Using recycled materials is a start, but there is much more to a closed cycle. Two pioneers in sustainable sports and outdoor clothing have now teamed up to start fiber-to-fiber recycling with the help of the Wear2Wear initiative: Pyua and Sympatex Technologies. The two companies presented their project at the recent edition of Munich Fabric Start in Munich.
The German outdoor brand Pyua has existed since 2008. From the start its USP has combined sustainability and functional clothing–not just in individual highlight products, but, if possible, throughout the entire collection, including upstream and downstream processes. Pure material flows and textile recycling has been a major part of Pyua for a long time. This year, under the new owner SPIN Capital GmbH from Munich, the brand has been relaunched. The focus on sustainability remains central but the look is to become more modern and the use more versatile. At the Munich Fabric Start trade show, Sympatex and Pyua joined forces to present their closed-loop solution.
The functional fabrics specialist Schoeller Textil AG from Switzerland, laminate manufacturer Sympatex, recycler and yarn manufacturer Heinrich Glaeser Nachfolger and Märkische Faser as well as the Dutch workwear specialist and inspirer for the concept, DutchSpirit, are involved. They prove that it is possible to recycle worn polyester clothing without any loss of quality and on an industrial scale.
New functional textiles are already produced from old textiles from Europe on the most modern production facilities. Depending on the area of application, the functional textiles meet high standards and requirements such as waterproofness, breathability, protection and comfort. So far, fiber-to-fiber recycling has mainly worked in workwear, where large quantities are achieved and the return transport of the clothing to the recycler can be organized more easily via the companies.
Now it's a matter of expanding the circular system to include regular fashion and sports products. Pyua wants to play an essential part in this: As the first brand partner of the Wear2Wear initiative, the brand wants to collect used clothing with the help of retailers and the Internet, pre-sort and possibly repair it and feed 100% polyester products into the Wear2Wear cycle and its specialized partners. Large return volumes are not expected at the beginning. The commitment is therefore also intended to encourage others to join in. The more brands participate, the better.
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