From the Sector

Outlast Technologies is showcasing Aersulate® Wadding - its NASA-inspired, fiber-based insulation - at PERFORMANCE DAYS Munich. Recognized among the Top Ten in the show’s Innovation Fo-rum, Aersulate® was selected from over 2,000 fabric submissions, standing out to the jury for its high thermal efficiency with low volume.

At the core of Aersulate® is aerogel - the world’s lightest solid, consisting of up to 99% air. Out-last embeds an impressive 50% by volume of aerogel directly into viscose fibers, creating an insu-lation that is exceptionally light yet extraordinarily effective.

Proven Performance
Independent lab data confirm a significant increase in thermal efficiency versus conventional solutions:

• 35% higher RCT values in wadding
• Up to +37% higher RCT in needlefelt applications
• Same warmth at up to 35% less volume (no extra bulk)

Performs Under Pressure
Aersulate® Wadding delivers warmth precisely where traditional wadding loses effectiveness - under compression. Air is an excellent natural insulator, but in conventional fills it is squeezed out when pressure is applied (e.g., kneeling or sitting), causing thermal performance to drop. With an exceptionally high aerogel content - 50% by volume - Aersulate® stores air within a sta-ble, porous microstructure that keeps it from escaping. The result is consistently high insulation - even under compression and in humid conditions. From outerwear and ski apparel to technical workwear, Aersulate® reliably sustains thermal performance.

Sustainable by Design
Aersulate® Wadding unites aerogel made from quartz sand with renewable, wood-based viscose to offer a sustainable, animal-free alternative to down and conventional synthetic fills - with no compromise on performance.

“With our patent-pending fiber technology, Aersulate® redefines what textile insulation can be: thin, light, and powerful,” said Ari Pachur, Senior Business Development Manager Overseas of Outlast. “Being selected for the Top Ten out of more than 2,000 entries at PERFORMANCE DAYS is a fantastic recognition of what this technology enables.”

The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) and LEKI Lenhart GmbH have collaborated on a project to develop a hiking pole made largely from renewable raw materials. The finished product demonstrates that sustainable materials can also offer high performance in the outdoor industry.

Consumers are increasingly asking for environmentally friendly alternatives to conventional materials. Aluminum and carbon fibers, for example, require a lot of energy to manufacture and are usually difficult to recycle. Therefore, the aim of the research project was to develop sustainable and durable sports poles made of hemp fibers and a bio-based matrix, which are manufactured using the pultrusion process.

The shaft of the hiking pole is made of regionally harvested hemp fibers that have been processed to rovings using a Kemafil-process. This is a wrapping process that gives the fibers a stable, rope-like structure through a special interweaving technique. The matrix used was developed together with the project partner Bio-Composites and More GmbH and is based on epoxidized linseed oil, which can be cured in the same way as a synthetic epoxide resin. The matrix is up to 42 percent organic and is ideal for the energy- and material-efficient pultrusion process. At DITF, approximately 16 meters of tubular profiles were successfully pultruded on a laboratory scale. The manufactured parts have a smooth surface and the natural fibers used are visible.

The suitability of the process for series production was demonstrated by manufacturing under industrial conditions at the industrial partner CG TEC GmbH.

Other components besides of the shaft are also sustainable: the wrist strap is made of a natural fiber fabric and the attachments are made of a bio-based polymer. This means that over 64 percent of the entire hiking pole is made from renewable raw materials.

Initial market analyses indicate very good commercial viability and user satisfaction. While hemp fibers have previously been used mainly in applications with low mechanical requirements, the developed product proves that this natural fiber material is also suitable for resilient structures. The hiking poles manufactured achieve a bending strength comparable to that of aluminum poles and even offer improved damping properties. Thanks to its reduced carbon footprint, the product is sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Monforts and its partners Archroma and BW Converting are setting new standards in the resource efficient and cost-effective finishing of fabrics.

During a recent webinar organised by Germany’s VDMA textile machinery association, specialists from the three companies provided details of the range of new energy-saving options that is now available to mills.

