The textile waste recycling company RE&UP, part of the Sanko Group, wants to expand its processing capacity to 1 million tonnes per year. This objective is part of its scalability plan, and the Dutch company has just obtained a loan of 70 million Euro to help it grow.

As part of its search for a location to start up a new recycling plant, company officials have visited Castile-La Mancha. There, they learned first-hand about the advantages of setting up business at this site, such as simplified administrative processes, as well as the availability of industrial land and renewable energy at competitive prices.

Circular economy in the fashion industry
The company has identified many aspects it has in common with the Community of Castile-La Mancha. Fundamentally, its vision of leading the transition to a circular economy in the fashion industry, by transforming textile waste into high-quality Next-Gen materials would fit with this region's commitment to developing a more sustainable industry.

The 70-million-euro loan granted by France's Proparco will enable RE&UP to expand both its textile recycling capacity and the production of state-of-the-art recycled materials, in line with its commitment to sustainability and environmental management. Part of this funding will stay in Turkey, at the plant in Gaziantep.

Innovative technology
As part of its commitment to the environment, and as a complement to the circular economy for fashion, the company intends to power its facilities with energy from 100% renewable sources, including solar panels on its roofs. In recognition of the company’s initiatives in this vein, it has received a carbon management award in its home country.

The company also received two Just Style Excellence Awards this year. The first of these recognises its textile recycling technology, which processes a variety of waste, including polycotton blends. The second values its efforts to promote circular fashion and reduce textile waste.

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has also awarded this year's prize to the Dutch company for its innovative recycling technology. The company has developed a patent-pending technology that makes it possible to produce state-of-the-art Next-Gen Cotton and Next-Gen Polyester that are on par with virgin ones.

^{Photo: RE&UP}