

EuRIC is the leading voice for a competitive European recycling industry, representing more than 5,500 companies as it advocates for recycling’s role in Europe’s industrial transition. With a combined turnover of almost a hundred billion Euros to the EU economy, EuRIC members transform waste into valuable resources,supporting 300,000 green jobs and bridging the gap between circularity and climate neutrality.

Toby Moss, Director of Business Development at Worn Again, said: “Becoming a Gold-Level sponsor of EuRIC is a key milestone for us. Sustainability is not something any business – or even industry – can achieve in isolation. This collaboration underscores the importance of working together to scale innovative solutions that divert waste from landfills and incineration and instead transforms it into valuable resources.

“EuRIC’s work aligns perfectly with our mission to accelerate the Circular Economy and inspire systemic change in the global textiles industry.”

With its advanced chemical recycling technologies, Worn Again extracts polyester and cellulose from post-consumer textiles, offering outputs that can be reintroduced into the supply chain.

As a Gold-Level Sponsor, Worn Again will actively contribute to EuRIC’s vital initiatives, including offering expertise and support across educational outreach, industry collaboration, and advocacy for progressive recycling policies. These initiatives aim to build a unified framework for sustainable practices across industries and ensure that resources remain in continuous circulation.

“As recycling innovators, we are at the forefront of Europe’s green industrial evolution,” added Toby. “Together with EuRIC, we aim to amplify the impact of recycling technologies and help shape policies that make a tangible difference for our planet and future generations.”Julia Ettinger, EuRIC’s Secretary General welcomed the sponsorship stating: “We are delighted to welcome Worn Again Technologies as a Gold sponsor. Collaboration with pioneering companies is essential to driving innovation and accelerating the transition to a more circular future. Worn Again’s expertise and commitment to sustainability will be a significant asset to EuRIC’s Textiles branch, which represents the collective interests of Europe’s textile recycling and re-use industries.”

ALADIN paves the way for circular and demand-driven textile production in Europe

Textile production can be organized sustainably by utilizing short supply chains and preventing overproduction. This can already be achieved today by intelligently connecting and efficiently utilizing existing infrastructure. At the same time, production becomes circular when innovative technologies and materials are used that enable high-quality recycling. The ALADIN research project, launched in May 2026 and co-funded with five million euros under the EU Horizon Europe program, is creating the conditions for this.

Ence and ShareTex begin initial testing of the ATENEA innovation project to promote textile recycling in Spain

Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.

DePoly Inaugurates its Showcase Plant in Monthey Switzerland

What if used plastic bottles, PET packaging material and polyester textiles could become raw materials just as high performing as virgin resources? That is the ambition of DePoly, a circular materials company based in Sion, Switzerland which inaugurated its Showcase Plant in Monthey on July 6th & 7th. The first depolymerization facility of its kind and scale in Switzerland, this industrial Showcase Plant represents a major milestone in the company's growth and its journey toward commercialization.

Commission clarifies rules on plastic bottles recycling

The European Commission today adopted new rules on recycling of single-use plastic beverage bottles made primarily of polyethylene terephthalate (PET bottles). These rules establish, for the first time, a methodology to calculate, verify and report chemically recycled content. This is part of the Commission’s December 2025 plastics package.

STEELTOP®: A new benchmark in flat tops for spinning preparation

Modern carding generations achieve higher production performance, placing significantly greater stress on flat tops. Higher cylinder speeds and increased fiber density, combined with tighter carding gaps, create more demanding operating conditions. At the same time, poorer raw material quality and the increased use of recycled materials further intensify these challenges. With STEELTOP®, Trützschler introduces a new full steel flat top series developed for these demanding modern carding processes.

YKK develops concept EXCELLA® zipper tape using nonwoven fabric partially derived from used clothing

YKK Corporation has developed a concept version of its premium EXCELLA® zipper series made from nonwoven fabric sheets created by fiberizing used clothing and other textile materials. Based on a proposal by fashion designer Yuima Nakazato, this item was created as a result of collaboration between Nakazato, Seiko Epson Corporation and YKK. The concept zipper was incorporated as a material component for pieces in the newest YUIMA NAKAZATO Couture Collection, “INFERNO,” which was unveiled in Paris, France on July 8, 2026.

Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris highlights evolving global sourcing landscape

From 31 August to 2 September 2026, Texworld Apparel Sourcing Paris will bring together more than 1,000 international exhibitors at Paris-Le Bourget Exhibition Centre. This edition reflects the new global balance of textile and apparel sourcing, highlighting a strong diversity of sourcing countries — some unexpected.

Dedicated car seat model of SHIMA SEIKI’s P-CAM® R Cutting Machine unveiled

Leading Japanese textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, showed a special version of its P-CAM® R multi-ply computerized cutting machine dedicated to the production of car seats for the first time, at a private exhibition held over two days on Thursday, July 2nd and Friday, July 3rd at the Kariya City Industrial Promotion Center in Aichi Prefecture.