Circularity.

At Kentaur, the most important step towards circularity is designing workwear that lasts. Our garments are developed to withstand frequent use and repeated industrial washing, so they can remain in use for as long as possible.

Durability helps reduce the need for new raw materials and limits the amount of textile waste generated over time.

Eventually, however, all textile products reach the end of their lifecycle. When that happens, we work with partners and projects that explore new ways to reuse or recycle textile materials instead of sending them to waste.

Circular solutions in the textile industry are still evolving, but we continue to explore opportunities to extend the life of textiles wherever possible.

Working with textile reuse and recycling

Even durable workwear will eventually reach the end of its useful life. When that happens, we work with partners who specialise in reusing or recycling textile materials.

Through these collaborations, certain types of textiles can be kept in circulation instead of being discarded.

CIBUTEX

Kentaur is part of CIBUTEX, an initiative founded by companies working with business textiles. The organisation connects companies that generate textile waste with partners who can reuse or recycle the materials.

The current upcycling processes focus on white textiles made from 100% cotton or cotton blends containing a maximum of 50% polyester.

Renaissance

We previously collaborated with Renaissance in France, which worked with mechanical recycling of white polyester and cotton cutting waste from our production in Poland.

In 2024, Renaissance stopped accepting textile offcuts and end-of-life textiles due to limited downstream demand for recycled textile materials. As a result, the recycling capacity was exceeded.

For now, cutting waste from our production in Poland is therefore being stored while we continue to explore new recycling solutions.

This situation reflects a broader challenge within the textile industry, where recycling capacity and market demand for recycled textile materials are not yet fully aligned.

Using textile waste in new ways

Even when textiles cannot be reused directly, some materials can still be processed into new products.

Kentaur collaborates with recycling partners who recover fibres from textile waste and transform them into new materials.

Rester

Rester specialises in mechanical recycling of both pre-consumer and post-consumer textile waste. The company recovers fibres from used textiles and transforms them into new fibres or nonwoven materials.

These materials can be used in products such as insulation, acoustic panels, filter fabrics and composite materials.

Reusing materials in other ways

In addition to fibre recycling, we also explore other ways to make use of surplus fabrics and textile waste.

For example, we have created bags and other merchandise from discarded fabrics, as well as aprons and outdoor jackets made from cutting scraps.

We have also collaborated with companies such as Vær and Amolia, who have used surplus materials from Kentaur in the production of shoes and toiletry bags. In some cases, fabrics and products have also been donated to organisations such as the Red Cross.

Developing circular solutions

While reuse and recycling solutions exist for some textile materials, large-scale circular systems for workwear are still developing.

At Kentaur, we therefore continue to explore new ways of extending the life of textiles and reducing waste across the value chain.

Kentaur LOOP

As part of this work, we have introduced the Kentaur LOOP pilot project, which focuses on upcycling used textiles in collaboration with laundry partners.

Through the project, laundries can return used textiles such as bed linen and tablecloths to Kentaur. The materials are then reused to produce new items, including chef jackets and aprons.

The aim is to extend the life of textile materials in their current form and reduce the demand for new raw materials.

Continuing the search for solutions

We are also monitoring developments in textile recycling and take-back systems across the industry.

Large-scale solutions that create value for both customers and textile producers are still emerging. For that reason, we continue to explore partnerships and technologies that can support more circular use of textiles in the future.

Circularity in textiles is a complex challenge, but we remain committed to contributing where we can.