Hemp as an alternative in the textile value chain

At the "Marketplace of the Circular Textile Economy", the Faculty of Textile and Clothing Technology and the Research Institute for Textile and Clothing (FTB) presented the two projects alongside student design work with a sustainability focus, previously shown at Neo.Fashion in Berlin. The one-day conference brought together more than 150 representatives from business, associations and politics.

The programme centred on the key issues paper on extended producer responsibility in the textile sector and on how a future textile law can enable circularity in a practical and efficient way with minimal administrative burden. Staff from FTB also met Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider and used the opportunity to discuss the role of innovative materials and circular approaches for the sustainable transformation of the textile industry.

"Hanfknit": regional functional knit jacket

A particular focus at HSNR lies on hemp as a sustainable, regionally cultivable alternative to cotton. In the project "Hanfknit", funded by the Europäischer Fonds für regionale Entwicklung (EFRE), FTB developed a recyclable functional knit jacket made from 70 percent hemp and 30 percent LyoHemp, a regenerated fibre based on hemp. Production takes place entirely in the region around Mönchengladbach, from fibre development through to 3D seamless knitting.

Zero-waste knitting by Bache Innovative prevents production waste. Body-mapping with zones for ventilation, padding and close-fitting areas combines comfort, functionality and resource conservation and offers potential for use in sports and workwear.

"ReHemp": closing loops for hemp fibres

The project "ReHemp", funded by Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF), builds on this development and aims to bring hemp fibres into a closed textile loop. The focus is on recycling the hemp/LyoHemp jacket developed in the previous project. In future, LyoHemp is to be produced increasingly from hemp waste rather than primary fibres.

Together with the Thüringisches Institut für Textil- und Kunststoff-Forschung Rudolstadt e.V. and partners from the German textile industry, FTB is developing a waste classification for fibres, yarns and pre- and post-consumer materials as the basis for efficient recycling processes. The collected waste is sorted, shredded and chemically recycled into new lyocell fibres. In parallel, the team is studying ageing and multiple recycling processes, with at least three recycling cycles as the target. First fibres from waste materials have already been produced and are being processed further.