Santanderina’s S360 Gives Textile Waste New Life
To achieve a more sustainable fashion industry, one of the top items to tackle is waste. Production and consumption have grown in recent years, creating a speedier cycle from creation to disposal. With more manufacturing also comes more cutting scraps that often get tossed. In order to get out of this cycle of take, make, waste, companies instead need to embrace circularity.
Spain-based mill Textil Santanderina is closing the loop with its S360 production process. The solution takes pre- and post-consumer waste and upcycles it into new textiles. At a recycling plant in Morocco, the fabric first goes through stripping machines that separate the scraps into smaller pieces, and then the fibers are carded to clean and combine them before spinning. By repurposing scraps and deadstock, the mill saves on water, chemicals and energy.
Laetitia Grimoult, export manager at Textil Santanderina, spoke with Carved in Blue about her company’s start in circularity and how TENCEL™ lyocell fibers fit into the recycled fabrics.
Carved in Blue: Why did Santanderina decide to launch this circular textile production process?
Laetitia: This launch happened in a very natural way, actually. Santanderina has been recovering textile and fiber waste and reusing it in its spinning and weaving processes for a number of years now. While sustainability started to be a hot topic in fashion, we felt that a circular production process was making a lot of sense: It would help reduce the use of virgin material, give a second life to fabrics and garments, and divert tons of waste from the landfills.
Another reason for Santanderina to integrate the recycling plant to its vertical production processes was the control of raw materials and the traceability, of course, which are critical points in our supply chain. We have seen recently how circular fashion is meant to become the new reality of fashion, with the E.U. implementing regulations like the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). Or how the rising cost of raw materials has made it necessary to find new sourcing solutions. We are excited to help our customers transition towards this new production model.
Carved in Blue: Could you describe the recycling process for S360?
Laetitia: Customers supply their textile waste, which is sorted out and selected, then shredded. The new fiber obtained is blended with a portion of raw material—virgin cotton, linen, hemp, TENCEL™ lyocell or REFIBRA™ technology–and spun into new yarns and then woven into the new fabrics developed in collaboration with the design teams and merchants. The recycled fabric is then finished through our sustainable production processes, designed to save energy and water through the recovery of caustic soda, solar energy-powered equipment, and environmentally aware partners like Lenzing, Archroma, Huntsman, and more recently CHT.
Carved in Blue: What, if any, challenges were there in creating S360?
Laetitia: We would probably point out two main challenges: the starting volume to make these operations affordable for the brands and the coordination between the different teams—design, buyers, logistics.
Carved in Blue: Currently you’re using up to 50 percent recycled fiber in these textiles. Do you have any plans to expand the portion of recycled fiber in the future? Why or why not?
Laetita: This is our goal indeed. A few years ago, we were using 10 to 15 percent. After five years, we are at 50 percent, and we are working on more solutions to use more and more recycled fibers versus virgin fibers, as long as we can keep the highest quality standards for the finished fabrics.
Carved in Blue: Why have you chosen to use TENCEL™ lyocell and REFIBRA™ Technology in S360? What types of circular fiber blends are you creating using lyocell?
Laetitia: Both TENCEL™ and REFIBRA™ fibers are produced in a closed-loop process, and REFIBRA™ was actually a pioneer in giving a second life to textile waste. They play a significant role in our collections and naturally fit into our S360 process. Santanderina has recently innovated a full new spinning process of TENCEL™—”Douten” fabrics—that has been extended to cotton-TENCEL™ blends too—”Twisten” fabrics. We are working on upgrading these processes with the recycled blends.
Carved in Blue: Are S360 fabrics currently in commercial production? If not, when will they be available for manufacturers and brands?
Laetitia: The S360 process is fully operational and S360 fabrics have been retailored and reworn, yes, mostly PFGD (prepared for garment dye), but some indigo as well! We are looking forward to seeing more European brands joining this wonderful initiative.
Carved in Blue: How does S360 fit into Santanderina’s other sustainability efforts? How are you taking a 360-degree approach to lowering your environmental impact?
Laetitia: S360 is probably the most global sustainable scope we can offer, as it is able to produce new fabrics from textile waste. Our customers are taking their journey towards more sustainable fashion from different aspects, and Santanderina is trying to offer initiatives that are applicable to the different stages of their journey: certified raw materials (organic, recycled, TENCEL™ branded lyocell, LENZING ™ECOVERO™, REFIBRA™ technology) and sustainable processes (Archroma and Iris dyestuff, our light dip indigo). Not forgetting cutting-edge equipment to offer mill wash finish, or coatings, and to reduce our consumption of water and energy as much as possible.