#Recycling / Circular Economy

2023-03-30

Textile ETP in Paris to discuss textile circular economy and Industry 5.0

On 29 March, Textile ETP Secretary General Lutz Walter spent the day in Paris, France, to discuss the future of textiles with various industry stakeholders.

In the morning, Lutz Walter attended Refashion's Matinée Scientifique to hear about the latest developments in textile recycling technologies, and discuss with industry, researchers & technology developers on how to advance the textile circular economy. This second edition of the Matinée Scientifique was an opportunity to present to the textile actors all members of the Recycle platform of Refashion, and the results of the work of updating two major studies, the first on the characterisation study of incoming and outgoing flows of sorting centers, and the second on the updated state of the art on technologies for optical sorting, recognition and smoothing of textile materials, on a European scale.

In the afternoon, as part of Made in France Première Vision, Lutz participated in a talk about the French Industry 5.0 and how to implement effective collaborative processes to approach the factory of the future. The debate was moderated by Danièle CLUTIER, from the Institut Français de la Mode et Secrétaire Générale, and featured French textile experts and industry leaders Pascal Denizart (CETI), Hervé Francois (Mitwill Textiles Europe) and Martin Breuvart (Lemahieu). The discussion focused on how companies can collaborate with their suppliers and customers, and the kind of bridges that can be built with the world of training and research. The speakers explored collaborative experiments that have been conducted in France and Europe, with a particular focus on Germany, identifying successful practices that SMEs in the sector can adopt.

“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.

Geotextiles made from recycled materials: GREEN leads the way into the industry

For the industry, recycled materials are creating new opportunities in geotextile production. In the GREEN project, the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Circular Plastics Economy CCPE demonstrates that recycled polypro-pylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and high-density polyeth-ylene (HDPE) can be processed into nonwovens, fibers, and membranes that meet industrial requirements. This creates opportunities for use in existing production lines and new value chains in the geotextile market.

ReHubs elects new Board of Directors to lead the next phase of ReHubs’ strategy to recycle 2.7 million tonnes of textile waste annually by 2035

ReHubs has elected its new Board of Directors, marking an important milestone as the industry alliance continues to accelerate the industrial scale-up of textile-to-textile recycling across Europe. The election took place during the ReHubs Annual Event in Brussels on June 23rd, held alongside the Textile Recycling Expo and Future Fabrics Expo. The newly elected Board combines expertise from across the textile value chain, reflecting ReHubs' collaborative approach to solving the industry’s textile waste crises.

Reju opens its first R&D Center in the U.S. in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Reju, the company specializing in textile regeneration, today announced the opening of a Research and Development (R&D) Center in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the company's first proprietary research center in North America. Located within Technip Energies' existing Advanced Materials and Catalysts research center, the lab will allow Reju to accelerate the rollout of its recycling technologies and develop its next-generation circular solutions.

Ibrahim Fibres and Trützschler: A strong partnership enters its next phase with the TC 30Si

For more than two decades, Ibrahim Fibres and Trützschler have grown side by side, driven by a shared ambition to continuously improve spinning performance, strengthen technology leadership and set new benchmarks in the textile industry. Today, Ibrahim Fibres is a leading yarn and polyester staple fiber manufacturer in Pakistan. The company operates the largest number of Trützschler cards in the country, with more than 200 machines running across its mills in Faisalabad, and plays an important role in one of Asia’s largest textile industries.