#Recycling / Circular Economy

2026-10-01

NEUMÜHLE launches mono-material hoodie designed for textile recycling

AI-generated visuals of people wearing the Circular Mono Hoodie by Nataliia Avramenko for NEUMÜHLE. © 2026 NEUMÜHLE

With the Circular Mono Hoodie, Zurich-based label NEUMÜHLE introduces a new essential designed around a single-material principle. The textile construction is cotton throughout, right down to the sewing thread. Entirely free from elastane, the hoodie launches as a Limited Drop for CHF 139. Take-back, collection and existing recycling partnerships complement its circular design.

Designed as a mono-material garment

The Mono Hoodie fabric is made from 100% organic cotton. The sewing thread is also cotton and is Cradle to Cradle Certified®. By eliminating elastane, the design avoids introducing other fibre types into the textile construction. Future recycling is therefore considered from the outset.

Soft, heavyweight fabric, clean lines and a subtle NEUMÜHLE logo define the hoodie for everyday wear.

Why mono-material matters

A study published in 2026 by Wageningen University & Research found that 61% of discarded textiles in the Dutch clothing system studied consist of material blends. The authors conclude that mono-material designs or easily separable components are significantly better suited to efficient, high-quality textile-to-textile recycling.[1]

Empa also emphasises that material blends make recycling more difficult, and that knowing a material's composition and quality is crucial.[2] These findings support NEUMÜHLE's approach of considering future recycling at the material selection stage.

Take-back and recycling partnerships

NEUMÜHLE works with various recycling partners. The label collects returned materials itself and consolidates the returns, with the aim of putting the collected materials back into use through these partnerships. Customers returning a Mono Hoodie receive a voucher for 20% off their next purchase.

Explaining the design approach, Andreas Fehr, co-founder of NEUMÜHLE, says:

“We are rethinking clothing. It should be worn for years, bring joy and eventually return to a material stream. That is why we consider the end of a garment’s life right from the design stage – and work backwards from there.”

The Mono series grows

The Mono Hoodie continues an approach that NEUMÜHLE developed with the Mono Vest and Mono Shirt. The Mono Vest received the German Federal Ecodesign Award in 2023. With the hoodie, the label applies this principle to another everyday garment, combining design, long-term use and the prospect of future recycling.

Manufactured in Europe, the Circular Mono Hoodie is made entirely from organic cotton, including a cotton sewing thread that is Cradle to Cradle Certified®. The garment contains no elastane and is available in sizes S to XL. It is being launched as a Limited Drop priced at CHF 139. Customers who return a Mono Hoodie through NEUMÜHLE’s take-back scheme receive a 20% voucher towards their next purchase.

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