Novafiber has added a mechanical textile recycling line and an airlay line at its nonwovens production mill in Palín, Guatemala. Both lines were supplied by Andritz and have been successfully operating since December 2022.

The recycling line – the second tearing line Andritz supplied to Novafiber – processes post-industrial textile waste from Central America. The recycled fibers feed the latest Andritz Flexiloft airlay line, which produces nonwoven end-products for the bedding and furniture industries – a true example of a circular textile-to-nonwoven approach. The production process ensures complete material use as a state-of-the-art edge trim recycling system returns any waste directly to the tearing and/or airlay line.

This combination of Andritz tearing and airlay lines allows Novafiber to process large amounts of post-industrial garments, controlling the supply chain from raw material to final product. In addition, it enables energy savings and a reduced carbon footprint due to the reduction of shipments.

Thanks to the excellent cooperation between Novafiber and Andritz Laroche, commissioning was completed within a very short time. Jean Philippe Bernard, CEO at Novafiber comments: “It has been a great pleasure to collaborate with Andritz again on a waste-to-value project. Seven years ago, we launched our first textile recycling and nonwovens production project together with Andritz Laroche. Our new project has also been a perfect opportunity to take advantage of Andritz’s technological innovations to achieve an even better fiber opening quality along with higher capacity.”

Based in Palín, Novafiber is a leading company in Guatemala for producing nonwovens from post-industrial textile waste for both the local market and export.