Säntis Textiles has improved the way old textiles are turned into new ones. Their RCO100 technology, which was first introduced in 2016, allows them to make yarn from 100 percent recycled cotton. They use a gentler process that keeps the fibers longer, at 26 millimeters.

The special thing about their machine is that it runs slower than other recycling machines. They focus on quality rather than quantity. Säntis Textiles started with recycling polyester back in 2010. They created a way to turn polyester chips into yarn without using heat.

So far, they've been using sources of cotton waste from before it gets to consumers, like leftover fabric from making bed linens. But now, they're starting to see more interest in recycling cotton from old clothes. They might start by mixing a small amount of old clothes with the fabric waste they already use and then gradually use more old clothes.

Their machine can recycle more than just cotton, including blends of cotton and polyester. However, whatever goes in, comes out, and it keeps all the fibers. Ideally, they'd like to stop using blends altogether, but that might not be possible because of how people shop. Still, they believe using just one type of fiber is a good idea.