Kelheim Joins Recycling Atelier Augsburg

Kelheim Fibres, the world’s leading manufacturer of viscose speciality fibres, has joined Recycle Atelier Augsburg. Recycling Atelier Augsburg is a unique center for research and development in the field of textile recycling located at the Institut für Textiltechnik Augsburg an affiliated institute of Augsburg University of Applied Sciences. The Recycling Atelier was established by the two schools in June 2022, along with 12 partners from the German textile sector.

The Recycling Atelier Augsburg serves as a model factory that integrates the most crucial textile recycling procedures and provides all-encompassing research along the value chain, according to Georg Stegschuster, director of the Recycling Atelier Augsburg. The researchers study each stage of the recycling process for textiles, from material analysis through preparation, sorting, and textile processing, to sustainable product design. A key component is the collecting of extensive data, the application of artificial intelligence, and cutting-edge materials.

High-quality viscose fibers are made by Kelheim Fibres from cellulose, the primary component of wood, a sustainable raw resource, and are used all over the world for products in categories like hygiene, textiles, and technological applications.

Maik Thiel, project manager at Kelheim Fibres, said that they adhere to the Open Innovation philosophy in New Business Development as well as Fibre and Application Development; their partnership with the Recycle Atelier provides them with the perfect framework for doing so. Here, they collaborate with partners to increase performance and sustainability.

Because recovered cotton strands are frequently quite small or irregular in length, processing 100% recycled material can be difficult. Here is where Kelheim Fibres’ specialty fibers come into play, since their incorporation should make it possible to produce new, high-quality goods like nonwovens. Future versions of Kelheim Fibres’ fibers will also be created from pulp that has already been recycled. Closing the loop further.

The Recycling Atelier places a strong emphasis on the trifecta of technological, ecological, and economic rationality. By doing this, the Recycling Atelier’s partners are combating rapid fashion, outsourced corporate responsibility, and a general reduction in the quality of raw materials, which frequently encourages downcycling, or the reuse of low-quality materials.