#Recycling / Circular Economy

2021-11-11

Paimio circular economy plant for end-of-life textiles opened on a high note of celebration on 2 November 2021

The first plant in northern Europe to open end-of-life textiles on a large scale to turn them into recycled fibre is now ready to begin operating. Business is roaring with the establishment of partnerships for both incoming and outgoing secondary fibre.

At its plant situated in Southwest Finland, Rester Ltd accepts the end-of-life textiles of companies and the by-products of manufacturing and then opens them mechanically back into fibre. The material accepted is of the highest quality, so it can be used to manufacture yarn, various non-woven materials, insulation, acoustic panels, filter fabrics and composites.

Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy operates under the same roof and is in charge of processing the end-of-life textiles of households into recycled fibre. As a whole, the plant is based on cooperation whereby the end-of-life textiles of both the companies and the households can be utilised effectively.

A continuous search is on for new fibre applications. Rester aims to build an internationally significant solution model for the textiles of companies.

“With pressing environmental issues and tightened EU regulation, producers are interested more and more in switching over to the extensive use of recycled materials,” explains Outi Luukko, CEO at Rester. “Through active cooperation with our partners, we can immediately influence the materials in terms of their degree of circular economy. It is rewarding to be involved in taking material that was previously classified as waste and reusing it as quality raw material. We prepared this process for years; it’s great to get the work actually started!”

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI redefine textile processing

Making investment decisions in textile processing has become significantly more demanding. Increasing energy costs, a shortage of skilled labour and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties are compelling companies to focus on technologies that deliver clear gains in efficiency and process reliability. This applies equally to apparel manufacturing and to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. As a result, modernisation initiatives are assessed more carefully – even as the need to upgrade production systems continues to intensify.

Techtextil 2026: Between innovation pressure & market reality

From 21 to 24 April 2026, Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main will once again become the central meeting point for the international technical textiles and nonwovens industry. Running in parallel, Texprocess will focus on the industrial implementation of textile processing technologies as the leading platform in this field. Together, the two trade fairs form a closely integrated presentation and working platform along the entire textile value chain – from material development to finished applications.

Between geopolitical pressure and industrial resilience

In this interview, Dr. Janpeter Horn (VDMA) discusses the current challenges facing textile machinery manufacturers, shaped by geopolitical tensions, regulatory developments and subdued investment. He also outlines why innovation strength, integrated solutions and strategic positioning remain key to global competitiveness.

Circulose and CTA announce collaboration to enable lyocell fibers using CIRCULOSE® pulp

Circulose has announced an agreement with China Textile Academy Green Fibre (CTA) to offer lyocell fibers produced using CIRCULOSE® pulp. Producing lyocell from recycled pulp at commercial scale is an important step in making textile-to-textile recycled materials available across a wider range of textile applications.

Solving the Feedstock Gap: Unlocking Post-consumer Feedstocks for Textile-to-Textile Recycling in Europe

Fashion for Good launches Project FAE (Feedstock Activation Europe) to develop the sorting and pre-processing infrastructure needed to channel non-rewearable post-consumer textiles into textile-to-textile (T2T) recycling at scale. The project is a practical response to one of the most pressing problems in textile circularity: making post-consumer waste a viable, commercially competitive raw material for recyclers.

BASF at Techtextil 2026: Helping to shape the future of the textile industry with tangible solutions

At the leading international trade fair for technical textiles and nonwovens from April 21 to 24, 2026 at the Messe Frankfurt, BASF will present numerous solutions and new projects in the textile sector to customers and partners at booth B 68 in hall 11.0. The focus is on product innovations and future-oriented technologies.

Italian Textile Machinery heads to Geneva for Index 2026

An important delegation of Italian companies will exhibit at the upcoming INDEX 2026, the world’s leading event for the nonwovens sector, taking place from May 19 to 22 in Geneva (Switzerland). Numerous Italian exhibitors will be present within the Italy Pavilion, organized by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and ACIMIT, an exhibition area of over 140 square meters dedicated to the latest innovations proposed by the Italian industry.

Aditya Birla Group showcases integrated technical textile capabilities at Techtextil 2026

As global industries rethink supply chains and accelerate the adoption of advanced materials, the Aditya Birla Group, a US$67‑billion global conglomerate, headquartered in Mumbai, India, showcased the full strength of its technical textiles portfolio at Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt today. The Group’s presence underscored India’s transformation into a hub for high-value, performance-driven textile solutions within the global ecosystem.