#Recycling / Circular Economy

2024-03-14

Building Circular Systems, next phase of work to create scale in textile-to-textile recycling systems

Accelerating Circularity is proud to announce the launch of the next phase of work, Building Circular Systems (BCS). The goal is to expand our work on circular textile-to-textile systems that will enable the reduction of the textile industry’s GHG impacts and reduce the volume of textiles going to landfill and incineration.

Previous Accelerating Circularity textile-to-textile (T2T) trials have demonstrated the successful replacement of virgin fibers in yarns and fabrics that targeted a minimum of 40% recycled cotton or recycled polyester. Each of the new materials were run at standard industry minimum order quantities.

ACP’s Building Circular Systems (BCS) objectives are to significantly increase volumes of materials, develop new tools and expand circular system education based on the learnings from the previous work. This next phase will include more collaborations with additional partners and a wider geographic scope. BCS provides the opportunity for participants to benefit from; witnessing 1st hand the capabilities and challenges of circular systems, collectively building the tools necessary to commercialize at industry scale T2T and connecting with peers on T2T regulations and transition pathways. Ultimately this work will enable companies to better meet their own goals of incorporating recycled materials and GHG reduction targets.

There are 3 main workstreams:

Building Markets through expanded trials in both the United States and European Union.
Creating the Textile Hierarchy Tool that outlines pathways for used textiles to maximize resource savings and reduce environmental impacts.
Educating and providing access to information and available tools on circular T2T systems.

“This milestone marks a major step forward in ACP’s efforts to build commercial circular textile-to-textile systems, provide industry tools and deliver on education and knowledge allowing companies to transfer learnings to their sourcing strategies. ” said Karla Magruder, founder, and president of Accelerating Circularity. “We are driving positive change in the supply chain through collaboration and leading the way toward our vision of a world where textiles are no longer wasted.”

Accelerating Circularity announces global commitment to sustainable textile industry at Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting

Accelerating Circularity, a leading nonprofit dedicated to transforming the apparel industry by creating business models and supply chains for manufacturing more sustainable fabrics, this week proudly announced its Commitment to Action at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) 2024 Annual Meeting. This commitment, titled "Building Circular Systems," aims to transform the textile industry by building scalable systems where materials are continuously repurposed and reused, rather than just being recycled once or discarded.

RE&UP’s Next-Gen Cotton fibers power Zalando private label t-shirt collection crafted from innovative recycled textiles

RE&UP Recycling Technologies’ Next-Gen Cotton powers a new collection from Zalando’s private labels, marking a step forward in bringing textile-to-textile recycled fibers into commercial fashion production. Launching on Zalando in August, the collection comprises five t-shirts across YOURTURN by Zalando and Even&Odd by Zalando, made from a circular-knit fabric blending 80% organic cotton with 20% RE&UP Next-Gen Cotton — textile-to-textile recycled fiber produced from textile waste. This is the first time RE&UP's recycled fibers feature in Zalando's private label assortment.

Driving circularity with Uster Recycled Fiber Matrix

The textile industry’s commitment to circularity continues to accelerate, and mechanical recycling is viewed as a targeted approach to cutting textile waste and its environmental impact. At the forefront of this drive, Uster has developed the Recycled Fiber Matrix, a two-dimensional assessment of mechanically recycled fibers to guide optimum processing and end-uses.

Novel flame-retardant and recyclable fiber-reinforced composite

Airplanes and passenger trains must meet strict safety requirements, including fire safety standards. This calls for materials that are flame-retardant, lightweight, robust, and scalable. Empa researchers, in collaboration with their industry partner Elantas, have now succeeded for the first time in making such a material – a composite – fully recyclable.

Indorama Ventures advances circular fashion through RECO Collective 2026

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), a global sustainable chemical company, is taking RECO Collective into its 12th year under the theme “The Next Original,” reinforcing its mission to promote recycling and upcycling knowledge while encouraging SMEs in the fashion industry to embrace recycled materials. The program focuses particularly on recycled polyester (rPET) yarns and fabrics made from post-consumer PET bottles, using these materials to create value-added products that combine distinctive design with consumer needs and market opportunities.

Heimtextil Trends 27/28: ‘Home-Maxxing’ between performance and respite

Sleep better, recover faster, live more efficiently: the desire for optimisation has long since reached our homes. Under the title ‘Home-Maxxing – The Performance of Everyday Living’, Heimtextil Trends 27/28 show how our relationship with efficiency-driven thinking and technology is influencing the design of spaces and textiles. The more sleep, wellness, routines, materials and spaces are optimised, the stronger the desire for a home that does not demand even more of us.

Mimaki advances DTF productivity and stability with new TxF330-800

Mimaki Europe, a leading manufacturer of industrial inkjet printers and cutting plotters, announces the TxF330-800, its new direct-to-film (DTF) printer. Designed to support stable, high-quality garment decoration in demanding print environments, the system combines automated maintenance, expanded white ink capacity and advanced production capabilities to streamline workflow.

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition 2026 concludes as Asia’s premier hub for trend-led innovation

Intertextile Shanghai Home Textiles – Autumn Edition 2026 wrapped up on 20 August having brought the global home textiles community together in Shanghai. Over 900 exhibitors from 19 countries and regions attracted nearly 36,000 visitors from 113 represented markets to the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). This edition further strengthened the fair’s status as a strategic gateway to the wider Asian buyer market, with strongly represented regions including Greater China, Southeast Asia, and increasingly Central Asia.

ICAC’s 84th Plenary Meeting to be held March 24-26, 2027, in Alexandria, Egypt

Registration will soon be open for the International Cotton Advisory Committee’s 84th Plenary Meeting, to be held March 24-26, 2027, in Alexandria, Egypt. The local Organizing Committee in Egypt has chosen “Building a Resilient and Competitive Future for Cotton and Textiles” as the theme for the event, which will be held at the Rixos Montaza Alexandria Resort.