#Recycling / Circular Economy

2024-02-08

Closing the loop: Touchpoint launches new workwear fabric ReTouch

Touchpoint, a pioneer in sustainable workwear solutions, launches a new workwear material made from textile processing company Rester’s recycled fiber. The recycled fibers are processed from end-of-life workwear. This is an important step towards a closed-loop recycling of textiles and more sustainable business models.

The long-term development work of two pioneers in the textile industry has resulted in ReTouch – a new cotton/polyester fabric for demanding workwear applications.What makes ReTouch so special is that it contains over 10 % recycled fiber from recovered sheets and workwear and it meets the requirements of a workwear fabric in terms of quality and durability. The recycled content in the fabric reduces its carbon footprint with almost 10 % lower emissions compared to a similar fabric made entirely from virgin raw materials.

Product development of this workwear fabric started already in 2021, with the aim of proving that mechanically processed recycled fibers are suitable for workwear materials.

”At Touchpoint, we are excited that our ReTouch fabric meets the quality requirements of a workwear fabric and that it is suitable for industrial laundering,” says Noora Salonoja, CEO of Touchpoint. ”We can now offer more sustainable solutions to our broad customer base from the service sector to the care industry.”

”The long-term product development in co-operation with various stakeholders is a proof that the end-of-life textile collection, sorting and mechanical recycling has value in the textile circular economy ecosystem. We already have the opportunity to accelerate the transformation of the textile sector and set new standards for textiles”, says Anna-Kaisa Huttunen, the director of partnerships at Rester.

Recovering textile fibers is not only a solution to the growing textile waste problem, but it also reduces the need of virgin raw materials from Asia and reduce emissions from textile production, water -and energy consumption. Textile fiber production has doubled in the last 20 years (Textile Exchange 2022) and the textile sector is a major contributor to climate emissions: the production of one tonne of textiles generates around 15-35 tonnes of CO2e (EEA 2023a). Europe generates around 7.5 million tonnes of textile waste per year, of which about one third is collected and only 1% is successfully recycled into fiber. Of the 90 million kilos of textile waste generated annually in Finland, around 80 % ends up as raw material for energy production (Gaia, STJM 2020). The need for more sustainable approaches in the textile sector is obvious.

The next goal for Touchpoint and Rester is to expand the use of recycled fibers in other workwear fabrics and to gradually increase the share of recycled content in fabrics. ReTouch fabric has already been tested in the product development phase by workwear rental company Lindström, which is interested in adding the material to its range of fabrics.

“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.

Industrial scale meets verified governance: RE&UP is now B Corp™ certified

RE&UP, the circular-tech transforming global textile waste into high-volume Next-Gen materials, has officially become a Certified B Corporation™. The milestone establishes the industrial recycler among a select group of manufacturing infrastructure providers verified as meeting B Lab Standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

Recover™ and Ünteks Group partner to scale recycled cotton in knitwear

Recover(TM), a global producer of low‐impact, high‐quality recycled cotton fiber, announces a new partnership with Ünteks Group, a vertically integrated textile manufacturer based in Turkey. The collaboration focuses on the development of circular knit fabrics and garments, combining Recover’s recycled cotton fiber with Ünteks Group’s integrated capabilities across knitting, dyeing, printing, and garment production.

ALADIN paves the way for circular and demand-driven textile production in Europe

Textile production can be organized sustainably by utilizing short supply chains and preventing overproduction. This can already be achieved today by intelligently connecting and efficiently utilizing existing infrastructure. At the same time, production becomes circular when innovative technologies and materials are used that enable high-quality recycling. The ALADIN research project, launched in May 2026 and co-funded with five million euros under the EU Horizon Europe program, is creating the conditions for this.

Ence and ShareTex begin initial testing of the ATENEA innovation project to promote textile recycling in Spain

Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.