en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA), Jeanologia, and Looptworks have announced a cooperation agreement to jointly promote the industrial-scale deployment of textile recycling.
The agreement formally establishes collaboration among the three organizations, aiming to transform textile recycling from research-based innovation into commercially viable solutions supported by the industry. In this partnership, HKRITA serves as the technology provider, Jeanologia as the machinery partner, and Looptworks as a potential adopter.
At the core of this initiative is HKRITA's Green Machine 4.0. This is the latest version of the institute's hydrothermal recycling technology, capable of extracting polyester from cotton-polyester blends with a purity of 98% or higher. According to HKRITA, the process does not involve hazardous methods. Jeanologia will provide machinery that meets European CE high-pressure standards to facilitate integration with other industrial processes. Looptworks, a B Corp-certified recycling specialist, plans to use recycled materials to manufacture Global Recycled Standard (GRS)-certified fibers from various types of pre-consumer and post-consumer textiles.
The partnership aims to support broader adoption of the technology by textile industry players, helping recyclers and manufacturers process materials that were previously difficult to recycle. HKRITA believes this could enable recycled fibers to be integrated into commercial fashion supply chains and support a shift toward more environmentally sustainable production methods. The institute also emphasized that textile recyclers participating in this ecosystem may gain new revenue opportunities.
Jake Koh, CEO of HKRITA, stated: "The circular economy is no longer a distant goal. With Green Machine 4.0 now proven to be ready for adoption and scalable, this partnership marks a decisive shift from research to commercialization. True innovation is defined by real-world impact, and today we are making it a reality."
Enrique Silla, CEO and founder of Jeanologia, added: "Over the past 25 years, we have transformed the denim industry through technology, innovation, and collaboration. Today, we bring the same experience to one of the industry's biggest challenges: textile-to-textile recycling. By combining HKRITA's innovation, Jeanologia's industrial engineering and textile bleaching expertise, and Looptworks' operational deployment, we are creating a model that helps achieve circularity on an industrial scale."
Scott Hamlin, founder and CEO of Looptworks, said: "Looptworks has had a partnership with HKRITA for over a decade. The Green Machine is a paradigm of what is possible in textile recycling. Mixed materials have long been a major barrier to circularity, and this technology allows us to realize their value at scale. By reintroducing recycled fibers into the supply chain, we are proving that circular solutions are both environmentally and economically viable."
HKRITA is inviting textile recyclers, fashion brands, and manufacturing companies to join the Green Machine ecosystem. The organization seeks more collaborators to adopt and scale the initiative, with the goal of promoting ecologically responsible solutions for the textile waste industry.