In particular, BW Converting’s Baldwin TexCoat® G4 precision spray technology – in combination with advanced Archroma finishing formulations and Monforts MONTEX stenters and MONFORTEX shrinking ranges and related technologies – is pushing the envelope in new standards for sustainable and long-lasting clean productivity.

Functionality
Michael Schuhmann, Global Marketing Finishing at Archroma Textile Effects, explained that typical key functions provided in textile finishing include sweat and odor control, water repellence and UV resistance. Softeners are primarily applied to make fabrics more comfortable while other finishes provide reduced crease formation for easy-care properties. The traditional padding or exhaust techniques for applying these finishes require huge volumes of water and energy intensive drying.

Spray application, by contrast, requires much less water due to drastically reduced ‘pick up’ – the amount of liquid that a fabric absorbs and retains, determining how much finishing agent remains in the fabric. This also enables significantly faster drying, making process speeds of up to 100 metres per minute possible, depending on the fabric. 

“As the global fashion brands commit to reducing their emissions, the textile processing industry must respond by adopting safer chemistries with resource-saving processes such as spray application,” Schuhmann said.

Precision
Rick Stanford, Vice President Global Business Development for Textiles at BW Converting, explained that at the core of the Baldwin TexCoat G4 technology are precision valves that were originally developed for the offset printing industry and have been refined over the past 40 years through more than 40,000 installations globally. 

“These enable extremely precise spray flows which are controlled by proprietary software algorithms,” he said.

Over 100 TexCoat G4 units have been installed worldwide and all three companies are enjoying notable success with bed sheeting manufacturers in Pakistan.

“Our first TexCoat G4 in Pakistan was installed in Spring of 2024 for a manufacturer using Archroma chemistry and a ten-chamber Monforts MONTEX stenter,” Stanford explained. “When using the padder at this mill, the pickup rate was 65% and with TexCoat G4 we were able to reduce that to 27%. As a result, the customer was able to increase the MONTEX speed from 60 metres a minute to 100 metres a minute, while also reducing the operating temperature in the stenter. We have subsequently sold 30 TexCoat G4 units in Pakistan, driven primarily by the system’s proven productivity and efficiency gains.”

Energy savings
“A BW Converting Baldwin TexCoat G4 unit is now installed at the Monforts Advanced Technology Center (ATC) for trials and fully complementing spray finishing operations are our multiple energy saving innovations,” added Saskia Kuhlen, Monforts Engineer for Textile Technologies. “MONTEX stenters are equipped with the TwinAir air volume regulation system as well as the TwinTherm system for temperature control and feature CADstreamE variable nozzles. These features enable full adjustment to a specific fabric width for either higher operational speeds or lower electrical energy. A further benefit is the150-mm wide advanced insulation system inside the stenter frame”.

Further Monforts modules for optimizing processes include the the coaTTex unit for the knife coating of paste and foam application and the EcoApplicator, a kiss-coating technology for the indirect application of finishes on one or both sides of a fabric, with a stenter production speed up to 100m/min. Both can be integrated into existing lines.

The Monforts Energy Tower and EcoBooster are meanwhile modules for air/air heat exchanging, for heat recovery from the exhaust flow of thermal systems. They can also be retrofitted to existing stenter frames, relaxation dryers, infrared pre-dryers and hotflues.

“We continue to explore the best heating options for every customer, with optimised combinations in order to make our lines as energy efficient as possible,” Kuhlen said. “We have also been deeply investigating the potential of green hydrogen as a further option for the future.”

BW Converting’s Baldwin TexChroma™
In response to a big market demand, the three technology partners are now turning their attention to the dyeing process.

At ITMA Asia + CITME in Singapore, from October 28-31, they will introduce the resource-saving combination of THERMEX continuous dyeing ranges with the new BW Converting Baldwin TexChroma™ spray dyeing system. 

“We are excited to introduce the Baldwin TexChroma because spray dyeing is the future,” said Stanford. “We’ve been cautious about providing details on TexChroma too early, but now we’re ready and look forward to outlining its benefits in Singapore with interested customers. We will also be installing a TexChroma unit on a THERMEX line at the Monforts ATC in 2026.”

