[pageLogInLogOut]

#Sustainability

H&M Foundation awards 5 innovations a total €1 million grant for their efforts to make the fashion industry planet positive

© 2022 H&M
A laundry solution that prolongs garments’ life, AI helping smallholder cotton farmers to increase yield and income, an invention realising the circular recycling of elastane and polyester blends, carbon-negative viscose made from CO2 emissions and regenerative agriculture making planet positive alternative to goose down – these are the five Global Change Award winners 2022, sharing a €1 million grant from the non-profit H&M Foundation.

The H&M Foundation launched the Global Change Award in 2015 to transform fashion and make it planet positive, in order for the industry to fulfil the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. That means finding and supporting disruptive innovations that address one or several of the earth’s global commons – land, water, oceans, climate and biodiversity. As the aim is to find innovations that allow major change for the entire industry the winners are free to collaborate with any actor they want.

"The winners of the Global Change Award hold the key to the complex challenges we are facing and prove that it’s possible to reinvent fashion. Their game-changing innovations are really inspiring and can help transform the fashion industry into a planet positive one."

Karl-Johan Persson, board member of H&M Foundation and Chairman of H&M Group




The response from applicants was overwhelming and made it clear that there is no shortage of disruptive innovations out there. The momentum to transform the fashion industry into a planet positive one, to protect our planet and improve people’s living conditions has never been stronger. This year’s winners are:

• BioPuff® by saltyco (UK) – A planet positive alternative to goose down, crafted from plants that heal damaged land.

• BIORESTORE (Sweden) – A laundry solution that restores old and worn garments to mint condition.

• CottonAce by Wadhwani AI (India) – An AI solution that reduces pesticide use, increases yield and raises incomes for smallholder cotton farmers.

• Re:lastane (China) – The first mild process making elastane and polyester blend fabrics recyclable.

• Rubi (US) – Planet positive viscose and lyocell made from carbon emissions.

 

In addition to the financial grant, all five winners also get access to the one-year GCA Impact Accelerator programme provided by H&M Foundation in partnership with Accenture, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and The Mills, offering the winners invaluable coaching and support, along with a strong network and memories for life. The GCA Impact Accelerator aims to help the winning ideas scale at speed through business, technology, investor and innovation readiness, and industry access. It also offers winners a mix of inspiring digital sessions and meetups at key locations.




More News from TEXDATA International

#ITM 2026

ITM 2026: The new geography of textile production

New production hubs are emerging across North Africa and Central Asia, while Türkiye is accelerating its transformation toward higher-value, technology-driven and more sustainable textile manufacturing.

#Research & Development

“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.

#Knitting & Hosiery

“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

#Associations

“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.

More News on Sustainability

#Sustainability

Textile Exchange unveils agenda for 2026 conference in Vancouver

Textile Exchange has released the agenda for its 2026 Conference, which will take place from October 12–16 in Vancouver, Canada. Under the theme “The Implementation Era,” the event will focus on translating sustainability commitments into practical action and scaling solutions across businesses, supply systems, and landscapes.

#Associations

Textile PRO Forum calls for greater harmonisation of textile EPR systems across Europe

The Textile PRO Forum has published a new analysis highlighting the need for greater harmonisation of textile Extended Producer Responsibility systems across Europe. The document, Toward harmonised Textile EPR Systems in Europe: analysis and recommendations, presents the results of work carried out by Workstream 1 of the Textile PRO Forum, led by Dr. Eng. Viola Corbellini, Strategic Development and Innovation Expert at Erion Textiles, and Eng. Luca Campadello, General Director at Erion Textiles. The workstream focused on reducing administrative burden for textile producers by identifying areas where procedures could be better aligned across countries.

#Associations

Results of the 38th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey

The global textile industry appears to be turning a corner, but this is more likely a fragile and possibly temporary improvement than the start of a durable recovery. According to the 38th ITMF Global Textile Industry Survey, conducted worldwide during the second half of May 2026, business sentiment, order intake, order backlogs and capacity utilization all improved versus March — yet every indicator remains weak by historical standards, and rising costs cast doubt on how long the upturn can last.

#Sustainability

Closing the Footwear Loop reveals challenges and opportunities for circular footwear

The footwear industry faces one of the most complex circularity challenges in the fashion sector. A new Phase 1 report from the Fashion for Good initiative Closing the Footwear Loop, developed together with Circle Economy, provides new insights into the composition, condition and recycling potential of post-consumer footwear waste.

Latest News

#Recycling / Circular Economy

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.

#Research & Development

GenuTrace client advisory: Is your cotton supply chain UFLPA ready?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released updated operational guidance (CBP Publication No. 5560-0526) expanding its forced labor enforcement framework. The guidance supersedes the original 2022 UFLPA Operational Guidance and now covers all forced labor enforcement authorities — UFLPA, CAATSA, and WROs/Findings — in a single unified document. For cotton importers, the enforcement posture has not softened. It has become more structured, more documented, and more demanding. Learn more about UFLPA.

#Carpets

DOMOTEX Hannover 2028 off to a strong start with expanded portfolio

Preparations for DOMOTEX 2028 are already gaining strong momentum. Following its successful repositioning as the Home of Flooring & Interior Finishing, around 100 international manufacturers have already secured their place during the initial registration phase.

#Knitting & Hosiery

STOLL: Agreement signed for the divestiture of selected assets

In early 2025, KARL MAYER announced its strategic decision to focus on its core business areas of WARP KNITTING, WARP PREPARATION, and TECHNICAL TEXTILES. As part of this move, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand was discontinued and the production site in Reutlingen was closed in October 2025.

TOP