A new collaboration aims to accelerate the commercial-scale recycling of blended textiles. On Wednesday, The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Spanish finishing technology firm Jeanologia and U.S. textile-to-textile recycling specialist Looptworks to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem. The tripartite initiative unites HKRITA with Jeanologia as the first official machinery partner and Looptworks as a prospective adopter, advancing Green Machine Textile Recycling across multiple settings.
Technology application and delivery
The technology has been applied to the production of H&M Group’s Monki brand and Turkish denim mill Isko. Through this collaboration, Jeanologia will deliver “industry-ready machinery engineered to European standards that meets the CE high-pressure requirement, enabling seamless integration and streamlined logistics.” B-Corp Looptworks will transform pre- and post-consumer textiles into high-quality GRS-certified fibers, reinforcing the focus on textile recycling and blended textiles within the Green Machine Textile Recycling effort.
From research to adoption-scalable deployment
The collaboration represents a move from research-driven innovation to proven, adoption-scalable deployment. The partners highlighted that this cross-industry collaboration supports large-scale textile recycling across diverse settings and provides a viable pathway for circular transformation within the broader circular economy. Looptworks and HKRITA have worked together for over a decade to research and further develop textile circularity innovations.
Executive perspectives
Scott Hamlin, founder and CEO of Looptworks, said the Green Machine represents a “shining example” of what is possible for textile recycling. “Blended materials have long been a major barrier to circularity, and this technology enables us to effectively realize their value at scale. By reintroducing recovered fibers into the supply chain, we are proving that circular solutions are both environmentally practical and economically viable,” he said.
Jake Koh, HKRITA’s chief executive officer, emphasized how the circular economy is no longer a distant goal it is here. “True innovation is defined by real-world impact, and today we are making it a reality,” he said.
Jeanologia’s role and industry background
The partnership brings Jeanologia into the textile-to-textile recycling space. For the last 25 years, the company has transformed the denim industry through laser, ozone and other sustainable finishing technologies. “At Jeanologia, we believe recycling must become part of the industry’s pre-competitive space, where companies work together to create solutions that no single organization can achieve alone,” said Enrique Silla, Jeanologia CEO and founder. “By combining HKRITA’s innovation, Jeanologia’s industrial engineering and textile bleaching expertise, and Looptworks’ operational deployment, we are creating a model that can help make circularity a reality at industrial scale.”
Pathway for circular transformation
As the first machinery partner, Jeanologia’s industrial machinery is positioned to integrate seamlessly with operational needs, while Looptworks focuses on processing pre- and post-consumer inputs into GRS-certified fibers. Together with HKRITA, the partners underscored that their cross-industry approach enables textile recycling at scale for blended textiles and aligns with the circular economy goals outlined in this initiative. The focus on industrial machinery, blended textiles and GRS-certified fibers reflects the intended outcomes of the collaboration.
