REMANUFACTURING WASTE: A NEW SHADE OF BLUE FOR THE FUTURE OF FASHION

ECOFinish makes it possible to transform denim waste into new garments without generating additional waste.

The project A New Kind of Blue, led by designers Tim van der Loo and Sandra Nicoline Nielsen, proposes a radically new way of understanding textile waste: not as refuse, but as a raw material with aesthetic, functional and sustainable potential. At Care Applications, we supported this circular and zero-waste innovation by contributing our ECOFinish atomization technology to optimize and add value to the process.

Recycled denim, treated with intention

It all begins with discarded jeans collected locally in Berlin. These garments are broken down into fibers through shredding, soaking and blending. The result is a new fleece-like material that can be worked by hand or through industrial processes.

Using a digital industrial embroidery system, specific areas of the textile are reinforced, which then become the pattern pieces for the new garments. The unreinforced zones dissolve during washing—and those fibers can be reused—creating a closed-loop production chain with no waste.

This unique approach required an equally innovative finishing method. ECOFinish, our atomization system, enabled the application of dyes and functional finishes without generating wastewater, which was essential for maintaining the project’s circular integrity.

Textile research with 45 samples and 4 final finishes

Within the framework of the Re-FREAM European project, we collaborated with the A New Kind of Blue team to design and test 45 recycled material samples, applying different ECOFinish treatments. Four finishes were ultimately selected for the final collection.

This stage was crucial for understanding how this new material reacts to different finishes: we analyzed shrinkage behavior, fiber loss, and product absorption. Atomization ensured precise, uniform and residue-free application, even on heterogeneous textile surfaces.

Garments that redefine waste

The final collection includes jumpsuits, jackets, trousers, shorts, caps, and a bag, all produced in Berlin and dyed in Valencia. Three versions of the new material were used: New Blue Industry Basis, New Blue Craft Basis, and New Blue Craft Black.

Each piece is proof that design, technology, and sustainability can work together to build a new model for textile production.

By preserving the value of post-consumer denim, the project not only prevents it from ending up in landfills, but also reduces the need for new materials—saving significant amounts of water and energy compared to conventional textile production.

A new collaborative model

At Care Applications, we especially value how this project reconfigures the textile system as a whole: from local waste sourcing, to circular processes, to collaborative production with small studios and independent designers.