The result of long development work by two pioneers in the textile industry is ReTouch, a new cotton/polyester fabric for demanding workwear applications. What makes ReTouch special is that it contains over 10% recycled fibers from salvaged sheets and workwear. Meets the requirements of workwear fabrics in terms of quality and durability. The recycled content in the fabric reduces emissions and carbon footprint by almost 10% compared to similar fabrics made entirely from virgin raw materials.
Touchpoint and Rester have teamed up for ReTouch, a sustainable workwear fabric containing at least 10% recycled fibers. Reduce carbon emissions by nearly 10%. It meets quality standards for harsh operations and is suitable for industrial cleaning. This highlights the value of textile recycling. Future plans include expanding the use of recycled fibers and increasing the recycled content of textile products.
Product development for this workwear fabric has already begun in 2021 with the aim of proving that machined recycled fibers are suitable as workwear materials.
“At Touchpoint, we are excited that ReTouch fabrics meet the quality requirements of workwear fabrics and are also suitable for industrial laundering.” Touchpoint CEO Noura Salonoja. “We can now offer more sustainable solutions to a broader customer base, from the hospitality sector to the care industry.”
“Long-term product development in collaboration with various stakeholders has proven that the collection, sorting and mechanical recycling of used textiles has value in the textile circular economy ecosystem. “We have an opportunity to accelerate the growth of textiles, strengthen the textile sector and set new standards for textiles.” Anna Kaisa Hutunen, Director of Partnerships at Rester.
Textile fiber recovery not only provides a solution to the growing textile waste problem, but also reduces the need for virgin raw materials from Asia and reduces emissions from textile production, water and energy consumption. Textile fiber production has doubled in the past 20 years (Textile Exchange 2022), and the textile sector is a major contributor to climate change emissions. The production of one tonne of fiber generates approximately 15-35 tonnes of CO2e (EEA 2023a). Europe generates approximately 7.5 million tonnes of textile waste annually, of which approximately one-third is collected and only 1% recycled into textiles. Of the 90 million kg of textile waste generated each year in Finland, approximately 80% is used as raw material for energy production (Gaia, STJM 2020). It is clear that a more sustainable approach is needed in the textile sector.
Touchpoint and Rester’s next goal is to expand the use of recycled fibers in other workwear fabrics and gradually increase the percentage of recycled content in their fabrics. ReTouch fabric has already been tested in product development by workwear rental company Lindström, which is interested in adding the material to its fabric range.
Note: The content of this press release has not been edited by Fibre2Fashion staff.
Fibre2Fashion News Desk (RM)