#Recycling / Circular Economy

2023-05-25

Infinited Fiber Company and SOEX sign agreement on textile waste feedstock for Infinited Fiber´s Flagship factory

Infinited Fiber Company´s work to build the first commercial-scale Infinna™ fiber factory progresses steadily. Since the announcement of the planned Flagship factory in 2021, the company has been building a supplier network for textile waste feedstock, partnering with forerunning textile sorters across Europe. In March, Infinited Fiber signed a three-year agreement with SOEX, a leading German textile sorting and recycling group.

One of Infinited Fiber´s key suppliers and a major player in the recycling market, SOEX is well positioned to provide the Flagship factory with an annual supply of up to 5000 tons of post-consumer textile waste. Infinited Fiber´s patented technology turns cotton-rich textile waste into high-quality, circular textile fiber Infinna™ for world´s leading apparel brands.

SOEX collects post-consumer textile waste mainly from Germany through municipal and commercial street collection, as well as the I:CO Take-Back System that enables fashion houses and retailers collect pre-loved clothing back from their customers in their stores or online. For used textiles unfit to for second hand sale, SOEX has a groundbreaking, fully automated sorting for recycling set-up, where artificial intelligence recognizes individual garments and sorts them by materials or colors.

“We are not only building a factory, but an ecosystem, and SOEX and its team matches our passion for advancing circularity in the textile industry through cutting-edge technology. This contract with SOEX is another great advancement in building the partner infrastructure for our flagship factory. This collaboration will also bring our brand customers new opportunities to loop textile waste from their supply chains into Infinna™´s raw material“, says Jari Ekblad, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Infinited Fiber Company.

“SOEX is a promoter of secondary raw material value streams and sustainability solutions. Together with Infinited Fiber we share the same vision and values for circular infrastructure for textile industry”, says Walter J. Thomsen, CEO at SOEX.

Infinited Fiber Company transforms textile waste otherwise destined to landfills or inceneration into a versatile, premium textile fiber called Infinna™, which looks and feels like cotton. The new factory, at the site of a discontinued paper mill in Kemi, Finland, will process approximately 37 000 tons of textile waste to produce 30,000 metric tons of Infinna™ annually – equivalent to the fiber needed for about 100 million T-shirts. Most of the future factory’s production capacity has already been sold out for several years.

Infinited Fiber Company appoints new chair and board members to drive next growth phase

Infinited Fiber Company has announced key changes to its Board of Directors following its Annual General Meeting on June 30, 2025. The new appointments are designed to support the company’s strategic focus on scaling its proprietary Infinna™ technology, expanding partnerships across the textile value chain, and preparing for industrial-level investment.

Infinited Fiber Company enters the next strategic phase under new leadership

Infinited Fiber Company announces that Petri Alava, co-founder and CEO since the company’s founding in 2016, will step down from his role on May 31, 2025. Chief Operating Officer Sahil Kaushik will serve as acting CEO from June 1, 2025. Petri Alava will continue supporting the company as Senior Advisor through the end of November. The Board of Directors has initiated the search for a permanent successor.

The textile industry in transition

Recycling, traceability, eco-design and digitalisation are among the key future challenges facing the European textile industry. The Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity, involving 21 partners from twelve countries, is investigating the skills required to address these challenges. As the German industry partner, the Industry Association for Finishing – Yarns – Fabrics – Technical Textiles (IVGT) is bringing the industry’s perspective to the project.

"We will become a recycling powerhouse"

The textile industry is now in its fourth consecutive year of crisis, while automation, artificial intelligence and recycling are reshaping the rules of the game. In this interview, Rieter CEO Thomas Oetterli discusses the first signs of a market recovery, reflects on his first three years at the helm of the company, explains the integration of Barmag, outlines Rieter’s vision of the fully automated spinning mill and highlights the strategic importance of recycling. In doing so, he explains why the new Rieter Group aims to play a leading role in transforming the textile value chain into a circular economy.

Countdown to Textiles Recycling Expo 2026: Brussels prepares for Europe’s textile recycling gathering

With only two weeks remaining until the start of the second edition of the Textiles Recycling Expo 2026, preparations are entering the final phase. The exhibition and conference, dedicated exclusively to textile recycling and circularity, will take place on 24–25 June 2026 at Brussels Expo and is expected to attract stakeholders from across the textile recycling value chain.

Indorama Ventures enables brands to scale circular textiles through proven, traceable supply chains

Indorama Ventures, a global leader in recycled polyester staple fibers and filament yarns, will exhibit at Textiles Recycling Expo in Brussels on June 24–25. At the event, the company will show how brands and textile manufacturers can build traceable, circular textile supply chains by working with proven partners who deliver recycled materials on an industrial scale.

New spinning package with two-step filtration for recycled yarns and more

At the ITM in Istanbul, BB Engineering unveiled its new, patented ValuePack spinning package for the first time, which features a two-stage filtration system. This is particularly beneficial for re-cycling processes. Until now, spinning packs have used either metal powder (“sand”) or filter candles as filter media. Both options are suitable for differ-ent applications, and each has its own specific advantages and dis-advantages.

ITMA 2027 gains strong momentum

In line with the theme "Co-creating the future of textiles", ITMA continues to strengthen its support for start-ups, recognising their role in driving innovation and shaping the future of textile and garment manufacturing. Through the Start-Up Valley, emerging companies gain access to a global marketplace where they can connect with industry leaders, potential partners, investors and customers.

Mongolia: Workshop on Italian textile technologies kicks off in Ulaanbaatar

The workshop dedicated to Italian textile technologies will kick off in Ulaanbaatar from 21 to 23 June 2026. Focused on the most advanced innovative solutions for the textile industry, the initiative will bring together 13 Italian textile machinery manufacturers, confirming the growing interest in strengthening industrial cooperation between the two countries and highlighting Mongolia’s strategic importance for Italian textile machinery producers.