Re&Up general manager: ‘The next two to three years will be the most exciting for the European textile industry’

Re&Up is among the pioneers of textile-to-textile recycling and one of the few companies that implemented textile recycling technologies on an industrial scale years ago. This is all the more astonishing given that Re&Up has even managed to separate cotton-polyester blended fabrics into their components and convert the raw materials into new yarns.

Behind the Dutch company is Sanko Holding, one of Turkey’s largest conglomerates. Its textile division, which includes yarn and fabric manufacturer Sanko Textile and denim weaver Isko, uses Re&Up’s recycled yarns for its own production. But Re&Up has bigger plans. FashionUnited spoke with Andreas Dorner, general manager of Re&Up, about how textile-to-textile recycling has evolved, why new criteria for the sustainability assessment of recycled fibres are needed and what he expects from future EU legislation.

Dorner discusses how and when the idea for Re&Up came about

The technology for Re&Up was developed about ten years ago out of the necessity to find a way to reuse the cotton production waste generated within the Sanko Group. We made many discoveries along the way, particularly in the area of machinery and the qualities required for successful cotton recycling. Since Isko manufactures denim, we also had to deal with issues of dyeing and finishing.

Initially, the supply of recycled fibres on the market was very limited – there was mainly mechanically recycled, pre-dyed cotton in red, blue or green. This was not what textile manufacturers needed. So we started thinking: How can we decolourise these fibres? And not only that. Eventually, our R&D team managed to remove not only the colour but also the elastane from a cotton-rich fabric (for example, 80 percent cotton, the rest polyester and elastane), so that we could reuse both cotton and polyester.

Dorner discusses the proportion of recycled cotton in Re&Up yarns and fabrics

Our goal is not just to produce a yarn made from 100 percent recycled cotton, but blends with a 10 to 30 percent proportion that offer excellent performance. Isko has developed and patented a yarn whose core consists of a recycled polyester filament wrapped with recycled cotton and viscose. This polyester core is essential for the stability of the yarn.

Dorner explains why Re&Up was established as an independent company

It can be difficult to explain this product to a denim manufacturer. And over time, it became clear that the EU might soon mandate a certain percentage of recycled fibres, which would increase market demand. This prompted us to establish Re&Up as an independent company outside the Sanko Group, officially based in the Netherlands. The market for recycled fibres is currently estimated at around 40 million tonnes per year, and we are aiming for a production of around one million tonnes or more.

Dorner discusses Re&Up’s production phase

No. At Re&Up, we don’t just build pilot plants for small-scale production, we ramp up production immediately. This was essential from the start, as Isko and Sanko alone require large quantities of next-gen fibres for their production. Producing in such quantities is also cost-efficient, which is crucial for the success of recycled yarns and fabrics.

Dorner discusses Re&Up’s ability to recycle polyester

We cannot ignore polyester – it is in the world. When developing our polyester core yarn technology, it was important to us to ensure that our recycling process is also effective for polyester. So we developed a unique process for textile-to-textile polyester recycling in collaboration with machine manufacturers and other partners. This allows us to offer the two largest fibre groups – polyester and cotton – as fully recycled and decolourised textile-to-textile products.

Dorner discusses Re&Up’s use of post-consumer textiles

It was clear that treating post-consumer textiles had to be a priority. This is where the greatest need for action exists, also from a legislative point of view. So, despite the quality problems that arise from recycling post-consumer textiles, we started recycling used textiles. To stabilise the quality, we always mix in some pre-consumer waste, which currently accounts for about 10 to 15 percent.

We would like to produce 100 percent post-consumer yarns, but this is often not feasible because the molecular structure of cotton is too short after use. To improve the quality, we have to supplement it with post-industrial waste. However, we are already at an advanced stage with our technology, which is constantly being improved to also improve the strength of recycled yarns with a high proportion of post-consumer textiles.

Dorner discusses how Re&Up sorts post-consumer waste

We also had to realign ourselves technologically for this. We took a backward integration approach and analysed what is necessary to ensure an optimal recycling process. Sorting companies operate according to a resale-based business model. They extract about seven to ten percent of the items that can be resold as second-hand goods and sort them into up to 180 fractions. However, we only need about 20 sorting fractions – cotton-heavy and polyester-heavy fabrics and a few colours. By configuring the sorting plants accordingly, they can run much faster and achieve the required production volumes. In addition, this approach is cost-effective.

Dorner discusses what happens to the other 90 to 93 percent of products that sorters cannot resell

Although the EU wants to reduce the export of unsold goods and used textiles and process them further within the EU, these fractions still find various ways abroad. There are very different channels, and the European Environment Agency published a recent study on this on March 25, 2025. Much of it goes to Pakistan and via the Middle East to Africa. Unusable parts are used as filling material and unfortunately mostly end up in landfills.

Dorner discusses whether Re&Up pays for post-consumer textile waste

It depends on the needs of the company. Ultimately, we offer the industry a solution because they would normally have to pay for the disposal or incineration of textile waste. Sometimes we pay for it because we need very specific materials, even though we can sometimes get certain fractions for free.

However, one has to be careful - we have seen the effects with the bankruptcy of Soex and other companies. It is important to keep processes and costs under control, otherwise the resulting fabric will become too expensive for anyone who wants to buy it. The market is evolving, especially with the new European regulations, which are making it increasingly difficult to export waste abroad. The current oversupply of waste in Europe is working to our advantage.

