From the Sector

The EU funded T REX Project , which ran from June 2022 to May 2025, has wrapped up with a detailed blueprint for scaling textile to textile recycling. The roadmap brings together the work of 13 industry partners across Europe and captures what they’ve learnt through real world trials in recycling polyester, polyamide 6 and cellulosic materials.

The blueprint highlights what’s needed to scale textile-to-textile recycling. It points to key technical challenges like inefficient manual sorting and lack of high-quality waste textiles. Better automation, more efficient pre-processing, and a stable feedstock supply are seen as crucial next steps. Environmental impacts and business feasibility have also been considered throughout.

Policy support will be key to taking this forward. The project calls for consistent end-of-waste criteria, targets for recycled content, and shared definitions of recyclability. It also stresses the need for stronger financial and regulatory backing. Together with efforts in design, reuse and repair, this work aims to move the textile industry closer to a circular model.

The Swiss material science company Livinguard Technologies AG developed Livinguard Better Fresh - a textile finishing solution that combines leading odor control functionality with an innovative mechanism which reduces the shedding of microfibers over the entire lifetime of textiles. This technology marks a bold step towards a more sustainable future of apparel and provides a tangible solution to tackle the mounting challenge of chemical and microplastic pollution stemming from clothes. 

The environmental impact of textiles arising from microfiber shedding has increased over the past years as the use of synthetic fibers in the apparel industry continues to grow and fast fashion business models continue to gain share. Fiber fragmentation and resulting microplastic and chemical pollution affects waterways, the air and soil.

Livinguard Better Fresh combines a functional and an environmental benefit in a single solution. On the one hand, the technology provides leading odor control which is a valuable functional benefit for consumers. On the other hand, the solution reduces fiber fragmentation by up to 80% and extends the product’s useful life - resulting in a superior safety, environmental, and cost profile for apparel brands. Both claims have been extensively validated in the course of several in-house trials and testing conducted with independent laboratories.

This new product is the result of a long development journey with deep global collaboration. Livinguard leveraged extensive R&D investments over the past 15 years to develop a proprietary blend of chemistry that has then been thoroughly tested for performance, safety, environmental impact, and compliance with the highest industry standards in mind (e.g. bluesign). Furthermore, Livinguard Technologies used the company’s extensive knowhow in textile finishing to optimize and streamline the application of the technology in a real-world environment, ensuring the innovation can be deployed seamlessly on existing equipment and in established processes. 

Recognizing that awareness for the environmental impact of textile microfiber shedding is still emerging among consumers and that demand for solutions addressing this issue alone may be consequently limited, Livinguard Technologies have chosen to integrate odor control functionality, a well-understood and valued benefit, with this innovative fiber protection technology. This two-in-one solution allows brands and manufacturers alike to fund most costs for the chemical solution itself and for managing the complexity associated with its implementation by substituting their existing odor control technologies with Livinguard Better Fresh. Many established odor control solutions are prone to leach out over time and consequently increase chemical pollution arising from textiles. Livinguard’s new technology binds permanently to the treated fibers and strongly holds them together to ensure the least possible chemical and microfiber discharge. 
The Livinguard Better Fresh technology is officially launched during the Functional Fabric Fair in NYC and Functional Textiles in Shanghai while further validation activities are carried out with partners from academia, external laboratories as well as pilot customers (apparel brands & textile mills) worldwide.

This new technology can substantially contribute to various established solution pathways for microfiber pollution as it allows for the development or further improvement of low-shedding fabrics with minimal impact on established production equipment and supply chains. Furthermore, due to its built-in odor control functionality, it enables consumers to use their clothes longer and adopt more sustainable laundry practices (e.g. washing at lower temperatures). Finally, it enhances product longevity without any negative impact on recycling / circularity of the treated clothes. Overall, Livinguard Better Fresh provides a cost-effective solution to make tangible and substantial progress in the fight against plastic pollution quickly. 

At Isomi, the company has defined their approach by an ambition to work with materials in their purest, most purposeful form. With the Knit One Chair, they are taking this commitment further exploring how 3D knitting technology can unlock a more resourceful, intelligent way to make furniture. 

