The technology, known as RespinJenny, is intended to enable local, small-scale and resource-efficient textile recycling closer to where textile waste is generated.

"ReSpin originated from a research collaboration between Linköping University, Luleå University of Technology and Mid Sweden University. Today, our focus is on bringing the technology from development into industrial implementation and helping create circular textile value chains," said Åsa Strandberg, CEO and founder of ReSpin.

Strandberg has more than 30 years of experience in the textile industry, including 17 years at H&M in leadership roles covering design, production and sourcing. She founded ReSpin in 2020 and is responsible for the company's strategic development, partnerships, financing and commercialization.

According to the company, ReSpin aims to address one of the major challenges in textile recycling. Less than one percent of textile waste is currently recycled back into new textile products, partly because existing recycling solutions often require large volumes, centralized infrastructure and significant investments. ReSpin's technology is designed to enable decentralized mechanical recycling, allowing companies to retain more value from textile resources while reducing dependence on virgin fibres and long transportation routes.

Explaining the decision to join TMAS, Strandberg said the association brings together many of Sweden's leading textile technology companies and experts.

"As ReSpin moves towards industrialization, we see great value in being part of a network where knowledge, innovation and collaboration are central. We believe the transition to circular textile systems requires cooperation across the entire value chain, and TMAS provides an important platform for that dialogue," she said.

Looking at the broader challenges facing the industry, Strandberg argued that the textile sector needs to reduce its dependence on virgin raw materials, increase circularity and make textile recycling economically viable at scale.

She also called for a wider discussion on resource use, biodiversity and the long-term resilience of textile supply chains, emphasizing that the future textile industry should be built around resource stewardship rather than resource consumption.