#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2022-11-24

New Gore-Tex products with recycled bionic textile

W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) has announced that the consumer business of its Fabrics Division will introduce two new 2-layer GORE-TEX Laminates with BIONIC textile made from plastic waste partially collected from coastal environments.

Gore has collaborated with the Bionic team to support their mission of reducing ocean plastic through community engagement by investing in their plastic recovery and sorting facility in Cóbano, Costa Rica. Through this effort, the operation collects plastic waste so it does not end up in the ocean. Sorted plastic waste is then turned into materials used in the textile component of these new GORE-TEX Laminates.

Introducing new GORE-TEX Laminates made with recycled BIONIC textile

Turning garbage into good - partnering with remote communities to repurpose coastal plastic waste

The two new laminates with recycled BIONIC textile mark another milestone in Gore Fabrics Division’s ongoing sustainability journey. The development of the laminates is also reflective of the Division’s strong commitment to responsible performance – a commitment to the increasing urgency for meaningful action and sustainable solutions within the global apparel industry that could help change the trajectory of our planet and the people who call it home.

“The new GORE-TEX Laminates with recycled BIONIC textile are a testament to how we can use meaningful scientific innovation to seek bold solutions for some of the most complex problems facing our industry,” said Achim Loeffler, Consumer Fabrics Business Leader, W. L. Gore & Associates. “We believe in the power of going further, together by working with like-minded brands; our collaboration with Bionic and Patagonia will enable us to turn garbage into good.”

Patagonia will introduce the first products featuring new GORE-TEX Laminates with recycled BIONIC textile in the Autumn/Winter ‘23 season. In future seasons, additional GORE-TEX Brand customers will introduce products featuring the new laminates, all of which are:

constructed with Gore’s new ePE membrane and 100% recycled BIONIC polyester textile – made from 50% plastic waste collected from Bionic’s operations in coastal communities and 50% from other municipal collection

certified according to Global Recycled Standard (GRS)

durably waterproof, windproof and breathable and covered by the brand’s renowned GUARANTEED TO KEEP YOU DRY Promise

“Great partnerships are built on shared vision and passion, complementary expertise and the collaborative skills and discipline to see things through. This innovative project between Patagonia, Gore, and Bionic represents that shared vision and what the future can, and should, look like for high performance outdoor protection – same waterproof performance, no forever chemistries, and radically recycled NorthStar material inputs,” said Mark Little, Global Product Director, Men’s Life Outdoors for Patagonia.

Gore provided investment, material science and supply chain knowledge to Bionic, helping to create a robust, scalable supply chain, as well as local recycling infrastructure in the Costa Rican communities. In addition, Gore and Bionic use the phrase STRONGER THREAD. GREATER GOOD. to represent the collective action that connects brands and consumers with their community driven environmental operation in Costa Rica.

Together with the Cóbano community, Gore and Bionic have collaborated to set up:

local waste management system to repurpose plastic waste

recycling stations along roads and beaches

organized community beach cleanup events and community outreach

centralized sorting, bailing and flaking facility and collection routes for local businesses, schools and other institutions

“This launch is the culmination of years of close collaboration with Gore, the development of novel processing techniques, and the creation of an entirely new and traceable supply chain. Raising the profile of BIONIC textiles to the standards of the GORE-TEX Brand has been the best kind of challenge and resulted in a truly special material that has found a perfect home at Patagonia, with its long history of high-performance innovation and stewardship,” said Tim Coombs, Bionic co-founder.

Gore first announced their relationship with Bionic in December 2020.

“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.

YKK subsidiary Golden Hill Tower Limited marks 25 years of operations in Myanmar

Golden Hill Tower Limited, a subsidiary of YKK Corporation, celebrated its 25th anniversary with a ceremony in Myanmar on September 21, 2026. The event brought together approximately 230 guests, including senior executives from the YKK Group, to commemorate the company's development since the launch of its serviced apartment business in November 2000.

NEUMÜHLE launches mono-material hoodie designed for textile recycling

With the Circular Mono Hoodie, Zurich-based label NEUMÜHLE introduces a new essential designed around a single-material principle. The textile construction is cotton throughout, right down to the sewing thread. Entirely free from elastane, the hoodie launches as a Limited Drop for CHF 139. Take-back, collection and existing recycling partnerships complement its circular design.

SHIMA SEIKI to showcase digital product creation at Apparel Sourcing Week

Leading digital textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan will exhibit at Apparel Sourcing Week 2026 in Bengaluru, India next month. The exhibition provides a platform for the entire apparel value chain, bringing together manufacturers, brands, suppliers and solution providers in one location.

SNA GZ accelerates its on-demand production strategy with Kornit Digital

SNA GZ is leveraging the Kornit Atlas MAX PLUS to expand its music merchandise production, streamline e-commerce order fulfillment, and grow its print-on-demand business across Europe. This investment increases SNA GZ's textile production capacity by 150% (2.5×), enabling the company to meet growing demand and support its continued expansion.

New Cotton Review examines competitiveness, market risk, and opportunities

From moving record volumes of Brazilian cotton to market, to managing price volatility, unlocking Ethiopia’s production potential, and strengthening African textile trade, the latest edition of Cotton: Review of the World Situation examines some of the most consequential opportunities and challenges facing the global cotton industry.

Long John puts KARL MAYER's RDJ 7/3 into operation and strengthens its position as a market leader

KARL MAYER has just unveiled its new RDJ 7/3 Jacquard Double Needle Bar Raschel Machine in the international trade press, and the innovation is already causing a stir in the market: The Long John Group, a leading manufacturer of performance footwear fabrics and a long-standing partner of renowned brands, was the first customer to invest in the new machine and celebrated its official launch at its Indonesian plant on August 20.