The Swedish Textile Machinery Association (TMAS) has welcomed ReSpin as its newest member, reinforcing Sweden’s growing position as one of Europe’s leading hubs for circular textile innovation and fibre-to-fibre recycling.
The membership comes as Sweden continues to strengthen its circular textile ecosystem through investments in recycling technologies, industrial infrastructure and collaboration between industry and academia.
A significant milestone in this journey was achieved in May 2026, when Holma Spinning Mill in Forsa, near Hudiksvall, secured SEK 77.3 million in funding from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency to establish Sweden’s first industrial spinning line dedicated to recycled textile fibres.
Holma Spinning Mill is part of Holma Förvaltning, which is co-owned by ReSpin, while its sister company Holma Helsingland contributes more than a century of expertise in spinning, twisting, dyeing and yarn manufacturing.
ReSpin develops patented fibre recycling technology
Headquartered in Undersåker in northern Sweden’s Jämtland region, ReSpin has developed and patented RespinJenny, a mechanical recycling technology that converts textile waste into high-quality fibres suitable for spinning into new yarns.
Founded in 2020 by Åsa Strandberg, ReSpin was established to address the growing environmental challenges associated with textile waste. Strandberg brings more than three decades of textile industry experience and has spent the last 15 years working towards circular textile systems.
After spending 17 years at H&M, she launched Saiboo in 2010, introducing a business model focused on producing garments, selling them and collecting them back for reuse. Her work later expanded through research collaborations with Mid Sweden University and other academic institutions to explore design strategies that improve textile recyclability.
Recognising the limitations of existing recycling technologies, Strandberg initiated research projects with the University of Borås, Linköping University, and Luleå University of Technology to advance mechanical textile recycling.
Mechanical recycling with low environmental impact
Unlike chemical recycling methods, RespinJenny operates without water or chemicals while maintaining low energy consumption and preserving as much fibre quality as possible from discarded textiles.
According to Therese Premler-Andersson, Secretary General of TMAS, the technology enables local, resource-efficient textile recycling close to where waste is generated, while the investment in Holma Spinning Mill represents an important step toward industrial-scale fibre-to-fibre recycling with a lower environmental footprint.
She noted that mechanical recycling alone is insufficient without the ability to spin recycled fibres into yarn, making Holma Spinning Mill a crucial component in building a complete circular textile value chain.
Collaboration driving Sweden’s circular textile leadership
Sweden’s textile recycling strategy extends beyond individual technologies by combining automated sorting, fibre recycling, testing, product development and policy research across the entire textile value chain.
A key driver has been close cooperation between industry and academia. The Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Borås has become one of Europe’s leading centres for circular textile research, while TMAS member companies including ACG Group and Eton Systems continue to advance automation and sustainable textile manufacturing technologies.
Commenting on joining TMAS, Åsa Strandberg said collaboration across the textile value chain is essential for accelerating the transition towards circular textile systems. She added that TMAS provides an important platform for knowledge sharing, innovation and industrial cooperation as ReSpin moves towards commercial-scale operations.
The latest development highlights Sweden’s integrated approach to circular textiles, combining advanced recycling technologies, industrial investment and collaborative research to strengthen sustainable textile manufacturing.
