#Recycling / Circular Economy

2021-11-11

Paimio circular economy plant for end-of-life textiles opened on a high note of celebration on 2 November 2021

The first plant in northern Europe to open end-of-life textiles on a large scale to turn them into recycled fibre is now ready to begin operating. Business is roaring with the establishment of partnerships for both incoming and outgoing secondary fibre.

At its plant situated in Southwest Finland, Rester Ltd accepts the end-of-life textiles of companies and the by-products of manufacturing and then opens them mechanically back into fibre. The material accepted is of the highest quality, so it can be used to manufacture yarn, various non-woven materials, insulation, acoustic panels, filter fabrics and composites.

Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy operates under the same roof and is in charge of processing the end-of-life textiles of households into recycled fibre. As a whole, the plant is based on cooperation whereby the end-of-life textiles of both the companies and the households can be utilised effectively.

A continuous search is on for new fibre applications. Rester aims to build an internationally significant solution model for the textiles of companies.

“With pressing environmental issues and tightened EU regulation, producers are interested more and more in switching over to the extensive use of recycled materials,” explains Outi Luukko, CEO at Rester. “Through active cooperation with our partners, we can immediately influence the materials in terms of their degree of circular economy. It is rewarding to be involved in taking material that was previously classified as waste and reusing it as quality raw material. We prepared this process for years; it’s great to get the work actually started!”

“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.

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