The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) has partnered with Jeanologia and Looptworks to support the commercial deployment of Green Machine 4.0, its latest hydrothermal textile recycling technology. Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the collaboration brings together technology development, machinery engineering and industrial implementation to advance textile-to-textile recycling.
Under the partnership, Jeanologia becomes the first official machinery partner for the Green Machine platform, while Looptworks will support its industrial adoption by incorporating the recovered materials into recycling operations.
At the core of the ecosystem is HKRITA’s Green Machine 4.0, which uses hydrothermal technology to recover polyester from cotton-polyester blended textiles at a purity of 98% or higher without the use of harmful chemical processes. Jeanologia will supply industrial machinery designed to European standards and compliant with CE high-pressure requirements, supporting the technology’s commercial deployment. Looptworks, a Certified B Corporation specialising in textile recycling, will convert pre- and post-consumer textile waste into GRS-certified recycled fibres, helping integrate recovered materials back into the textile value chain.
“This partnership marks a decisive shift from research to commercialisation”
Jake Koh, Chief Executive Officer of HKRITA, said the partnership represents an important step towards the commercialisation of the Green Machine technology. “With the Green Machine 4.0 now proven adoption-ready and scalable, this partnership marks a decisive shift from research to commercialisation,” he said.
Enrique Silla, CEO and Founder of Jeanologia, said collaboration across the textile value chain is essential to scaling textile-to-textile recycling. “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,” he said.
Scott Hamlin, Founder and CEO of Looptworks, said blended textiles have long presented a challenge for recycling. “The Green Machine enables us to realise the value of blended materials at scale, while reintroducing recovered fibres into the supply chain demonstrates that circular solutions are both environmentally practical and economically viable,” he said.
