Denim manufacturer Isko, headquartered in Bursa, Turkey, has partnered with Swedish research and development company MoRe Research, a part of RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, to investigate and develop new, sustainable technologies made from cellulosic-based materials derived from waste textiles.

Isko will draw on MoRe’s expertise and resources to find ways of repurposing clean and toxic-free cellulose powders that are created from decomposed cotton, as well as recycled polyester, and reintegrate them back into fabric production.

The long-term aim is that by using all of the outputs from the recycling of textiles back into textiles, the prospect of a closed-loop system for Isko’s 25,000+ range of products will become more feasible.

“This is a strategic partnership where each of us is contributing our knowledge and expertise – Isko in fabric development and MoRe Research in their work with cellulosic materials – to explore new possibilities and develop sustainable solutions that will help us reduce our impact on the environment,” said Isko CEO, Fatih KonukoÄŸlu.

In July, Isko announced a licensing agreement for the award-winning Green Machine – the one-of-a-kind technology that fully separates and recycles cotton and polyester blends at scale developed by the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA).

The technology is still at the pilot stage, but is an additional step in Isko’s drive to improve and commercialise recycling technologies which will eventually enable the it to offer a 100% post-consumer recycling solution to all of its customers. In addition, Isko and HKRITA will work together to develop related technology.

The Green Machine employs an ultra-efficient hydrothermal treatment method that decomposes cotton into cellulose powders and enables the separation of polyester fibres from blended fabrics. The closed-loop process uses only water, heat and less than 5% biodegradable green chemicals.

www.iskodenim.com