Breaking new ground in textile recycling, the Thuringian Research Institute for Textiles and Plastics (TITK) Rudolstadt showcased a polo shirt made from triple-recycled cellulose fiber at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan.

At the Expo, Benjamin Redlingshöfer, Managing Director, TTK wore a polo shirt emblazoned with 300 per cent recycling, demonstrating the institute's groundbreaking achievement. The shirt's fabric is made from Lyohemp an innovative lyocell fiber from TITK derived from hemp pulp. The fiber can undergo three successive recycling processes while retaining the desirable qualities needed for a stylish, comfortable garment.

The fiber makes closed textile recycling cycles feasible, states Redlingshöfer. It elevates the recycling process in the textile industry to a whole new level, he adds.

Traditionally, textile recycling often involves downcycling, where high-quality textile fibers are converted into lower-quality products. Even in these cycles, recycled material typically comprises only 20 per cent to 40 per cent of the final product, with the remainder being virgin material.

TITK's fiber-to-fiber recycling program aims to overcome this limitation by producing recycled fibers that match the quality and performance of premium virgin fibers. The TITK has now impressively demonstrated that not only is 100 per cent recycling of cellulose fibers possible, but that this process can even be used three times in a row without having to compromise on desired fiber characteristics such as a pleasant, soft feel, a slight luster, and very good, even dyeability, explains Redlingshöfer

Building on the success of the Lyohemp® recycling project, TITK researchers are now applying their findings to polycotton textiles, further expanding the potential for truly circular textile production by separating synthetic and cellulosic fiber streams for high-quality recycling.