Brightfiber Textiles Secures €1.2 Million for Groundbreaking Upcycle Hub
The fashion industry is on the brink of a revolution – and Amsterdam is leading the way. Thanks to a €1.2 million EFRO grant through Kansen voor West and the European Regional Development Fund, Brightfiber Textiles, in collaboration with Wieland Textiles, is building an innovative upcycle hub in the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region (MRA). This will be the go-to facility where discarded clothing is transformed into new, high-quality, circular fashion.
With cutting-edge technologies, we are making a major leap toward a circular textile industry. After years of searching for large-scale textile recycling solutions, this marks a crucial milestone in the transition to a truly circular fashion and textile sector.
A chain of innovative processes
Our revolutionary production line – the only one of its kind in the world – integrates four advanced processes to breathe new life into discarded textiles:
● Smart Sorting: AI and robotics automatically identify items for reuse or recycling.
● Precision Sorting: A high-speed sorting machine separates textiles by composition and color.
● Automated Cleaning: Buttons, zippers, and labels are effortlessly removed.
● High-Quality Fiberization: Our flexible mechanical fiberization system converts various textile streams into directly spinnable, premium fibers.
Thanks to this groundbreaking circular system, we can reuse and recycle textiles on a large scale—all within the region.
Measurable impact
By creating a short, localized supply chain, we significantly reduce environmental impact while generating valuable circular textile resources. This opens the door for new textiles and fashion made from former waste streams, with clear benefits:
● Lower CO₂ emission
● Reduced raw material consumption
● Massive water savings
By producing and innovating closer to home, we increase transparency in the supply chain while fostering collaboration and knowledge development within the fashion and textile industry. Brightfiber’s advanced mechanical processing technology also enables upcycling without the need for chemical decolorization or other environmentally harmful processes.
A new Standard for the fashion industry
This project proves that regional waste streams are not the end, but the beginning of something new. With smart technologies like AI and robotics, we are taking textile sorting to the next level, making recycling, reuse, and repair the obvious choices.
We support municipalities and businesses with valuable data and transparency, while helping brands and retailers meet their textile take-back obligations. Additionally, we provide expertise and guidance in developing circular textile collections.
The circular upcycle hub is more than just a local success—it is a blueprint for regions and countries worldwide. With this innovation, we are taking a huge step toward a zero-waste Amsterdam Metropolitan Region by 2030. But the impact goes even further: this technological breakthrough creates high-quality jobs and boosts the local economy. By attracting new businesses in spinning mills, knitting factories, and sewing workshops, we are building a future where circular textiles become the norm, and waste no longer exists.
Ambition for Large-Scale Impact
With this groundbreaking circular system, we aim to process up to 3 million kilos of textile waste annually from the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region. This will result in 13,149 tons of CO₂ reduction and over 50 million hectoliters of water savings. A major step toward a more sustainable future.
The upcycle hub aligns perfectly with European and national ambitions for a circular economy, as well as the circular textile roadmap of the Amsterdam Metropolitan Region. But that’s not all—this project actively contributes to a more sustainable fashion industry, strengthens the regional economy, and accelerates the rise of circular textiles in the Netherlands and Europe.
This is the future of fashion—will you join us?
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Progress through innovation and sustainable development! With support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), we invest in growth and a prosperous future.
