The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has announced the winners of the Sustainability & Innovation Awards 2026.
The awards recognise new ideas in the textile industry. They highlight work in sustainability, innovation, design, development and production.
Three projects received awards this year. The winning projects come from the UK, South Korea and China.
Three Projects Receive Awards
The three winning projects cover textile waste, recycling and bio-based textile solutions.
Epoch Biodesign, UK
Epoch Biodesign won an award for its work on textile waste.
The company uses AI-driven enzymatic depolymerization. The technology aims to convert textile waste into fiber-grade nylon 6,6.
This approach focuses on recovering valuable materials from textile waste.
Huvis, South Korea
Huvis received an award for its polyester recycling project.
The project uses chemical recycling technology. It is designed to support more sustainable production of automotive textiles.
The technology focuses on recovering polyester for further use.
Simabo Technology and Wuhan Textile University, China
Simabo Technology Co., Ltd and Wuhan Textile University also received an award.
Their project is titled “Desert-Mulberry – Bioactive Silk Eco-Regenerative Cycle.”
The project explores bioactive silk and an eco-regenerative production cycle. It combines textile development with bio-based solutions.
Winners to Present Projects in Brazil
The three winning teams will present their projects at the ITMF & IAF Conference 2026.
The conference will take place on 14 and 15 October 2026 in Fortaleza, Brazil. The Brazilian Textile & Apparel Industry Association (ABIT) will co-host the event.
The presentations will showcase new approaches to sustainability and innovation in textiles.
The 2026 award-winning projects cover several areas. These include textile waste, chemical recycling, bio-based materials and sustainable textile production.
The ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Awards provide a platform for projects that address changing needs across the textile industry.
