A second life for every fiber

Purfi Manufacturing, a joint venture of Concordia Textiles and Purfi Global, is building a worldwide network for the reclaiming of textile fibers ('rejuvenation').

2021 was all about testing at Purfi Manufacturing. "Until the end of this year, we are optimizing all results on our pilot line, which is capable of processing used cotton and technical fibers into renewed fibers. This is done through our unique process of reverse spinning, which allows the fibers to retain their original length and strength," says general manager Koen De Ruyck. "Starting next year, we will run industrial production runs for our various partners. These are mainly textile manufacturers and brands who entrust us with their textile waste (i.e. actually raw material) and to whom, after a thorough sorting and our 'reverse spinning', we can then deliver back the recovered fibers. Those fibers 'Powered by Purfi' can then be used again as a renewed raw material."

The green aspect is key at Purfi. "The plant runs on solar energy. We optimize our container traffic via multimodal transport from the port of Antwerp to the River Terminal in Wielsbeke. This allows us to reduce the number of truck kilometers in Belgium by 96% and also reduce our CO2 emissions by 80%."

The pilot line can give about 10 tons of textiles a new life per day. "By the end of next year, Purfi Manufacturing will expand this unique concept to several countries in the Far East. In Belgium, we will be happy to cooperate with some local spinning mills and other textile companies," concludes Koen De Ruyck.