Award-Winning: RECOSYS® rPET jersey from LEONHARD KURZ Wins the GREEN GOOD DESIGN™ Award 2026
Fürth/Germany, April 20, 2026: Sustainability and sophisticated design go hand in hand. LEONHARD KURZ has once again proven this with an international award: The RECOSYS® rPET Jersey – A Circular Approach to Textile Design was honored at the GREEN GOOD DESIGN™ Sustainability Award 2026. The globally recognized competition has been honoring outstanding examples of sustainable design since 2007 and is organized by the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and the Chicago Athenaeum.
From hundreds of submissions from more than 30 countries, the international jury of experts selected projects that set new standards for environmentally conscious design.
Circular textile design made from recycled PET
With the RECOSYS® rPET jersey, KURZ demonstrates how plastic waste can be converted into high-quality textile applications as PCR (Post-Consumer Recyclate). The jersey serves as a demonstrator of the material’s performance: It consists entirely of recycled PET derived from the company’s proprietary RECOSYS® 2.0 recycling process.
In this process, PET carrier materials from customers in the graphic arts industry are sorted by type and processed into high-quality rPET granulate using a resource-efficient method. The process is designed for energy-efficient material recovery.
In collaboration with partners - including yarn specialists Technofibres for jersey production and Hero Textil, expert in specialized textile solutions - the granulate is processed into yarns and subsequently into high-performance textiles. This creates a foundation for a wide range of applications - particularly in the automotive sector, such as for seat covers, headliners, or door panels.
Design expertise meets sustainability
As an expert in surface finishing, KURZ combines sustainable materials with high-quality design in RECOSYS® rPET jersey. The textile surface was designed using sublimation printing and finished with metallic transfer decoration via a hot-stamping process.
The project impressively demonstrates that environmental responsibility and design excellence are not mutually exclusive, but rather drive innovation together.
A scalable approach for sustainable applications
Beyond the specific product, the RECOSYS® rPET jersey represents a scalable approach to the circular economy. The recycled material can be used in various industries - such as for technical textiles that can be used in vehicle interiors.
By recycling post-consumer PET, KURZ contributes to resource conservation, the reduction of CO₂ emissions, and greater transparency along the value chain.
Sustainable added value for the environment and society
“Sustainability is a central component of our corporate strategy. With RECOSYS®, we aim to close material loops while enabling innovative design solutions,” explains Dr. Theresa Stigler, Environmental and Safety Management in the Recycling & Sustainability division at KURZ. “Receiving the GREEN GOOD DESIGN Award confirms our approach of successfully combining environmental responsibility with technological innovation.”
With this latest award, KURZ underscores its role as a driver of sustainable material and design solutions and sends a strong signal for the future of the circular economy.
