Trio of Swiss textile firms join forces to close the cotton material cycle
Amriswil/Bühler/Fehraltdorf/Porto - Three Swiss textile companies are launching a loungewear collection made from RCO100, the world’s first 100 percent recycled cotton fiber developed by Säntis Textiles. ISA Sallmann processes the yarns into fabrics, while E. Schellenberg Textildruck is responsible for finishing them. The ready-to-wear products are produced in Portugal.
(CONNECT) A trio of Swiss family-owned companies, Säntis Textiles, ISA Sallmann and E. Schellenberg Textildruck, have, according to a press release, joined forces in order to jointly launch an exclusive loungewear collection made from 100 percent recycled cotton throughout Switzerland and the whole of Europe. The garments are made from the RCO100 fiber developed by Säntis Textiles, which is based in Bühler in the Swiss canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden.
In 2016, Säntis designed a textile recycling system that facilitates the recovery of long-staple cotton fibers from textile waste without the need to use water or chemicals. The fibers retain their original structure and quality and can be spun to a very high fineness. “This is not merely recycled cotton”, explains Säntis owner Stefan Hutter, “it’s a milestone in textile circularity”.
ISA Sallmann, based in Amriswil in the canton of Thurgau, processes these yarns into fabrics, which, “guarantees the luxurious quality and softness of the textiles”, the company states. “Through our collaboration with Säntis Textiles and their groundbreaking RCO100 technology, as well as with Schellenberg Textildruck, we are bringing sustainability in loungewear to a level that has never before been seen”, co-CEO Christian Sallmann underlines.
E. Schellenberg Textildruck from the Zurich Oberland region, the hilly south-eastern part of the canton of Zurich, is responsible for the final preparation and finishing steps of the RCO100 knitted fabrics. “All of the work steps that we perform as part of this innovative and future-oriented circular process are extremely environmentally friendly and carried out exclusively in Switzerland”, says owner and Managing Director Urs Schellenberg.
At ISA’s proprietary production facility Jerisa, a subsidiary of ISA Sallmann AG in Porto, Portugal, the fabrics are cut into ready-to-wear products. All cutting scraps from production and worn-out garments are collected and recycled at Säntis Textiles, before being reprocessed into new RCO100 yarn. ce/mm