Dorner discusses the impact of large recyclers like Soex or new players like Renewcell going bankrupt

Of course, we are interested in securing the continued existence of the recycling market, and what happened with Renewcell and Soex is a setback for everyone. To solve this problem, all stakeholders need to work together. That is why collaboration and advocating for common interests are so important.

Dorner discusses why recycled fibres do not necessarily perform better than virgin fibres in life cycle assessments (LCA)

According to LCA and PEF [Product Environmental Footprint], recycling is considered inefficient because it requires more energy. However, this is comparing apples and oranges. The real question is: What happens to the textile waste? It exists. Is it better to recycle it or not? I think we need different measurement parameters. If you look at water consumption, for example, recycled cotton and polyester perform significantly better than new fibres: they require 80 to 90 percent less water and 80 percent less land.

Dorner discusses the importance of the new EU regulations for Re&Up’s business model

They are crucial. One of the most important regulations is the mandatory separate collection of textile waste, which is to be enforced throughout Europe from 2025. Another important regulation is the Ecodesign Directive, from which we expect it to prescribe a certain percentage of recycled fibres in new products. As far as the collection of recycled material is concerned, we work closely with the brands. Some brands have good access to recycled material, and countries like the Netherlands, Spain and France have already built up strong recycling infrastructures.

However, implementation and sorting structures vary from country to country. Harmonisation will be crucial, but it is also important to avoid excessive bureaucracy. We need a compromise that may not be perfect at first, but that allows us to get started. Over time, we will all learn how to optimise the process.

Dorner discusses what legally binding recycling quotas are appropriate

I believe that a reasonable percentage would be between 15 and 20 percent. This ensures that the product remains comparable to virgin fibres in terms of performance, texture and attractiveness. It must be borne in mind that not every company can easily integrate recycled material into its production.

Therefore, it would be unrealistic to immediately demand a 50 percent share, especially since Europe does not yet have the required supply. After all, it could also lead to problems if there was a strong dependence on imported recycled polyester or cotton fibres, because then the core problem could not be effectively addressed. Namely, to further process our own textile waste here in Europe. In the next two to three years, which will probably be the most exciting for the European textile industry, the focus will be on creating many new green jobs to effectively manage waste in Europe.

Dorner discusses where Re&Up produces its yarns

We are currently expanding two existing factories in Turkey. Once these are completed, we will also build two factories in Europe to establish production within the EU and process European waste for European markets. The planned locations are expected to be France and Spain, with a capacity of 60,000 to 80,000 tonnes and the possibility of further expansion.

However, our focus is not only on Europe. We are also considering expanding into Asia and the Middle East, where large waste streams converge. A hub could be set up there to collect textile waste before it is transported to Africa. In addition, talks are currently underway regarding India and Bangladesh.

Dorner discusses the extent to which denim weaver Isko uses recycled materials

Isko offers a wide range of collections with varying proportions of recycled materials, starting at 20 percent. However, we always use a polyester core in the yarn. Some fabrics already contain up to 80 percent recycled material to show what is possible. This is not yet commercially mainstream, but sustainability-conscious brands are focusing on higher proportions.

Dorner discusses why the denim industry is more advanced in the use of recycled fibres than other industries

Denim has several advantages. Yarns with a polyester core are easier for spinning mills to produce because they can be slightly coarser, making them more suitable for denim than for finer fabrics. Also, the denim community is very environmentally conscious. There is a strong awareness of reducing water consumption, water-free dyeing processes and minimising the use of chemicals. I think that's why the recycling movement took hold much earlier in the denim industry.

Dorner discusses whether new, unsold goods could be used as recycled material

As I understand the current EU regulations, there is a clear guideline that the starting material must consist of post-consumer goods. Unused or excess stock is not permitted. If the EU were to allow this category of goods for recycling, it would continue to encourage overproduction, which contradicts the basic principles of the Green Deal.

Dorner discusses how Re&Up proves that its fabrics actually contain recycled fibres

We use tracers. As a fibre manufacturer, we strongly advocate physical tracers. This way, we can check whether a product contains recycled fibres and provide physical proof. Brands, on the other hand, often argue that a mass-balanced, digital traceability system would be sufficient. But I think, even if excessive bureaucratic effort should be avoided, we still need to be able to answer the question: Is the stated content actually contained in the product?

Consumers consciously choose sustainable products to make a positive contribution. If it turns out that the stated recycled content is incorrect, it damages trust and shifts the focus solely to price, which leads to a race to the bottom. Traceability systems are no longer rocket science - anyone can use them.

Dorner discusses the cost of using tracers

Of course, but it ensures product safety. If we can check the contents of a product at every stage of the supply chain, it provides security and protects the brands. Imagine an NGO testing a product and finding that it contains less recycled fibre than stated. The damage to the brands’ image would be huge, and in the US they could face lawsuits worth millions of dollars. I don’t think there is any way around using tracers.

Dorner discusses Re&Up’s goal for the next five years

Our vision is to produce more than one million tonnes by 2030. This would have an enormous impact and significantly reduce global CO2 emissions. Today, textile waste generates 2.5 billion cubic metres of CO2 and over one billion cubic metres of wastewater. Much of this comes from cotton production. Our goal is to reduce this impact and eliminate the mountains of textile waste in Ghana, the Atacama Desert and Kenya.