The International Textile Manufacturers Federation (ITMF) has announced the three winners of the ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Award 2026, recognising projects focused on sustainable technologies, textile recycling and innovative approaches to textile production.
The winning projects address areas including AI-driven enzymatic depolymerization of textile waste, chemical recycling of polyester for automotive textiles and an eco-regenerative silk production cycle.
The winners will present their projects at the upcoming ITMF & IAF Conference 2026, scheduled for 14–15 October 2026 in Fortaleza, Brazil. The conference will be co-hosted by ABIT (Brazilian Textile & Industry Association).
Three Projects Recognised
The ITMF Sustainability & Innovation Awards aim to recognise sustainable and innovative achievements across the textile industry, with a focus on innovation, design, development and production under high standards of sustainability and environmental responsibility.
The three winners of the 2026 award, listed in alphabetical order, are:
Epoch Biodesign, UK
Project: Scaling AI-driven enzymatic depolymerization to turn textile waste into fiber-grade nylon 6,6
The project focuses on applying AI-driven enzymatic depolymerization to textile waste, with the objective of recovering materials that can be used to produce fiber-grade nylon 6,6.
Huvis, Korea
Project: Polyester Chemical Recycling Technology for Sustainable Automotive Textiles
Huvis has been recognised for its project focused on chemical recycling technology for polyester, targeting applications in sustainable automotive textiles.
Simabo Technology Co., Ltd and Wuhan Textile University, China
Project: Desert-Mulberry – Bioactive Silk Eco-Regenerative Cycle
The project from Simabo Technology and Wuhan Textile University focuses on a bioactive silk-based eco-regenerative cycle, combining textile innovation with an approach centred on sustainable resource use.
Winners to Present Projects at ITMF & IAF Conference 2026
The three winning projects will be presented during the ITMF & IAF Conference 2026 in Fortaleza. The event will provide an opportunity for the award recipients to present their work and highlight developments in sustainable textile technologies and innovation.
The 2026 awards reflect the growing focus within the textile industry on material recovery, recycling technologies, alternative production approaches and innovations aimed at reducing environmental impacts across the textile value chain.