BW Converting will preview its new Baldwin TexChroma™ digital spray dyeing system at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025 in Singapore, Oct. 28–31, 2025. This transformative solution builds on the company’s success with Baldwin TexCoat® G4 precision spray finishing system and is designed to help dyehouses achieve major reductions in energy, water, and chemical usage while improving quality and profitability.
 
“We are excited to introduce Baldwin TexChroma because spray dyeing is the future and many of our customers are already experiencing the benefits,” said Yiannis Vasilonikolos, Global Sales Leader for Textiles, BW Converting. “We have conducted successful trials of TexChroma using pigment, reactive, acid, and disperse dyes on both cotton and synthetic fibers.”
 
According to production data to date, TexChroma can deliver savings of more than 30% in energy, dyes, and chemicals compared to continuous pad batch dyeing, and up to 50% compared to exhaust reactive dyeing. A unique feature is its ability to mix reactive dyestuffs and alkali fixation chemicals just seconds before spray application, eliminating tailing and listing - common issues that cause uneven dye application and color variation.
 
The launch of TexChroma follows the success of the Baldwin TexCoat G4 precision spray finishing system, which has seen rapid adoption worldwide for its ability to deliver 40–50% energy savings and cut water and chemical usage by half. 
 
“We believe TexChroma will be a game-changer for dyehouses, reducing costly rework and delivering the consistency this market has long been waiting for," explained Rick Stanford, Vice President of Global Business Development for Textiles, BW Converting. "The dyeing process is unforgiving, and we’ve taken a careful, deliberate approach to get it right. The market has been ready for some time, and now, so are we.”
 
BW Converting will showcase TexChroma alongside its textile finishing solutions at ITMA Asia + CITME 2025.

At K show in Düsseldorf, the world’s leading trade fair for plastics and rubber, EREMA Group announced a strategic investment in clean technology company BlockTexx®. The Australian pioneer has developed a process that separates polyester and cellulose from blended textiles. By combining both companies’ technologies, the partnership aims to scale post-consumer textile-to-textile recycling to industrial levels.

BlockTexx®‘s process separates polyester and cellulose from post-consumer textiles and clothing, providing the polyester for EREMA’s technology. The INTAREMA® FibrePro:IV system will process the polyester into recycled pellets suitable for new garment production. “Our thermomechanical recycling system is a core element for textile recycling,” said Wolfgang Hermann, Business Development Manager for Fibres & Textiles at EREMA Group. “However, full-scale textile recycling requires a combination of technologies, with BlockTexx® unlocking the solution for processing polyester-blended textiles.“

Industrial-scale expansion
BlockTexx® operates its first plant in Australia with a processing capacity of 10,000 tonnes per year, with plans for a second plant of 50,000 tonnes per year. Scaling up requires a strong investment partner. “Blended textiles like cotton-polyester account for over 60 per cent of global apparel production but are notoriously difficult to recycle due to fibre incompatibility and chemical contamination”, says Adrian Jones, co-founder of BlockTexx®. EREMA Group’s investment brings not only capital but also deep recycling expertise, proven technology and infrastructure. From the very beginning, it felt like a true partnership, Jones notes: “Both companies share the same intellectual curiosity and EREMA Group was committed to this journey from day one.” 

Textile industry faces recycling challenges
According to global non-profit Textile Exchange 75 million tonnes of synthetic fibres were produced in 2023, with polyester being the most common, accounting for 57 per cent of total fibre production. Recycling rates for polyester are estimated at only 1 per cent. “Currently, nearly all the recycled polyester in the clothing you see in retail stores is derived from PET plastic bottles” says Graham Ross, co-founder of BlockTexx®. As per Textile Exchange, recycled fibres constituted 7.7 per cent of the global fibre market in 2023, with 7 per cent being recycled polyester from waste PET bottles. Hackl emphasizes: “The goal must be to ensure that rPET from bottles is returned to new bottles. This investment is not only positive for the textile industry, but also for the plastics industry. By keeping rPET in the bottle-to-bottle loop, we can stabilize supply and prices for the market.”

