Textile ETP in Nouvelle-Aquitaine: between textile recycling and digital transformation

From 5 to 7 September, Textile ETP was in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, where we had the privilege of witnessing the inauguration of CETIA in Hendaye, and gaining insights from Lectra, near Bordeaux.

Our journey started in Hendaye at CETIA's facilities, with an ECOSYSTEX meeting focusing on recycling technologies. We had the pleasure of listening to a presentation by CETI about their upcoming roadmap and projects. Additionally, Next Technology Tecnotessile presented their latest innovations in technology for sustainability and circularity. This gathering also provided us with an opportunity to showcase the sustainability and circularity projects Textile ETP is involved in, including CISUTAC, TRICK Project, and IRISS – the International SSbD network.

We were then honored to attend the opening ceremony of CETIA, a collaborative venture between CETI and ESTIA Institute of Technology. CETIA serves as a hub for textile and leather recycling, housing advanced pilot lines dedicated to automating tasks such as garment sorting, hard part removal, footwear disassembly, and the processing of separated textile and rubber materials. CETIA's primary mission revolves around conquering the technical complexities of transforming mixed waste into distinct, homogeneous material fractions. This process is pivotal in unlocking large-scale post-consumer textile waste recycling.

During our visit in Hendaye, we also had the opportunity to explore the facilities of SOKOA Manufacture, one of Europe's leaders in office seating.

Our journey concluded at Lectra's facilities near Bordeaux. Here, we had the opportunity to explore their state-of-the-art machinery, renowned for its precision and automation within the fashion and automotive sectors. Our visit also included a tour of their Innovation Lab, where innovative software solutions are crafted. This lab serves as a playground for visionaries and inventors, and we look forward to witnessing how these solutions will shape the textile industry in the years ahead.

We extend our gratitude to Pascal Denizart from CETI, Chloé Salmon Legagneur and the entire CETIA team for their warm invitation and for organising this enlightening inauguration day, and to Philippe Ribera from Lectra for providing us with this mind-blowing tour of the textile industry's future horizons.