Rieter, Säntis and Valvan join forces to form Recycling Powerhouse

(CONNECT) The Rieter Group from Winterthur and Säntis Textiles AG, which operates out of headquarters in Bühler in the Swiss canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Singapore, have jointly founded Recycling Powerhouse AG together with the Belgian firm Valvan from Menen. Based in Zug, the new company intends to industrialize, standardize and scale textile recycling, as detailed in a statement issued by Rieter. To this end, a global network of textile recycling plants capable of converting pre and post-consumer textile waste into certified recycled yarns is to be established. For this, Rieter will contribute its expertise as a global supplier of systems for natural and man-made fibers, while Säntis Textiles will bring its textile technology and Valvan its textile sorting systems to the table.

Recycling Powerhouse is set to act as a global integrator and franchisor across the entire textile recycling value chain. To this end, the company will provide franchise partners around the world with standardized recycling technologies, operating procedures, digital solutions, as well as training and technical support. The yarns produced by the franchise partners will be marketed under an established brand, while Recycling Powerhouse will ensure quality through suitable auditing, certification and end-to-end traceability.

The first recycling blueprint facility is set to commence operations in Qatar at the start of 2027. To achieve this, Recycling Powerhouse is working with the Doha-based franchisee Suhail Industrial Holding Group. According to the information, the plant will serve as a global reference model to demonstrate “how industrial-scale textile recycling can become commercially viable while supporting circular economy goals”.

As Rieter CEO Thomas Oetterli explains, the new joint venture opens up “new growth opportunities across machinery sales, engineering services, recycling technologies and recycled yarn markets”. In the words of Stefan Hutter, owner of Säntis Textiles, it will “bring together the full know-how of Rieter’s systems technology to create a powerful yarn brand with real potential to transform textile recycling”. ce/mm