With the EU recently adopting binding legislation that will make textile producers responsible for the collection, sorting and recycling of textile waste through mandatory Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes, the sector is set for change. As these rules come into force over the coming years, the demand for post-consumer textile recycling solutions is expected to grow significantly. “The EU legislation could fundamentally transform the sector. While most textile production takes place in Asia, Europe is a major consumer of fashion. This legislation will therefore have a significant global impact”, Ross notes.

Setting new standards for circularity
By combining mechanical processing, chemical separation, and fibre regeneration, the partnership establishes a model that sets new industrial standards for circularity. “Twenty-five years ago, people could not imagine bottle-to-bottle recycling. Today it is standard. I believe the same will happen for textile-to-textile recycling”, says Hackl. “The textile industry has been slow to recognize the importance of recycling, often citing difficulties as an excuse. Now there are no more excuses. Textile-to-textile recycling will become a reality at industrial-scale through the collaboration between EREMA and BlockTexx®,” adds Jones.

Through the strategic collaboration the EREMA Group emphasizes its commitment to returning polyester to the apparel production cycle and scaling up textile-to-textile recycling. “The PET fibre industry is three times the size of the PET bottle industry. We have been investing in the research and development of textile and fibre recycling for several years. With the technology we already provide for PET fibre recycling, our next step is to aim for full-scale industrial textile recycling. We consider BlockTexx® a key partner in this. Their technology paves the way for used textiles to re-enter the production cycle,” said Manfred Hackl, CEO of EREMA Group.

RE&UP is diving into Textile Exchange Conference 2025, joining a global community of innovators, brands, and changemakers. This year’s conference theme is Shifting Landscapes: Connecting Environmental Adaptation and Systems Transformation, which explores how the fashion industry can adapt, innovate, and accelerate the shift toward circularity. 

RE&UP is a circulartech company reshaping the traditional textile-to-textile paradigm. By producing Next-Gen Cotton and Next-Gen Polyester that maintain the same performance as virgin fibers, it brings sustainable solutions to life, addressing the planet's most pressing challenges. Enriched by SANKO’s centenary knowledge in textile innovation, RE&UP creates a circular ecosystem that transforms end-of-life textile waste into high-quality raw materials at scale.

On Day 1 of the event, Ebru Ozkucuk Guler, RE&UP’s Chief Sustainability Officer, joined the panel “Toward Impactful Textile-to-Textile Recycling Systems”, alongside Suhas Khandagale (H&M) and Cyndi Rhoades (Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems). The interactive session examined the current and future scale of feedstocks for textile-to-textile recycling, discussed legislation, sorting challenges, and explored practical solutions to accelerate circularity. 

“If we truly want to create a solution, brands must stay committed, stepping back is no longer an option,” said Ebru Ozkucuk Guler, RE&UP. “We were thrilled to share insights and explore actionable solutions with partners committed to circularity.” 

Beyond the panel, RE&UP is showcasing its pioneering circular solutions and engaging with brands and suppliers to translate sustainability commitments into measurable impact. By connecting practical solutions with policy insights and on-the-ground innovation, RE&UP is helping the industry move from theory to action, proving that circularity is not just a goal, but a tangible path forward. 

With the fashion industry facing increasing pressure to reduce waste and embrace regenerative practices, events like Textile Exchange are critical for building collaboration, sharing knowledge, and inspiring systemic change.

Jeanologia, a global leader in sustainable technologies for the textile industry, returns to Kingpins Amsterdam with its new collection “Mediterranean Soul”, blending nature, creativity, and technology to prove that authentic denim can be designed and produced with efficiency and minimal environmental impact.

The collection draws inspiration from the power of the Mediterranean Sea and the essence of Valencia, Jeanologia’s hometown. Following the devastating floods that hit the city in October 2024, the collection is a tribute to resilience, nature, and Mediterranean creativity, reinterpreted in the world’s most universal fabric: denim.

