#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.

Advanced Recycling Conference 2026 to showcase innovations – Call for abstracts

The call for abstracts is now open for the Advanced Recycling Conference (ARC) 2026, taking place on 17–18 November 2026 in Cologne, Germany, and online. Europe’s leading platform for advanced recycling brings together hands-on solutions and cutting-edge research on recycling technologies for various waste streams like plastics, polymers, textiles or automotive, highlighting progress towards a circular renewable carbon economy.

Europe needs tipping point to scale textile-to-textile recycling, BCG and ReHubs say

A new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and ReHubs, titled “Advancing Textile Circularity – Europe’s textile waste challenge: Scaling Textile-to-Textile requires enabling mechanisms”, highlights the urgent need for systemic action to tackle Europe’s growing textile waste and scale a circular textile economy.

LineONE – Smart performance, smart investment at Techtextil 2026

At Techtextil 2026 in Frankfurt (April 21–24, Hall 12, Booth C79), AUTEFA Solutions will present its LineONE concepts for cost-efficient nonwoven production. As a full-line supplier for nonwoven production lines, AUTEFA Solutions covers the entire process chain – from fibre opening through to web bonding. With its LineONE line concepts, the company combines proven technologies into well-balanced, cost-efficient turnkey solutions. These concepts are designed for capacity expansions, modernisation projects and new production lines, offering robust design and high flexibility for applications such as filtration, geotextiles and automotive.

EU and Australia strengthen relations with Security and Defence Partnership and Trade Agreement

The EU and Australia have today announced the adoption of a groundbreaking Security and Defence Partnership. They have also concluded negotiations for an ambitious and balanced free trade agreement (FTA) and agreed to launch formal negotiations for the association of Australia to Horizon Europe, the world's largest funding programme for research and innovation. With these steps, the EU and Australia are delivering mutually beneficial outcomes and further reinforcing their already close relations in a time of geopolitical uncertainty.

DuPont introduces Tyvek® APX™ 400 protective coverall, setting a new benchmark for extreme breathability

DuPont (NYSE:DD) announced the launch of the Tyvek® APX™ 400 protective coverall, the first in a new generation of extremely breathable disposable chemical protection garments. Manufactured using DuPont™ Tyvek® APX™ groundbreaking fabric, the new garment combines 360° protection and durability with extreme breathability, taking worker comfort and safety to a whole new level.