Björn Borgs textile waste becomes new fabric

The Swedish sports fashion brand Björn Borg has started a collaboration with Sysav, where discarded garments are recycled to become new fabric. With world-unique textile sorting in Sysavs sorting plant Siptex in Malmö, the textiles become circular Swedish raw material for the next step in the value chain.

Textile recycling is experiencing strong growth, but solutions that enable mixed textile waste to become new fabric again have been lacking. With the sorting plant Siptex in Malmö, possibilities are changing.

Siptex is the result of Swedish research, and Sysav is the first in the world with the facility that automatically sorts textiles on a large scale. Textiles received at the Siptex plant are sorted by fiber type and color and can go on to high-quality recycling, techniques that enable discarded textiles to become textiles again.

- Sysav's Siptex plant enables us to contribute to a circular economy and we are pleased to join other prominent Swedish companies in giving discarded fabrics new life, says Mija Nideborn, Sustainability Director at Björn Borg.

Textile waste become a circular product

Using near-infrared light, the plant sorts mixed textile waste and produces textile bales of exact fiber composition. The bales can go on to various forms of high-quality recycling, both chemical and mechanical. The product is called ReFab® - Renewable Fabulous Fabrics - circular Swedish raw material for the next step in the value chain.

- Sweden is a frontrunner in the transition towards a more sustainable fashion and textile industry. We are proud to be able to help brands like Björn Borg to be at the forefront and reduce their climate footprint, says Stefan Poldrugac, business developer Sysav.

About Siptex

Siptex stands for Swedish innovation platform for textile sorting. The sorting plant in Malmö is owned and operated by Sysav. The research project is led by IVL Swedish Environmental Institute with the support of Vinnova, and is carried out together with Swedish textile and fashion companies, research institutes and authorities, including H&M, Ikea, Kappahl, Stadium, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Re: newcell and Myrorna.