#Textiles & Apparel / Garment

2020-01-30

World premier during 2020 ISPO

Sympatex Technologies and Schoeller Textil introduce the first circular functional jacket made from used textiles

rEvolution Hybrid generated a lot of buzz on day three of the 2020 ISPO in Munich. The world’s first upcycled functional jacket made from 30 percent recycled used textiles and 70 percent recycled PET bottles is the latest development from wear2wearTM. The three-layer, high-performance jacket was developed and produced in collaboration with the European industry partnership, which meanwhile has grown to nine core members and three technology partners with the aim of rapidly closing the textile loop. This outdoor jacket offers not only maximum wearing comfort, but also EN 343-certified rain protection. Inspection of the sustainable and skin-friendly rEvolution Hybrid jacket is carried out by OEKO-TEX® und bluesign® in line with the stringent STANDARD 110. Two of the wear2wearTM founding members – Sympatex Technologies and Schoeller Textil – will have the jacket on display at their respective exhibit booths (hall 1, booth 300 / hall A1, booth 218).

rEvolution Hybrid: born from used textiles

The manufacturing process for the rEvolution Hybrid jacket begins by mechanically reducing used, 100 percent polyester (PES) textiles into fibers and converting them into granulate using an additional polymer melting process. The granulate is subsequently melted again and spun into new PES filament yarn. The yarns are then processed into textile polyester fabrics by Schoeller Textil AG and laminated together with the 100 percent recyclable polyetherester-based Sympatex membrane to create an unmixed, highly-functional and 100 percent waterproof functional textile that can be recycled again. The rEvolution Hybrid manufacturing process currently relies on 30 percent recycled used textiles. The remaining 70 percent is derived from PES yarns produced from recycled PET bottles. By using chemical upcycling processes, other substances such as PU adhesives can also be dissolved into a spinnable concentration so that they gradually vanish from the recycled textiles. The goal is to increase the percentage of recycled used textiles to 100 percent within the coming months.

Design2Recycle – the underlying concept of rEvolution Hybrid is unmixed materials

The Design2Recycle concept that was developed for the rEvolution Hybrid is based on a selection of low-seam cuts of materials that are as pure-grade as possible, in combination with unmixed ingredients and environmentally-compatible equipment and dyes that do not affect the recycling process.

“The de facto proportion of polyester materials within the entire textile industry already exceeds 50 percent. If you limit this to synthetic materials – still two-thirds of our industry – it even increases to 80 percent. It should be obvious that we have to try make it a priority to manufacture apparel from pure polyester materials, so that once the clothing is used, it can be recycled using a process that is easy to implement and cost-effective,” explains Dr. Rüdiger Fox.

“In other words, the hurdles involved in implementing a textile loop are much lower than generally assumed. The only thing holding back the creation of a waste-free synthetic clothing industry is the limits of our imagination – the collective will to make it happen as soon as possible,” says Fox.

End of life – rEvolution Hybrid returns to the wear2wearTM loop

Using an integrated RFID chip, all wear2wearTM products, including the rEvolution Hybrid, are traceable and transparent for the consumer and the process partner. TEXAID, the new wear2wearTM partner, can determine if a clothing article belongs to the concept by reading the RFID chip. And partners such as CWS ensure the collection of used clothing from the rental business and the protective work clothing segment. Once the clothing has been collected, sorted and separated, it then finds its way to wear2wear™ partner Carl Weiske, which re-initiates the upcycling process through a special combination of mechanical and chemical methods. Using a water-soluble PVA (polyvinyl alcohol) yarn in the Design2Recycle process, non-recyclable residues can be cost-effectively removed without impacting the material. The yarn, which withstands the daily wear and wash cycle typical for outdoor and protective work clothing, first begins to dissolve at 100°C. After the raw materials are reprocessed, new PES filament yarn is created, which is then processed into new upcycled polyester fabrics. The wear2wearTM loop is closed and a new high-quality, sustainable functional textile can be created.

“The wear2wear™ collaboration is not about waiting until there is an optimal solution. The partners are continually improving the state of the technology together and constantly enhancing their capabilities. As a result we are assuming responsibility for making the world of textiles more sustainable, day-by-day and step-by-step. Perhaps you could describe us as realistic idealists,” says Hendrikus van Es, head of BU Protection Textiles and member of the executive board at Schoeller Textil.

“This is something that would nevertheless be impossible on our own. The only way to show how the entire textile loop works and ensure that clothing is responsibly manufactured and then recycled after it is used, is through partnerships and transparency,” adds van Es.

“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.

Mario Jorge Machado re-elected President of EURATEX

The EURATEX General Assembly has re-elected Mario Jorge Machado as President of EURATEX, renewing its confidence in his leadership at a crucial moment for the European textile and clothing industry. The sector is facing rising costs, global competitive pressure and an increasingly challenging transition towards sustainability and digitalisation.

Next week’s focus: Intertextile Shenzhen & Yarn Expo Shenzhen fuse textile tradition with sustainable, digital trends

Fashion will not be left behind in one of the world’s undisputed tech and manufacturing capitals. Which is why next week, at Intertextile Shenzhen Apparel Fabrics and Yarn Expo Shenzhen 2026, the organisers have made special efforts to integrate textile topics such as materials innovation, holistic sustainability, digitalisation and AI. Yet, from 9 – 11 June at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, the platform also includes timeless tradition and heritage-inspired evolution in equal measure. Across both shows, over 600 exhibitors from 11 countries and regions are set to showcase everything from Peruvian alpaca wool fabrics to tea-derived fibres, while their fringe programmes will explore diverse solutions along the entire value chain.

2026 general meeting of the Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen at ITA

The Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen e. V. (proRWTH) looked back on a successful year of support at their 2026 general meeting. The meeting took place at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen and was combined with a joint session of the Executive Board and the Administrative Board. Before the general meeting began, participants were given a guided tour of ITA, providing them with fascinating insights into current research and development topics in textile engineering.

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.