3D knitting is, at its essence, a digital manufacturing process that transforms a spool of yarn into a fully formed, three dimensional textile shape created directly on the knitting machine, without the need for cutting, stitching or excess trimming. This precise method has already reshaped industries like sportswear and footwear, celebrated for its ability to produce complex forms with minimal waste and remarkable structural integrity. In furniture, however, the possibilities of 3D knitting are only just beginning to be realised. Traditionally, upholstery involves layering foams, fabrics and fillers, glued and stapled into place, a process that generates off cuts, requires multiple materials, and makes recycling complicated at best. Knit One rethinks this entirely.

Fibre Extrusion Technology Ltd (FET) of Leeds, UK will be exhibiting at three major trade shows in Asia and Europe over the next 3 months.

This sequence begins in early September at Cinte Techtextil China, the leading trade fair for technical textile and nonwoven products in Asia. FET will be taking a 30sq. metre stand in conjunction with its agent and partner, Chemtax in Hall W5.

This will be followed by ITMA ASIA in Singapore, aimed at the textile and garment industry in South and Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This exhibition takes place at the end of October and FET can be found at Hall H4.

This trio of events is rounded off at COMPAMED 2025 between 17-20 November in Dusseldorf, Germany. This exhibition is widely recognised as a major international trade fair for the medical technology supplier sector. FET’s will be exhibiting in Hall 08B.

“This is a very hectic period for FET,” commented FET’s Managing Director Richard Slack. “However, these exhibitions provide a great opportunity for smaller specialist companies like FET to raise our profile on the international stage and reflects our growing influence in the fields of technical textiles, medical device innovation and many other sectors.”

FET designs, develops and manufactures extrusion equipment for a wide range of high value textile material applications worldwide and the diversity of these three exhibitions illustrates FET’s scope in the industry.

2025 marks a pivotal milestone for bluesign, the global authority in sustainable chemical and environmental management for the textile and fashion industry, as it celebrates 25 years of advancing cleaner, safer, and more responsible manufacturing practices across the global supply chain.

Since 2000, the Swiss-founded company has led the global charge towards a more sustainable future, developing a science-based, input stream management system to eliminate harmful substances at the source of textile production. Now spanning 900+ system partners across the globe, bluesign continues to deliver measurable reduction in environmental impact at an unprecedented scale. The company sets the global benchmark for responsible production with stringent criteria for chemical use, environmental performance, and resource efficiency, and  serves as a one-stop resource for navigating ESG and upcoming legislation  (CSDDD, CSR, ESPR, DPP etc), helping partners stay ahead of global compliance standards while embedding verified sustainability into every stage of production.

From its inception, bluesign’s mission has remained clear: remove harmful chemicals from textile production from the beginning, and hence ensure safer working conditions, reduced harm on the environment, and deliver safer products for consumers. Over 25 years, this mission has only strengthened, evolving to meet global challenges like PFAS elimination, decarbonization, and circularity, while driving continuous improvement across the industry.

Measurable Impact at Scale
The bluesign System enables its partners to make verified, measurable progress toward sustainability goals:

• Safer chemistry and materials: Over 28,000 chemical products and 70,000 textile materials carry the bluesign APPROVED status, signaling compliance with the strictest industry criteria and elimination of hazardous substances including CMRs and PFAS.
• Environmental Performance: Since 2019, bluesign System Partner manufacturers have collectively achieved the following improvements in environmental footprint:
• Global Reach: The bluesign network now includes over 900 System Partners across the world, including chemical suppliers, textile mills, manufacturers, and brands.
• Worker & Consumer Safety: The bluesign System ensures safe conditions for workers and non-toxic products for consumers, built on a foundation of transparency and accountability.

bluesign’s unique value lies in its holistic system, which tracks and verifies impact at every stage—from chemical inputs to final product. The independent, science-based verification process goes beyond traditional certification to ensure ongoing compliance and continuous sustainability improvements, building trust with stakeholders and empowering the industry to move forward responsibly.

Looking Ahead: The Next 25 Years
As the industry faces new challenges, including circularity and legislative shifts, bluesign continues advancing solutions that protect workers, consumers, and the environment, and remains committed to innovation and global impact.

As the industry faces new challenges, including due diligence, extended producer responsibility, and digital product passports, legislative shifts under the EU Green Deal, and rising expectations around circularity, bluesign remains committed to innovation and impact.

