#Recycling / Circular Economy

2022-05-12

Inditex signs a three-year commitment to buy Infinna™ upcycled textile fiber for over €100 million

Inditex and Infinited Fiber Company today announced a new partnership with the shared goal of advancing new and innovative technologies towards textile-to-textile circular loop. At the core of this partnership is Inditex´s three-year commitment to buy 30% of Infinited Fiber Company's annual future production volume of Infinna™, a textile fiber that can be created from 100% textile waste –a deal valued at more than €100 million.

• This purchasing commitment is significant for Infinited Fiber Company’s plans to scale up its recycling technology through its first large-capacity factory

• As part of this collaboration, Zara has today launched a capsule collection using this innovative high-quality fiber, which is created from clothing waste

This purchase commitment is significant for Infinited Fiber’s plans to scale up its recycling technology through its first large-capacity factory, which it expects to begin operations in 2024, when Inditex is due to start to buying Infinna™.

This collaboration is part of Inditex’s Sustainability Innovation Hub, an open-innovation platform that works alongside start-ups, academic institutions and tech centers to promote and scale innovative initiatives for new materials, technologies and processes that reduce the environmental footprint of fashion products and help in the advance towards more sustainable and circular solutions. Infinited Fiber has developed an innovative solution to turn cellulose-rich materials, such as worn-out, cotton-rich clothes, into a new trademarked fiber called Infinna™ that looks and feels like cotton and can be recycled again in the same process together with other textile waste. With this new fiber, Inditex will be able to continue to minimize the use of virgin materials and advance the move towards a more circular model of clothing production.

As part of this agreement, Zara is also launching today this first-of-its-kind capsule, with most of its materials produced from clothing sourced in collaboration with the Spanish NGO Cáritas, Zara’s clothing collection program partner. The collection embraces Zara’s fashion-forward styles along with Infinited Fiber Company’s innovative textile waste regeneration technology. On May 12th, the capsule will be available worldwide on Zara.com.

“We truly believe innovation is key for the competitive circular future of the fashion industry, which is why we are actively working to find solutions, and searching for new partnerships, processes and materials to achieve textile-to-textile recycling. Collaborating with others in new innovative initiatives -such as Next Generation fibers like Infinna™ - is vital to carrying out the transformation our industry needs”, said Javier Losada, Inditex Chief Sustainability Officer.

Petri Alava, CEO and cofounder of Infinited Fiber Company, said: “Inditex is one of the world’s largest fashion retailers, and this deal is a significant step towards realizing our ambition of making Infinna™ a mainstream textile material of the future. It is such a joy to see the beautifully designed pieces created from sustainably produced upcycled fiber now brought to market for the enjoyment of Zara’s customers. They are yet another demonstration of the versatility of Infinna™, and of what can be achieved when great technology is combined with great design. We look forward to continuing the collaboration with Inditex to make textile circularity an everyday reality.”

Inditex will fund the university education of 50 female textile industry workers in Bangladesh for five years

Inditex and the Asian University for Women have launched a new scholarship program to support the academic training of female textile factory workers in Bangladesh. Inditex will allocate €3.75 million to fund this initiative, enabling 50 women to access pre-university and university education over the next five years, providing them with new opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Inditex reports strong Q1 2024 performance

Inditex's sales grew by 7.1% in Q1 2024, reaching €8.2 billion. Sales in constant currency rose by 10.6%. Gross profit increased by 7.3% to €4.9 billion, with a gross margin of 60.6%. Operating expenses increased by 6.4%, below the sales growth rate. EBITDA rose by 8% to €2.4 billion, while EBIT grew by 10.3% to €1.6 billion. Net income saw a 10.8% increase, reaching €1.3 billion.

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.

Cotton Brazil Dialogues 2026 concludes with 50 international participants immersed in Brazilian cotton production

The Cotton Brazil Dialogues concludes its 2026 edition after a series of technical visits to farms, cotton gins and reference centers, as well as workshops focused on Brazilian cotton production. A total of 50 participants from 14 countries took part in the field trips. The initiative is led by the Brazilian Association of Cotton Growers (Abrapa) and the National Association of Cotton Exporters (Anea), with support from the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).

WHILL selects Teijin’s tough, lightweight Carbon Fiber Composite for new last-mile mobility

Teijin Limited announced today that WHILL Inc., a global leader in inclusive mobility technology, has selected Sereebo® P CFP series, a carbon fiber-reinforced thermoplastic (CFRTP) material, for key structural components of the upcoming WHILL Model C Lite. Sereebo® P CFP series provides high strength, light weight, design flexibility and system cost advantages to the Model C Lite, which is a battery powered, single-seat, last-mile device. This new model combines maneuverability with light weight and one-handed folding to ensure ease of handling and operation.

ZymoChem secures $4 million in renewed federal funding to advance U.S. biomanufacturing of critical materials and their supply chains

ZymoChem, the specialty chemicals company dedicated to bringing decarbonization, sustainability, and supply chain resiliency to the chemical industry through innovative biological manufacturing, today announced the resumption and expansion of its federal research portfolio. The company has been notified that previously paused work under a $5 million U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) program is officially back on, to be joined by continuing collaborations with three of the nation's premier national laboratories.