#Recycling / Circular Economy

2024-05-23

Recycling Technologies. Next-Gen Fibers.

RE&UP pushes sustainable solutions further at Global Fashion Summit. The circulartech company reshapes the traditional textile-to-textile paradigm to bring to life sustainable solutions addressing the planet’s most pressing challenges.

The Global Fashion Summit convenes decision makers from brands, retailers, suppliers, policy and interlinked industries and it is the place to be for RE&UP to bring into the discussion how its unique ecosystem of recycling cotton, polyester and polycotton can reshape the traditional textile-to-textile paradigm.

Built upon the century-long textile heritage of SANKO, this new venture has engineered a unique and patented proprietary technology that is one-of-a-kind in its ability to separate polycotton blended materials into new pure materials for recycling. A combination of advanced thermochemical, thermomechanical and mechanical technologies, this solution is feedstock agnostic and broadens the scope of accessible waste streams.

The result is revolutionary Next-Gen Cotton and Next-Gen Polyester that offer performance on par with virgin options, including robust fiber length and full decolorization, while significantly reducing the environmental impact thanks to reduced water usage (~85%) and CO2 emissions (~85%) when compared to virgin materials. All of this, with immediate applicability for yarns, fabrics and garments today and at scale. RE&UP operates facilities in Turkiye, with more expected to open in Europe and Asia. The company aims to recycle over 200,000 tons of textile waste annually by 2025, with plans to expand to over 1 million tons globally by 2030.

This ambitious scale-up positions RE&UP at the forefront of sustainable transformation in the fashion industry. "At RE&UP, we are dedicated to fostering a more responsible and technologically advanced future for textiles and fashion," said Fatih Konukoglu, Chairman at RE&UP. "Enriched by parent company SANKO’s centenary knowledge in textile innovation, we are able to share a unique expertise bringing groundbreaking sustainability advancements to the table." RE&UP’s participation in the Global Fashion Summit highlights its commitment to driving positive change in the fashion industry, taking part in the fireside chat “Future Fibers: Enabling the Circular Model” with Mr. Fatih Konukoglu, and the panel “Unlocking Global Collaboration” with Ebru Ozkucuk Guler, Chief Sustainability Officer, to share the company’s innovative solutions and collaborative approach leading the way towards a more sustainable and circular future for textiles and fashion.

Industrial scale meets verified governance: RE&UP is now B Corp™ certified

RE&UP, the circular-tech transforming global textile waste into high-volume Next-Gen materials, has officially become a Certified B Corporation™. The milestone establishes the industrial recycler among a select group of manufacturing infrastructure providers verified as meeting B Lab Standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

RE&UP contributes to Global Fashion Summit 2026 circularity discussion

RE&UP contributed to the global conversation on textile circularity at Global Fashion Summit 2026 in Copenhagen, where Fatih Konukoğlu, Chairman of RE&UP and Vice Chairman of Sanko Holding, took part in both the keynote session “The New Rules” and the panel discussion “A Reckoning and Renewal for Circular Horizons”, alongside leaders from H&M Group, Looper Textile Co. and Sourcing Journal.

Indorama Ventures advances circularity tthrough PETValue Philippines' “Zero Waste to Landfill Partnership” with Republic Cement

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, a global sustainable chemical company, is advancing the circular economy through a new Zero Waste to Landfill initiative at its recycling site PETValue Philippines, further demonstrating how collaboration across industries can maximize resource efficiency and reduce waste.

Networking Day 2026: Industry stakeholders unite around textile recycling

In 2026, the Industry Research Group (IRG) Polymer Recycling once again brought together some of the key stakeholders in textile recycling for its annual Networking Day. This year, the event took place at EREMA’s premises in Ansfelden, Austria. It brought together key players from across the textile recycling value chain for a day of structured exchange and in-depth discussions.

EU ban on destroying unsold clothing and footwear now in force

The European Union's ban on the destruction of unsold clothing, clothing accessories and footwear has entered into force. Since July 19, 2026, large companies across the EU have been prohibited from destroying unsold textile products, while medium-sized companies will be required to comply with the same rules from 2030.

Circ launches first denim collection with H&M featuring TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology

Circ today announced that the first men's denim collection featuring TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology is now available at H&M, marking the commercial delivery of this unique pilot project first announced in October 2025. Featuring two styles available across the UK, Scandinavia, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, South Europe, Turkey, North America, Mexico, Canada, and the Middle East, the launch brings TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology into H&M's standard men's denim assortment for the first time.

Ministry of Industry Delegation visits NatureWorks’ second global manufacturing site at Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex

NatureWorks Asia Pacific Limited welcomed a high-level delegation led by Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Industry, to its manufacturing site at the Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex (NBC). The visit follows the successful inauguration of the site on April 29, 2026, and highlights the role of public-private collaboration in advancing Thailand’s sustainable industrial development and bioeconomy ambitions.

The new RDJ 7/3 defines the design footprint of modern athletic shoes

Stylish, functional, and efficient to produce – spacer fabrics are the all-arounders among textile materials. These versatile fabrics are particularly in demand in the sports and casual footwear sector, as they combine comfort, breathability, and design freedom. At the same time, this industry is trend-driven, dynamic, and price-sensitive like few others. Innovations are therefore a decisive factor for success. With the RDJ 7/3, KARL MAYER offers a solution specifically tailored to these requirements. The particular strength of the new double raschel machine: its exceptional flexibility, thanks to its three jacquard bars.

Smart textiles reversibly change shape in an energy-efficient manner in response to ambient temperature

Self-actuating textile structures are used in a wide range of applications, such as medical technology, automation, architecture, agriculture, and the apparel industry. An example is the use of shading nets in greenhouses, which can be deployed and retracted depending on the sunlight intensity. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) are developing textiles based on shape-memory polymers with reversibly controllable geometry.