Textile waste as feedstock: local recycling by Re-Fresh | Revital Nadiv & Urte Zahn, Founder Talks

Europe generates around 6.9 million tonnes of textile waste every year (about 16 kg per person) and much of it still ends up in mixed waste rather than being reused or recycled. For Re-Fresh Global, that waste is not the end of the story: it is a feedstock. The company uses a proprietary enzymatic process to separate difficult blended textile waste and transform it into new industrial raw materials, (Re-SanPulp™) while its SMART-UP™ microfactory model is designed to make recycling possible closer to where textile waste is generated. In this episode of Founder Talks, we speak with Revital Nadiv and Urte Zahn about how the idea started, the opportunities they see for recycled textile materials across different industries, why local production matters, and what it takes to make circular materials competitive on both performance and price. We also explore their work with LG Electronics, where Re-Fresh developed and tested recycled acoustic materials for dishwashers, and the next steps towards further production and potential commercial uptake. Discover Re-Fresh Global: https://re-fresh.global/ Discover Open Horizons: https://www.openhorizonsproject.eu/