"Mediterranean Soul is a story of resilience and creativity brought to life through denim," says Carme Santacruz, Creative Director at Jeanologia. The collection captures the Mediterranean beauty and vibrancy in every garment: the deep blues of the sea, the golden texture of sand, sunlight reflecting on facades, and the lively energy of urban and natural landscapes. More than fashion, it is a manifesto— environmentally conscious design that is at once authentic, innovative, and sustainable. "Mediterranean Soul is a journey that connects our roots with our global mission to detoxify and dehydrate the fashion industry, without sacrificing creativity or efficiency," adds Santacruz.

Laser + G2 Ozone: bringing Mediterranean landscapes to life through denim
To capture this Mediterranean spirit, Jeanologia combines two most powerful technologies:

• Laser, which brings landscapes and natural textures to life with hyper-realistic, unique designs. It has transformed the way jeans are designed and produced, eliminating any hand tough and offering infinite creative possibilities. Today it allows reproducing vintage effects, 3D textures, breaks, or vector designs with precision, speed, and consistency, digitalizing the entire design process and ensuring creativity, quality, and efficiency.
• G2 Ozone Indra, whose ATMOS process creates abrasion and a wide variety of washes, from deep indigo blues to light tones, as well as blacks and greys. This “air washer” replaces traditional washing methods with ozone and precise humidity control, achieving authentic washes without water, chemicals, or pumice stones, and reducing both environmental impact and costs.

Together, Laser + G2 Ozone give designers total freedom to create authentic finishes with greater contrast, brightness, and naturalness, achieving true sustainability at the best cost.

‘Digital to real’, from virtual design to real garment
At Kingpins, Jeanologia also presents ‘Digital to Real’, a space where visitors can experience how digitalization accelerates the design-to-production process. With eDesigner, brands can develop and visualize denim finishes in a fully digital environment, reducing up to 80 percent of physical samples, cutting emissions, and connecting creativity directly with production.

‘Made in España’: creativity, innovation, and sustainability
At Kingpins, Jeanologia takes part in ‘Made in España’, a space that celebrates the strength and creativity of the Spanish textile industry.

Together with Recover, Jeanologia showcases circular, responsible, and creative denim, highlighting new ways to enhance sustainability and close the loop in denim production.
Alongside Textil Santanderina and Pinter, the company will inspire visitors with a collection that blends art and fashion, a reflection of Spanish innovation, craftsmanship, and contemporary creativity.

Reju, together with 11 other companies representing the textile value chain, launched the European Circular Textile Coalition’s manifesto for a fully circular textile economy, urging the EU to transform post-consumer textile waste into a driver of green jobs, innovation and competitiveness. 

The coalition is formed of businesses across the textile value chain; Reju, Resortecs, COLEO, Tissage de Charlieu, Synergies TLC, Nouvelles Fibres Textiles, Sympany, European Spinning Group, Ariadne, Erdotex, Utexbel, Noyfil.

Europe generates 12.6 million tonnes of textile waste annually, with most of it landfilled, incinerated or exported and just 1% recycled back into new garments. The coalition stresses that this is no longer acceptable. 

“We refuse to accept textile waste as an inevitability, instead, we see it as a solvable challenge for our generation,” the manifesto states. 

The coalition calls for urgent EU action to match regulatory ambition with investment in recycling and manufacturing systems. 

“Without system readiness, even the most forward-looking regulations risk falling short. We are here to help bridge that gap,” the group highlights. 

To drive change, the manifesto sets out three policy pillars: 

1. Ensure a competitive European textile chain, bringing production back to European shores to uphold environmental and labour standards. 
2. Prioritise high-quality textile-to-textile recycling, making post-consumer textile waste the main feedstock for new textiles. 
3. Set mandatory recycled content in textiles, with ambitious but realistic targets phased in over time. 

‘Reju is a system change company and we strongly believe that change happens with collaboration. That is why this collation is important to drive change collectively as an industry pulling together and we welcome more businesses to join us.’ says Patrik Frisk, Reju CEO. 

