#Recycling / Circular Economy

2022-12-08

A new 100% recycled fabric developed through the circular textile supply chain

TEXAID, a leading company in the collecting, sorting, reselling and recycling of post-consumer textile waste, included Marchi & Fildi in an international team with several companies active at different stages of the circular textile production chain with the goal to develop a fabric representing a model of development that could be repeatable also for different projects.

Marchi & Fildi, through its know-how about the recycling of fibers and several experiences with the ECOTEC® process in this field, has participated in several projects led by TEXAID, to provide important added value to the development of a specific supply chain dedicated to textile recycling. For decades, Texaid has been leading with textile waste. In particular, they are protagonist of the current discussion, focused on the importance of moving from the traditional management of post-consumer textile waste.

This specific project for the development of a “textile-to-textile” model has been based on post- consumer white cotton, collected and sorted by Texaid in Germany and Switzerland. Marchi & Fildi evaluated the possibility of developing a 100% recycled yarn for weaving, with 50% of post consumer recycled cotton by TEXAID blended with 50% with REPREVE® Our Ocean™, a premium collection of recycled performance fiber sourced from plastic bottles at high risk of entering the ocean. REPREVE® Our Ocean™ is manufactured by UNIFI, an industry innovator and global textile solutions provider.

This special blend has been developed and produced with the ECOTEC® technology, in the Biella facility of the Group, in line with the main mission of the ECOTEC® brand: giving a second life to material that otherwhise would be treated as waste. The yarn has been woven into a fabric by Tessitura Casoni.T.F.C., which is also located in the Biella area.

The result of this international supply chain represents the possibility to create high added value through the collaboration of strong and specialized partnership networks, together with the increased focus of European companies on the topic of circular economy, both for research and development and for production.

“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.

Reju expands textile-to-textile recycling network with six international fabric manufacturers

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Trützschler expands technical service capabilities for spinning mills in Pakistan

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Stäubli to introduce new S3292 dobby for high-speed weaving at ITME India 2026

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DITF develops bio-based binding fibers for wood-fiber insulation materials

As part of the CelluWoodFlex project, the German Institutes of Textile- and Fiber-Research in Denkendorf (DITF) are developing bio-based cellulose ester fibers as alternative binding fibers for flexible wood fiber insulation materials. In addition to the spinning process and the production of suitable staple fibers, the institute is also investigating how wood and cellulose fibers can be separated and recycled at the end of their useful life.

Magnera highlights HighPleat™ filtration media technology at FiltXPO 2026

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Ahlstrom expands depth filtration media production capacity at US facility

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