“bluesign was born out of a bold idea, that sustainability could be embedded into the DNA of product creation,” said Daniel Rüfenacht, CEO of bluesign technologies. “Twenty-five years later, we’re proud to be a beacon of trust, innovation, and responsibility, and to partner with industry leaders worldwide in building a more sustainable future together.”

Sustainability requires more than good intentions – as the 56th INNATEX in Hofheim-Wallau, near Frankfurt am Main, illustrated. Between 19 and 21 July 2025, over 200 Green Fashion brands gathered at the international trade fair for sustainable textiles to present collections for Spring/Summer 2026. On the Sunday in particular the atmosphere surrounding ordering was satisfyingly positive, especially in view of the general challenges in the market. 

“While fast fashion is growing, public interest in sustainable fashion has fallen. This is affecting not only retailers like us but the entire supply chain,” says Laura Ott, Buyer at Marlowe green fashion and marketing committee member of the International Association of the Natural Textile Industry (IVN). “We are all entrepreneurs facing similar challenges but our areas of focus and experience vary. Not least, this is a resource that is commercially valuable.” 

Reframing long-familiar concepts 
Many fashion brands rely on alternative materials that combine a number of benefits. Sloppy Tunas, for example, has collaborated in the development of its own high-tech textile, made in part from collected ocean plastic. The label from Barcelona uses it to make lightweight, quick-drying swim shorts and closes the cycle itself: Worn shorts are taken back and recycled together with offcuts from production to make new yarn and fabric. 

The call for innovation and functionality is so loud that well-established textiles which are by their very nature sustainable could slip into the background. Businesses are responding by reintroducing the classic fabrics. Clothing from Berlin-based label Moefe consists of 100% organic cotton. A special knitting technique helps the material keep its shape and makes it stable in shape and stretchy – even without elastic. Mor Khadi, on the other hand, is turning traditional Indian handcraft into modern streetwear. The special qualities of the Khadi fabric give the clothing breathable and thermo-regulating properties. 
 
Legal changes call for adaptability 
“The sector is in the midst of a fundamental transformation, caught between Sheinification, the shift to the political right, generation change, digitalisation and increasing pricesensitivity,” says Nina Lorenzen, co-founder of Fashion Changers and a member of the Expert Council Sustainability of the trade journal ‘Textilwirtschaft’. “Companies will remain relevant by being prepared to rethink their business – by turning shopping into an experience, for instance, or reshaping fashion into a statement and a form of protest.” 

Dealing with both the latest and pre-existing statutory requirements represents another challenge. By September 2026, the EU member states must transpose the EmpCo Directive (Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition), which came into force in 2024, into national law. Among other things, it regulates how companies may communicate sustainability. Another example affects the processing of leather. The EU is now imposing restrictions on a substance also used for ecological tanning. This will compel manufacturers to change their processes. 

“We see a huge need for discussion,” concludes Alexander Hitzel, Project Manager of INNATEX. “Demands on Green Fashion are getting more complex and more dynamic. There is no one simple solution for everyone involved and for all sets of problems. What matters now is that businesses can find precise answers to their specific questions. Platforms that generate ideas and promote cooperation are more important than ever.” 

On August 17 and 18, the INNATEX showroom in Bern (Switzerland) will be hosting some 40 brands at the end of the order season. 

Noise pollution can cause stress and damage our health. Whether in restaurants, open-plan offices, or schools, we are confronted with loud background noise in our everyday lives. Sound-absorbing materials are used to reduce noise. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) are developing a comprehensive system for measuring and predicting the acoustic properties of a wide variety of textiles. This research enables the development of a wide range of sound-absorbing or acoustically effective materials.

Currently, in addition to foams, nonwovens are mostly used as sound absorbers. However, these are relatively thick and not very stretchy. Textile fabrics such as woven or knitted materials are more elastic and flexible and are able to reduce noise more specifically in certain frequency ranges. This allows them to be individually adapted to existing or expected noise problems. However, these textile fabrics have rarely been used in acoustics to date.

In order to exploit this potential, research and development are encountering a problem: the measurement methods and simulation models used for nonwovens are not readily applicable to other types of textiles. Nonwovens consist of loosely arranged, interconnected fibers; they have what is known as a random fiber arrangement. In woven and knitted fabrics, on the other hand, the fiber arrangement has a recurring, non-random pattern. The different fiber arrangements result in significant differences in material properties. Due to a lack of alternatives, manufacturers of acoustic textiles still have to use these limited methods for their product development.