“Voluntary efforts have proven grossly insufficient – we need binding standards to drive demand for recycled materials,” the coalition insists. 

The coalition is launching an advocacy tour to engage policymakers and invites other actors from across the textile value chain to join its mission. 

“Now is the time to act — because when a world without waste is possible, we cannot afford to wait!

About Reju
Reju is a materials regeneration company focused on creating innovative solutions for regenerating polyester textiles and post-consumer PET waste. Owned by Technip Energies and utilizing technology originating with IBM Research, Reju is driven by its purpose to unlock infinite possibilities within finite resources. The company aims to establish a global textile recycling circular system to regenerate and recirculate polyester textiles. 

Freudenberg Performance Materials Apparel (Freudenberg Apparel) celebrates the grand opening of a major expansion at its manufacturing facility in Chennai, India, on October 14, adding 20,000 square feet of production space and introducing new production lines tailored to the Indian apparel market. This strategic investment is aimed at significantly reducing lead times and enhancing the availability of high-quality, locally produced interlinings for the fast-evolving apparel sector in India and South Asia.

The expansion increases the facility’s manufacturing area from 40,000 to 60,000 square feet and introduces specialized production lines for 100% cotton interlinings and 100% polyester interlinings. These new lines especially enable local production of Chinese-equivalent polyester bi-elastic shirt and polyester woven interlinings, meeting rising demand for innovative, premium materials with faster delivery.

Significantly shorter lead times
Equipped with state-of-the-art machinery, the extended facility enhances quality assurance and accelerates production processes. Lead times for Indian manufacturers will be reduced from the 6–8 weeks needed for China imports to just 1–2 weeks with local production. Additionally, customers can expect a cost advantage compared to duty-paid imported goods.

Support network for Indian textile industry
Since the company expanded into India in 1998, Freudenberg Apparel has developed a support network for the Indian textile industry, including technical solution studios in Chennai, Bangalore, and Gurgaon. These studios provide technical consultations, solution services, technical seminars, trend collection and mockups, interlining recommendation reports, and fusing press audits – services that complement the expanded manufacturing capabilities. 

The new production lines join existing paste dot, 3P printing, and powder dot printing capabilities at the Chennai facility, broadening the range of products that can be produced locally.

At K 2025 in Duesseldorf, the Reifenhäuser Group unveiled its new company-wide machine user interface, which offers a uniform design language for blown film, flat film, and nonwoven lines, as well as particularly simple operation. The overall concept impressed not only customers, but also the jury of the German Design Awards, who honored the system with the prestigious design award during the trade fair.

In times of a growing global shortage of skilled workers, the simple and intuitive operation of production equipment is a decisive success factor. That is why Reifenhäuser has completely redesigned its human-machine interface (HMI) and introduced a completely new, visually appealing, and responsive solution. It combines the highly complex and heterogeneous requirements of different extrusion machines in a flexible and scalable system. Reifenhäuser will be showcasing the new HMI at its open house during the K trade fair on its new EVO GEN3 and EVEREX blown film and flat film lines. 

The operator can access every setting with a maximum of two clicks and, thanks to customizable dashboards and a clearly laid out start-up page, retains control over the entire extrusion process at all times. The intelligent color concept and the intuitive, responsive touch interface significantly speed up operation.

The new development was carried out in collaboration with HMI Project, a renowned agency specializing in human-machine interfaces (HMI). The new HMI was developed with a focus on people in order to simplify everyday operation of complex machines. In a user-centered process, real-life usage scenarios were analyzed and validated through usability tests. The result is a modular, scalable, and extremely flexible interface that combines technical complexity and user-friendliness at the highest level. Assistance systems, informative illustrations, and a clear visual hierarchy support the operator in setting up, monitoring, and optimizing sensitive production processes. 

The German Design Award is one of the most prestigious awards in the design landscape. Since 2012, the award has identified significant design trends, made them visible, and honored them. Every year, outstanding work in the fields of product design, communication design, and architecture is recognized.