The partnership will develop circular-knit fabrics and garments containing at least 20% recycled cotton, aiming to move mechanically recycled fibre into dependable, high-volume apparel programmes.
Recover has partnered with Türkiye’s Ünteks Group to develop a commercial collection of circular-knit fabrics and finished garments using mechanically recycled cotton.
The collaboration combines Recover’s recycled-cotton fibre with Ünteks’ vertically integrated capabilities in knitting, dyeing, printing and garment production. The objective is to provide global brands with repeatable fabric constructions suitable for everyday apparel rather than limited-edition sustainability capsules.
A broad knit platform
The initial collection covers single jersey, fleece, interlock, terry, 2×1 rib and pique structures. Each fabric contains a minimum of 20% Recover recycled cotton, with further constructions expected as development progresses.
This breadth matters because recycled cotton can behave differently from virgin fibre during spinning, knitting, wet processing and garment finishing. Shorter fibre length and variation in feedstock can affect yarn strength, fabric appearance, dimensional stability and process consistency. Ünteks said the development work therefore involved refining each production stage so the material could run reliably from knitting through to finished garments.
Scale is the commercial proposition
Ünteks operates an integrated manufacturing model covering yarn, fabric and garments. The group reports capacity of up to 1,500 tonnes of fabric and one million garments per month, giving the partnership a route into industrial-scale production rather than laboratory or pilot output. Its Turkish manufacturing base also offers proximity to European customers and shorter regional replenishment cycles.
For brands, sourcing fibre, fabric development, dyeing and garment manufacture through a connected supply chain can improve traceability and reduce the coordination problems that often slow recycled-material adoption.
Performance will decide adoption
The partnership addresses one of recycled cotton’s central constraints: moving from environmental promise to consistent commercial performance. Brands still require reliable shade, handle, pilling resistance, shrinkage control, strength and repeatability across large orders.
Neither company disclosed pricing, expected order volumes, recycled-feedstock origin or quantified lifecycle savings. The next test will therefore be whether the fabrics achieve verified environmental improvements while meeting mainstream quality and cost targets. If successful, the model could help shift recycled cotton from niche collections into larger-volume T-shirts, sweatshirts, polos and other knitted staples.
