SOFTEN ACOUSTIC SOLUTIONS • Established 2007 in Turku Finland

• Polyester felt (PET)

• Recycled material, ≥ 95% recycled

PET-bottles

• Professionals in thermoforming

• Acoustic wall panels, partitions,

lamsp, curtains etc.

• Export ca. 10 countries

SOFTEN & TELAKETJU-PROJECT• Laroche factory in France processed pilot

sample set of recycled consumer textiles collected and sorted in the Turku region.

• Soften produced an experimental batch of acoustic panels from material originating in recycled textiles + PET-fibres.

= a cooperation network that forwards textile recycling

• The ”Telaketju” name is short from textile recycling, sorting and utilizing network in Finnish.

• Project has received support from the Ministry of Environment and Tekes

• Telaketju is being coordinated by Lounais-Suomen Jätehuolto Oy and VTT

• Project Manager Henna Knuutila from Turku University of Applied Sciences requested us to join.

• ”We want to find a method for utilizing material that is currently delivered to energy recovery. We also want to develop and find new business opportunities. We are exploring opportunities to use recycled materials in our own products.”

SOFTEN & TELAKETJU-PROJECT• Turku University of Applied Sciences lab

tests have shown that Soften’s recycled textile panels have good acoustic properties

• "The key issue to resolve is ensuring that uniform-quality recycled fiber can be purchased cost-effectively. It is a question of whether manufacturing from recycled fibers will be profitable and feasible in general," says Sami Helle, CEO of Soften.

• At this moment the material is not available for us

• Soften participation during 2017-2018

with positive results

SOFTEN & TELAKETJU-PROJECTChallenges of the recycled material:

• Availability of the recycled material

• Heat tolerance

• The stable quality of the material

• Clean and odourless material

• Price

SOFTEN & TELAKETJU-PROJECT

• Telaketju-project 2.0 is now running.

• Textile sorting and refining factory in Turku year 2020

-70-100 million kg textile waste in Finland every year.

-People consume 13–18 kg textiles per capita yearly, and clothing and home textiles are sold for 3,4 billion Eurosevery year.

THANK YOU!

Nina Koivisto

Export Manager

Kuninkaanväylä 32 B 4

20320 Turku – FINLAND

nina.koivisto@soften.fi

Mob. +358 400 516 9934

www.soften.fi