This is where the MetAkusTex research project comes in. Dr. Elena Shabalina, Head of the Technology Center E-Textiles & Acoustics at the DITF, explains: "In acoustics research, there is limited knowledge about the potential and diversity of textiles. As a textile research institute, we want to ensure that a wide range of textile structures, including 3D textiles, find their way into the world of acoustics. We are laying the necessary foundations for this." The DITF are developing new acoustic measurement and prediction methods that can be used to evaluate how different textiles interact with sound, whether they absorb, reflect, or scatter it. With the help of mathematical models, textile materials can be tested, adapted, and optimized for their acoustic effect as early as the design phase.

The project results will help companies make their product development processes more efficient and to design materials in a more targeted manner, for example, to make them sustainable. This will shorten time to market.

In addition to the development of new measurement methods, the acoustics laboratory at the DITF is being expanded. The measuring room with sound-absorbing walls and a sound-reflecting floor (semi-anechoic chamber) will be equipped with a modern data acquisition system. In addition to software, this includes various measuring microphones, loudspeakers, and a turntable to measure the sound quality of loudspeakers from different directions. The new acoustics laboratory will be used for research at the institute and will also be made available to industry for testing.
 
The MetAkusTex research project was funded by the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labor, and Tourism as part of the Invest BW - Praxissprints program.

80 years of experience, innovation, and family spirit – this year, mechanical engineering company Mahlo GmbH + Co. KG from Saal an der Donau is celebrating a very special anniversary. Since its founding in 1945, Mahlo has evolved from a small pioneering workshop into a globally sought-after specialist in measurement and control technology.

It all started with the radio. By building radio receivers, Dr. Heinz Mahlo began his entrepreneurial success story shortly after the end of World War II with the founding of the "Dr. Heinz Mahlo Electromechanical Workshops" in Saal an der Donau. The visionary engineer soon recognized the potential of the textile industry and developed the first measurement systems for fabrics. A major breakthrough came in 1958 with the patent for the first automatic weft straightener – a technological milestone that still forms the basis for modern straightening machines today.

This initial success laid the foundation for the company’s continuous development. In the decades that followed, Mahlo opened up new markets, expanded its product portfolio to applications in the nonwoven, paper, and plastics industries, and built an international sales and service network. Step by step, subsidiaries were established in the USA, Italy, Belgium, and China, along with global service partnerships to ensure close customer support on site.

Technology for Textiles, Nonwovens, Paper, and More 
"As the global market leader in textile straightening technology, we continue to build on the ideas and entrepreneurial foresight of Dr. Heinz Mahlo – and have developed the broadest portfolio of straightening systems in various configurations on the market," summarizes CEO Rainer Mestermann. He has been leading the company since 2011 and has helped Mahlo successfully expand beyond the textile sector. "In the late 2000s, we established a second pillar in the field of web measurement technology with our quality measurement system Qualiscan QMS – also to become less dependent on typical market fluctuations in the textile industry." The new product line was so successful that in 2018, a new production hall was built specifically for this area. And in true Mahlo fashion, the bar was set high – today the company is considered the provider with the most comprehensive portfolio of in-house developed sensors.

Strong Through Change – Thanks to Strong Roots
But even a solid flagship like Mahlo is not immune to turbulent developments in the global market. “With an export share of around 80 percent, we are naturally closely tied to the global economy,” says Mestermann. Current geopolitical crises are dampening the demand for capital goods. Ultimately, the demand for Mahlo technology is closely linked to the consumption of high-quality products – such as in the clothing or packaging industries. “And it’s precisely this quality we stand for – and our systems ensure it is reliably achieved.”

Still, the managing director remains optimistic that Mahlo will weather these rough waters as well: “Keeping a company successful in the market over eight decades is only possible with a spirit of innovation, reliability, and the dedication of many smart minds. I am proud of our team and grateful for the trust of our customers around the world.”

Innovation Hub in Saal an der Donau
One of the key pillars is the motivated and skilled team at the Saal headquarters. All systems are developed and built there – in line with the company’s guiding principle that explicitly emphasizes its commitment to Germany as a development and production location. To secure the necessary skilled workforce – known to be in short supply in Germany – Mahlo strongly promotes young talent as one of the largest training companies in the Kelheim area. “That was already very important to my grandfather,” emphasizes Ralph Greenwood-Mahlo, grandson of the company founder and, together with his wife Aura, owner of the company. Both continue to lead Mahlo in the spirit of Dr. Heinz Mahlo: “We want to preserve the company culture that has grown over time while also providing momentum for new developments. It’s important to us to allow room for fresh ideas while offering continuity.”

