German Design Award 2026

Technical textiles made from RECOSYS^® rPET

Sustainability meets design — without compromise. KURZ proves this with RECOSYS^® rPET, a 100% pure post-industrial recyclate (PIR) that is ideal for manufacturing technical textiles. This development sets pioneering impulses for industries and markets and has been recognized by the jury of the German Design Award with Gold in the category Excellent Product Design and the subcategory Material & Surfaces.

Requirements

Technical textiles must meet the highest standards — including those regarding their ecological footprint. In the automotive industry, for example, the EU requires that up to 25% of the plastic in new vehicles must come from recycled materials in the future. At the same time, OEMs are raising their expectations for modern surfaces: brand identity, quality, and design are merging.

This is exactly where RECOSYS^® rPET comes in: We combine resource-saving circular economy with new design possibilities – thus combining function, responsibility, and aesthetics.

Solution

In our RECOSYS^® 2.0 return and recycling system, used PET transfer carriers are processed into high-quality, single-type rPET granulate. This RECOSYS^® rPET forms the basis for sustainable applications: further processed into yarn, it serves as the basis for technical textiles with a wide range of uses in various industries. In vehicle interiors, for example, it is suitable for seat upholstery or covering and decorating doors, trim strips, center consoles, and the like. It is a material that perfectly combines high technical performance and sustainable design. Technical textiles made from RECOSYS^® rPET can be dyed and processed like virgin material and impress with their high resistance.