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ANDRITZ automated textile waste sorting, recycling line in France

December 4th, 2023

An ambitious partnership between textile recycling company Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, waste sorting specialist Pellenc ST and international technology group ANDRITZ, a specialist in textile recycling machinery and processes has culminated in France’s first industrial plant for automated sorting and recycling of textile waste being officially inaugurated at Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, Amplepuis, on November 30, 2023. […]

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H&M award winners tackle industry challenges

August 31st, 2023

KBCols Sciences developed a way to bio-ferment textile dyes using microorganisms, offering a potential replacement for current practices that contribute to freshwater pollution. Photos: H&M The 2023 winners of the H&M Foundation’s annual Global Change Award (GCA) offer a glimpse into the near future of textiles, from the creation of bio-based polyester alternatives to the […]

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Is it the end of polyester (as we know it)?

July 1st, 2023

Bottle wars may not end well for fiber producers. Photo: © Evgeniy Salov, Dreamstime.com Where would we be without polyester? Fibers created from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) are ubiquitous in our apparel, home furnishings, automotive, filtration and personal care industries. In 2021, they represented 57.57% of the global fiber market, according to Fibre2Fashion’s market insight tool […]

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RadiciGroup debuts 100% castor bean yarn

July 1st, 2023

Biofeel® Eleven yarn is made from 100% castor bean oil. The beans are grown on semiarid land and do not compete with food production. After the oil is removed from the beans, the remnants can be returned to the soil as fertilizer. Photo: © Tetiana Kovalenko, Dreamstime.com RadiciGroup recently developed sustainable, recyclable yarn called Biofeel® […]

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Photonic fibers could help in recycling textiles

July 1st, 2023

Chemical Engineering Professor Max Stein and Brian Iezzi, post-doctoral researcher, analyze the fabric with photonic fibers woven into it at the Materials Science and Engineering Department, at the University of Michigan’s North Campus Research Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. Photo: Marcin Szczepanski/University of Michigan When it comes to recycling, one issue is the efficient and […]

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European Commission sets goal to reduce textile waste

April 1st, 2023

The tExtended project aims to create additional incentives for textile recycling. Photo: AIMPLAS Finding recycling solutions for textile waste is a pressing challenge across the globe, as it is estimated that less than 1% of textiles are currently recycled. At the same time, the European Commission has identified textiles as a priority product for the […]

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Accelerating Circularity launches textile recycling directory

January 27th, 2023

If they aren’t recycled, discarded textiles are often incinerated or end up in a landfill like this one. Photo: Creative Commons Accelerating Circularity is an action-oriented nonprofit focused on scaling textile-to-textile recycling through a collaborative approach. The mission is to create new supply chains and business models to turn spent textiles into mainstream raw materials […]

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DNA markers key to tracing recycled fibers

March 1st, 2022

A display showing various types of recycled fibers with DNA marking. Photo: Soorty. As circularity begins to take prominence in the textile world, a traceable supply chain is becoming the marker of companies serious about sustainability. Mills are seeking solutions to trace recycled fibers. Pakistan-based denim manufacturer Soorty has partnered with the Swiss technology company […]

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Toward Circularity

January 1st, 2022

We often hear the word circularity used in conjunction with sustainability. It is the idea that, at the end of its lifecycle, a product can be broken down into its basic components and be reused rather than destroyed. That’s a big issue right now for the textile industry, which is increasingly under fire to reduce […]

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Choose your fruit, choose your shoes

October 1st, 2021

French footwear startup MoEa has launched a sustainable, recyclable vegan sneaker made from fruits and plants. Each pair of sneakers is made from one fruit and plant; purchasers may choose among apple, pineapple, cactus, corn and grape, and pick from two color options per fruit and plant. To stabilize the biomass waste, fruits and plants […]

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