HKRITA, Jeanologia and Looptworks Partner to Scale Circular Textile Recycling
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New Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem aims to accelerate commercial recycling of blended textiles through industry collaboration
HKRITA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jeanologia and Looptworks to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem, a collaborative initiative focused on advancing large-scale recycling of blended textiles. The partnership brings together textile recycling technology, industrial machinery and commercial implementation to support circular textile production.
The tripartite collaboration positions Jeanologia as the first official machinery partner and Looptworks as a prospective adopter of the technology, creating a framework that connects research, engineering and industrial deployment.
HKRITA launches Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem
The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) officially signed the MoU with Jeanologia and Looptworks to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem, designed to support scalable recycling of cotton-polyester blended textiles.
The initiative combines HKRITA's recycling technology, Jeanologia's industrial machinery expertise and Looptworks' recycling operations to facilitate commercial implementation of circular textile solutions.
Green Machine 4.0 at the centre of the collaboration
The collaboration is built around HKRITA's Green Machine 4.0, the latest version of its hydrothermal textile recycling technology.
According to HKRITA, Green Machine 4.0 recovers polyester at 98% or higher purity from cotton-polyester textiles without harmful processes.
Jeanologia will provide industry-ready machinery engineered to European standards that complies with CE high-pressure requirements, supporting equipment integration and logistics. Looptworks, a Certified B-Corp recycling specialist, will process pre- and post-consumer textiles into GRS-certified fibres for commercial applications.
The partners stated that the collaboration is intended to support industrial implementation of circular textile recycling across different production environments.
Supporting circular textile production
The Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem combines scientific research, engineering and operational deployment to support textile recycling.
According to HKRITA, the initiative enables textile recyclers to process blended textile materials, supports fashion brands in incorporating recycled fibres into supply chains at commercial volumes, and assists manufacturers in adopting circular production models aimed at reducing reliance on virgin resources.
Industry leaders comment on the partnership
Mr Jake Koh, Chief Executive Officer of HKRITA, said:
“The circular economy is no longer a distant goal—it is here. With the Green Machine 4.0 now proven adoption-ready and scalable, this partnership marks a decisive shift from research to commercialisation. True innovation is defined by real-world impact, and today we are making it a reality."
Mr Enrique Silla, CEO and Founder of Jeanologia, said:
“For the last 25 years, we have transformed the denim industry through technology, innovation and collaboration. Today, we are bringing that same experience to one of the industry's greatest challenges: textile-to-textile recycling. At Jeanologia, we believe recycling must become part of the industry's pre-competitive space, where companies work together to create solutions that no single organisation can achieve alone. By combining HKRITA's innovation, Jeanologia's industrial engineering and textile bleaching expertise, and Looptworks' operational deployment, we are creating a model that can help make circularity a reality at industrial scale.”
Mr Scott Hamlin, Founder and CEO of Looptworks, said:
“Looptworks has had a relationship with HKRITA for over a decade. We are proud to have worked together with the research and management teams at HKRITA to further develop textile circularity innovations at scale. The Green Machine represents a shining example of what is possible for textile recycling. Blended materials have long been a major barrier to circularity, and this technology enables us to effectively realise their value at scale. By reintroducing recovered fibres into the supply chain, we are proving that circular solutions are both environmentally practical and economically viable.”
Invitation for wider industry participation
HKRITA stated that it is inviting textile recyclers, fashion brands and manufacturing partners to participate in the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem to explore opportunities for collaboration, technology adoption and future expansion.