A Family with Responsibility – Then and Now
For the Greenwood-Mahlo family, running a family business means thinking in generations, not in quarterly numbers. This also means making sustainable decisions. “By firmly integrating resource-saving behavior into our company practices, we can not only protect the environment but also ensure our company’s long-term success.” Mahlo’s systems also contribute to this – helping manufacturers save raw materials, make processes more efficient, and minimize waste.

According to Ralph Greenwood-Mahlo, this reflects a lived responsibility towards employees, customers, the region, and future generations: “Dr. Heinz Mahlo was a pioneer who had the courage to tackle technical challenges while always striving to find the best solution for his customers. This spirit of innovation still shapes Mahlo today – and we see it as our duty to carry this legacy forward without losing touch with reality. Innovation with responsibility – that was his core idea, and it’s ours too.”

Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc., a leader in spider silk technology, announced the finalizing of a significant three-year collaborative agreement with a key government agency in Southeast Asia to expand the scale and security of its recombinant spider silk manufacturing platform.
 
This agreement, expected to be signed before the end of July, marks the culmination of years of relationship-building and demonstrated performance by Kraig Labs and its proprietary spider silk technologies. The agreement is designed to accelerate the Company's growth by providing access to previously unavailable rearing facilities, supporting infrastructure, and technical resources.
 
Under the terms of this collaboration, Kraig Labs will work closely with government specialists to optimize and expand spider silk production. The collaboration will unlock new production capacity, enabling Kraig Labs to significantly scale its hybridized silkworm operations.
 
Importantly, this agreement also includes provisions for the creation of parallel rearing operations, a key component in the Company’s long-term roadmap to mitigate production risk and eliminate single points of failure. By distributing parent strain and egg production across multiple independent facilities, Kraig Labs is further securing its supply chain and increasing throughput capacity to meet future demand.
 
Work under this agreement is anticipated to begin in August. This collaboration will serve as a foundational element of the Company’s expanding global spider silk manufacturing strategy, highlighting the growing confidence in the Company's pioneering biomaterials.

Freudenberg Performance Materials (Freudenberg) will showcase packaging materials combining high performance protection, CO2 emission reduction and waste prevention at Fachpack 2025 in Nuremberg, Germany, from September 23-25. Evolon® packaging solutions offered by Freudenberg are particularly suited for packaging automotive components with sensitive surfaces. 

Evolon® packaging materials provide superior surface protection for a wide range of automotive parts, including molded plastics and painted elements. The high-end textiles make an important contribution to the quality goals of OEMs and tier suppliers by preventing damage to transported parts and lowering rejection rates.

Recycled content and low CO2 footprint
Evolon® textiles have a small carbon footprint because their manufacturing process uses low-CO2 energy, and the fabrics are lightweight and reusable. Furthermore, Evolon® packaging materials are made of up to 85% recycled content. “By replacing virgin raw materials with recycled content, we’ve been able to cut the carbon footprint of our fabric production by 35%. We are actively exploring the possibility of manufacturing Evolon® using 100% recycled content to drive CO₂ emissions down even further,” explains Jean-François Kerhault, Director Global Sales & Marketing General Industry at Freudenberg Performance Materials. 

Although Evolon® fabrics are lightweight – from 80gsm to 300gsm – they nevertheless still provide the high mechanical strength properties required for automotive packaging applications. This conserves raw materials and reduces the weight of transported loads. In particular, the new Evolon® Ultra Force is approximately 50% lighter than PVC-based materials with similar high mechanical strength, while containing a minimum 50% recycled content and no PVC.

Waste prevention
Evolon® materials play an important role in decreasing waste when it comes to transporting automotive parts. Above all, the high-end materials provide superior surface performance which directly reduces scrap of transported parts. 
In addition, packaging waste is also prevented because Evolon® technical packaging textiles are designed for reusable packaging containers. Single-use packaging is avoided. Moreover, Evolon® packaging material lasts for the entire production cycle of a car model.