#Recycling / Circular Economy

2025-07-17

tExtended to host workshop at 3rd Ecosystex Conference In Gothenburg, Sweden

In order to demonstrate and validate the steps taken so far to develop a blueprint for the optimized cycling of discarded textiles, the EU-funded project tExtended will be present at the next ECOSYSTEX conference, which will take place on September 29 – October 1 at the Jacy’z Hotel in Gothenburg, Sweden.

tExtended will present “Building a collaborative circular textile system”, an interactive workshop where the external participants will be asked to engage with the project’s preliminary results about system dynamics modelling, barriers to circular transition, and value chain development from a logistics perspective. The feedback gained through the workshop will allow tExtended to validate the assumptions so far obtained and expand the project insights into circularity scenarios, policy trade-offs, and key challenges in building a sustainable and circular textile system. The workshop will be presented by representatives from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, and Tekologistik.

“Over the past two years and a half of work, tExtended has advanced the development of digital and technological solutions for textile waste management and circularity, and we will continue developing innovations in the next months. However, validating the results obtained so far requires collaboration and cooperation also outside of tExtended, which is why the workshop at the ECOSYSTEX conference is so important and will help us ensuring we are going in the right direction,” says tExtended Project Coordinator, Dr. Pirjo Heikkilä from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

In addition, tExtended will be present at the conference with an exhibition of textile samples produced within the project activities that will showcase the achievements reached by the partners. The types of samples space from demonstration of results of innovative recycling processes to finished clothes ready for the market, all highlighting the continuous cooperation among the project partners needed to reach such results.

This will be the 3rd conference organized by ECOSYSTEX, the European Community of Practice for a Sustainable Textile Ecosystem, formally launched in 2023 with the goal of accelerating collaboration in the textile sustainability and circularity field. Please find more information about ECOSYSTEX on their website: https://www.ecosystex.eu/

This year’s conference is focused on new technologies and business models for textile circularity; please find more information about the 3rd ECOSYSTEX conference and how to register here: https://ecosystex-conference-2025.b2match.io/

tExtended 6th plenary meeting sets strategic priorities for next phase

On 20th and 21st May 2025, tExtended partners have gathered for the sixth plenary meeting in Turku, in Finland. The meeting happened on the thirty-sixth month of work of the tExtended project, and it has been hosted by LSJH at Forum Marinum, in Turku. The meeting has been held over two days, and it has brought together representatives from all the project consortium, coming from 10 different European countries.

How innovations drive BASF’s success

“Innovation has always been part of BASF’s DNA. Especially in these volatile times, it is crucial to leverage our innovative strength to develop competitive solutions that differentiate us as a company in our markets and give us a competitive edge,” said Dr. Stephan Kothrade, Member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF and Chief Technology Officer, at the company’s Research Press Briefing held today. To achieve this, BASF implemented its “Winning Ways” strategy about a year ago with the clear goal of becoming the preferred chemical company to enable its customers’ green transformation.

Textiles Recycling Expo announces collaboration with Future Fabrics Expo for 2026

The Textiles Recycling Expo has entered a major new collaboration with the Future Fabrics Expo which means that both events will run alongside each other at the Brussels Expo, Belgium on 24–25 June 2026. This co-location marks a significant step forward for the textile and fashion industries, bringing together two influential and complementary events under one roof.

Between 121 and 142 million people are employed in the circular economy globally, new study finds

Between 121 and 142 million people worldwide are employed in sectors that contribute to the circular economy, such as repair, recycling, second-hand trade and waste management. This represents roughly between 5 and 5.8 percent of total global employment (excluding agriculture), according to a new joint report by Circle Economy, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the World Bank Group, in partnership with the UN Partnership for Action on Green Economy (UN-PAGE).

SHIMA SEIKI returns to ShanghaiTex

Leading flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Hong Kong and Chinese market subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI (HONG KONG) LTD., will exhibit at the ShanghaiTex 2025 exhibition (Booth No.: Hall N3, Booth A20) held in Shanghai, China this month. This marks the return of SHIMA SEIKI to ShanghaiTex after a 14-year hiatus, its last exhibit at the show having been in 2011.

Fraunhofer CCPE presents the “Monomaterial Design Set” – Innovative solutions for circular product design

Composite materials made from different types of plastic often extend the lifetime of products but make recycling more difficult in the circular economy. That is why Fraunhofer CCPE has developed the “Monomaterial Design Set”. This new approach helps to reduce the variety of plastics used in durable products and offers circular solutions for designers and product developers.

arena introduces renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber in its latest swimwear collection

Italian swimwear specialist arena has unveiled a new collection that brings sustainability and performance even closer together. Launched on December 4, the line features swimsuits made from recycled nylon and renewable LYCRA® EcoMade fiber — the first time the bio-based spandex has been used commercially in swimwear.