#Recycling / Circular Economy

2020-11-26

Are we there yet?

Monki is first in the world to recycle blend textiles at scale.

This November, Monki is proud to introduce the Green Machine. A machine that, for the first time, can fully separate and recycle cotton and polyester blends at scale.

Most of the clothes we wear today are made of blends of different fibres, and the most common one is cotton and polyester blends. The Green Machine uses a hydrothermal method to separate these blends – using a closed loop of only water, heat and biodegradable green chemicals.

“If we can prolong the life of our products for as long as possible and decrease usage of virgin sources, it’s a huge step in the right direction.”

Jenny Fagerlin, Sustainability Director Monki

Monki has created the brand’s first collection using the Green Machine system. The online exclusive grey tracksuit set features the statement, respect your mother (nature), embroidered on the hoodie and trackpants. While this is a smaller scale production at the moment, the brand aims to roll out the process on a larger scale by autumn 2021.

“As a fashion brand we need to do our part when it comes to closing the loop. With eyes wide open Monki will walk into this climate-decade and be part of the solution.”

Jenny Fagerlin, Sustainability Director Monki

The Green Machine is a result of a research collaboration between the non-profit H&M Foundation, HKRITA (The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel) and one of Monki’s key suppliers. Monki is the first brand to have the opportunity to use this technology and offer it to its customers. The brand is dedicated to using better materials in all products, part of the bigger goal to become a fully circular fashion brand. Read more about the brand’s planet power strategy and UN Sustainability Development Goals here.

A reminder to stay tuned to Monki’s Instagram from 23 November for a week full of activities including the exclusive campaign film launch, more on the Green machine and an IG Live Q&A with Jenny Fagerlin, Sustainability Director at Monki.

The capsule collection will be available online from end of November.

“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.

20 Start-Ups selected for CEMATEX Start-Up Grant at ITMA 2027

CEMATEX has selected 20 emerging start-ups from nine countries to receive the CEMATEX Start-Up Grant and showcase their innovations at Start-Up Valley during ITMA 2027 in Hanover. Their participation will be fully funded by CEMATEX, giving promising early-stage companies access to the world’s leading textile and garment technology platform.

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

KARL MAYER invites the Global Textile Industry to celebrate its 90th anniversary at its German Headquarters in 2027

KARL MAYER is turning its anniversary year 2027 into a milestone for the textile sector. To mark its 90th anniversary, the industry leader is inviting customers, partners, and experts from around the world to a unique event series in September aimed at pushing boundaries, unlocking new opportunities, and jointly setting the course for a new era in textiles – just as KARL MAYER has done throughout its history. The company’s headquarters in Obertshausen, near Frankfurt, is the place to be.

ITMF names three winners of the Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026

Three projects from the UK, Korea and China have been selected as winners of the ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026. The projects address textile-to-textile recycling, chemical recycling for automotive textiles and a regenerative approach combining silk production with ecological restoration.

Durak Maxibalance thread supports users’ movement and balance comfort

Durak Tekstil, a leading brand in its industry, has developed Durak Maxibalance, a new product engineered with bio-ceramic and FAR IR technology. Ushering in a new era for sportswear, activewear, and medical textiles, this technology offers features designed to support balance and movement comfort by reflecting the energy absorbed from the body back into it.

Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 draws to a close, weaving sustainable innovation into global sourcing

Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 concluded with approximately 600 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions, connecting with nearly 22,000 visitors from 110 represented markets, bringing the textile industry’s evolving material agenda into sharper focus. Held alongside Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics – Autumn Edition, CHIC and PH Value, the fair connected upstream fibre and yarn innovation with fabric development, garment production and fashion-market demand.