#Recycling / Circular Economy

2020-11-12

Spinnova, Bergans and Halley Stevensons introduce apparel as next step of Collection of Tomorrow

One year after initial launch, Spinnova and Bergans are ready to take the next step and release the second product in The Collection of Tomorrow. The revolutionary Spinnova material has now evolved into the apparel category in collaboration with a new partner, Halley Stevensons.

More consumers can now experience the circular future of textiles

A year ago, the collaboration between the Finnish sustainable material innovation Spinnova, and the traditional Norwegian manufacturer of outdoor equipment, Bergans, was presented in Oslo. The Collection of Tomorrow’s goal is to develop fully circular products using only renewable resources. Product development has continued, and today the second product, a Scandinavian workers shirt, is ready for release.

The comfortable, natural fabric was created in collaboration with Halley Stevensons, British world leading manufacturer and innovator in waxed cotton and weatherproofed fabrics. This was the first apparel quality, dyed and finished fabric Spinnova has introduced.

– We have taken a giant leap forward in textile development, and especially fabric finishing. We are more than pleased with the shirt developed in collaboration with Bergans and Halley Stevensons, says Spinnova’s Chief Commercial Officer Lotta Kopra.

The three partners explain that their main focus has been further development of the 100% recyclable material, and stepping from the accessory category to apparel. The backpack introduced in November 2019 was an organic cotton blend, while the fabric of the shirt is a lyocell blend.

– The backpack was still a prototype and only available in a very small quantity, because the total amount of Bergans x Spinnova material that existed at that time was very limited. If you wanted to buy one, you actually had to apply for it. Now the fabric quantity is raised by 500%. There is no need for an application to buy the Scandinavian workers shirt, but you probably have to be quick to get hold of one, says Product Designer Johannes Flem in Bergans Future Labs, which is the name of Bergans’ innovation department.

-Sustainable innovation is the life blood of our business, and it is a process we are very comfortable with. The opportunity to work together with like mind businesses such as Spinnova and Bergans made perfect sense. We are learning the challenges of working with a new natural fibre which is both exciting and inspiring. Using our niche finishing methods, we aim to help develop a circular product that has both performance and comfortable wearer characteristics, says James Campbell, Managing Director of Halley Stevensons.

Spinnova’s production technology for cellulose-based textile materials has the potential to revolutionize the textile industry globally. What makes the patented process totally unique, is that it does not use any harmful chemicals, produce any waste or side streams and uses 99% less water than the cotton value chain. The Spinnova material is also disruptively circular, and products made of it can be upcycled in the process several times, even without dismantling the product. The Spinnova technology is scaled up to approach commercial production that the company will reach in the near future. ??Buy into it

The Collection of Tomorrow was started to explore the possibilities that lie in innovative technology and how it can take us closer to a fully circular consumption of textiles.

If you buy a Spinnova x Bergans shirt, Bergans and Spinnova emphasise that you understand what you are actually buying. Yes, you will own a really nice handmade shirt, and you will also own a small part of the total amount of Spinnova material that exists in the world. The value of the product is therefore divided in two; one part is the value of the work done to shape the material into a garment, and the other part is the value of the circulating material itself. Right now, the material is shaped like a shirt but in the future, it can be upcycled and become a completely different product in the future.

Last year the interest for the backpack was huge. People from all over the world was eager to own one of the world’s most sustainable and future oriented products. Most of the first Collection of Tomorrow owners liked the backpacks so much that they did not want to give their products back for upcycling.

http://www.bergansfuturelabs.com

“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.

20 Start-Ups selected for CEMATEX Start-Up Grant at ITMA 2027

CEMATEX has selected 20 emerging start-ups from nine countries to receive the CEMATEX Start-Up Grant and showcase their innovations at Start-Up Valley during ITMA 2027 in Hanover. Their participation will be fully funded by CEMATEX, giving promising early-stage companies access to the world’s leading textile and garment technology platform.

Moving Advanced Recycling from Innovation to Implementation

The Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 explores technologies, markets, financing and scale-up of innovative recycling solutions for waste streams including mixed plastic waste, textiles and PVC. Europe’s chemical and materials sector faces growing pressure to close carbon loops, strengthen raw-material safety and resilience and meet increasingly ambitious EU recycling targets. Against this backdrop, the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) will bring together industry leaders, technology providers, researchers, innovators and policy-makers on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany.

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.

An eco-friendly alternative to fluorocarbon treatments

Protective and outdoor clothing derives its durable water-, dirt- and oil- repellent properties from the application of fluorinated polymers or per- and polyfluorinated low-molecular- weight chemicals (PFCs). The beneficial properties thus achieved on textiles are offset by environmental and human health risks. For manufacturers of sports, medical, protective and automotive textiles, researchers at the Sächsisches Textilforschungsinstitut e.V. and the Leibniz Institute for Polymer Research have developed liquid-applied dispersions and solutions to functionalise textiles without the use of fluorine.