#Recycling / Circular Economy

2022-05-12

ATKO Planning realizes leather waste circulation

ATKO Planning Inc. (CEO G-ON Kim), a Korean company producing recycled leather, announced that it is receiving offers from global luxury brands for its innovative textile materials, amid the fierce competition in the global textile market.

ATKO collects leather waste from leather tanneries and produces recycled leather yarns and textiles using the world’s first eco-friendly dry processing technology. The company’s recycled leather textile won the grand prize at Premiere Vision Paris 2019, one of the most prestigious events for fashion and textile. It was praised for “the most exceptional, symbolic, and pertinent leather of the season.”

ATKO Planning collects leather waste from leather tanneries and produces recycled leather yarns and textiles using the world’s first eco-friendly dry processing technology. © 2022 ATKO PLANNING

Leather waste used by ATKO is leather scraps collected from LWG Silver and Gold rated leather tanneries. This is why it is possible to produce high-quality leather fibers that enjoy the unique texture and durability of natural leather, unlike the existing regenerated leather that recycles shaving scraps.

Leather scrap is classified as industrial waste because it contains chromium, a heavy metal. Incineration is impossible for this reason, and most are disposed in landfills or dumped in the sea.

However, ocean dumping of leather scrap is becoming more difficult due to a London Convention agreement. While leather scrap accounts for 10% of the world's total waste, only 13.7% of it is recycled. Using ATKO’s recycled leather fabrics will provide a superior solution for manufacturing companies to meet the demands of ESG management without harming the conventional business model that consumes materials and manufactures products.

The key technology of ATKO is selecting only high-quality cow leather waste, obtaining recycled leather fibers through the fiberization process, and mixing them with recycled PET fibers to produce spun yarn. It is a dry process that does not use a single drop of water or chemicals, so it is environmentally friendly because it does not discharge wastewater. In addition, ATKO focuses on the circular economy and has already developed continuous resource circular technology to produce futuristic and sustainable products in balance with the environment. Based on it, ATKO can recycle not only leather waste but also ATKO’s products again and again.

Meanwhile, ATKO supplied recycled leather spun yarn to Hyundai Transys’ future mobility seat concept, which was unveiled at the Lineapelle International Leather Fair held in Milano in February. An official from ATKO expressed aspirations that ATKO Planning will take the exhibition as an opportunity as well as accelerate collaboration projects with Hyundai on mobility interior application and prepare mass production supply.

“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.

EFI and Agfa’s DPS Business to combine andform a global, full-service industrial inkjet company

Electronics for Imaging, Inc. (“EFI”), a leading industrial inkjet business and portfolio company of Siris, and Agfa-Gevaert (“Agfa”) today announced a definitive agreement to combine Agfa’s Digital Printing Solutions business (“Agfa DPS”) with EFI. An affiliate of Siris will hold a 60% interest and Agfa will hold a 40% interest in the jointly held company, which will bring together the operating capabilities of EFI and Agfa DPS under a governance structure whereby Siris and Agfa will act as equal partners.

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.