#Recycling / Circular Economy

2020-10-01

Plastics Circularity Multiplier online conference

The ‘Plastics Circularity Multiplier’ group invites interested people to attend its three days online conference on the 14th - 15th - 16th of October 2020 between 10.00 - 12.30 CET. There are several topics that also concern the textile industry, such as the presentation "Recycling of coated and painted textile and plastic materials" by Guy Buyle (CENTEXBEL).

Only 2 weeks to go, register now!

The event will bring together policy makers and representatives from industry who will communicate on a range of EU-funded innovations that aim of bringing plastic materials into the circular economy.

Learn how to create a cross cooperation between EU Projects and boost European Union efforts towards a circular economy for plastics.

Location: live webinar with live Q/A session

Participation: Participation is free of charge. Registration required for each session separately, please follow the links below. You can register to each session separately - free of charge - via the registration buttons below.

https://demeto.prezly.com/plastics-circularity-multiplier-online-conference-341058

Programme (Excerpt)

14 October 2020 10.00 - 12.30 CET

R&D investments and Chemical Recycling

Welcome - Angel Fuentes Mateo, Research Programme Officer at the European Commission

Presentation of the Plastics Circularity Multiplier Initiative

R&D investments and Chemical Recycling

15 October 2020 10.00 - 12.30 CET

Product design for recycling & Recycled plastics content in products

Clustering activities in EU Projects - Keti Medarova - Bergstrom, Project Advisor at EASME

Product design for recycling

16 October 2020 10.00 - 12.30 CET

Collection and sorting of plastic waste & Monitoring of recycled plastics

Keynote speech - Connecting the bins: why Plastics Circularity requires us to get off our respective islands - Kim Ragaert, Associate Professor at Ghent University

Collection and sorting of plastic waste

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

Industrial scale meets verified governance: RE&UP is now B Corp™ certified

RE&UP, the circular-tech transforming global textile waste into high-volume Next-Gen materials, has officially become a Certified B Corporation™. The milestone establishes the industrial recycler among a select group of manufacturing infrastructure providers verified as meeting B Lab Standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

Recover™ and Ünteks Group partner to scale recycled cotton in knitwear

Recover(TM), a global producer of low‐impact, high‐quality recycled cotton fiber, announces a new partnership with Ünteks Group, a vertically integrated textile manufacturer based in Turkey. The collaboration focuses on the development of circular knit fabrics and garments, combining Recover’s recycled cotton fiber with Ünteks Group’s integrated capabilities across knitting, dyeing, printing, and garment production.

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.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.