Finnish bio-materials manufacturer Spinnova confirmed on reporting its results for 2021 has completed a pilot production line in Finland for Respin, reports Leatherbiz.

In a joint venture with Ecco Leather and wet blue, crust and split supplier KT Trading, Spinnova launched Respin last year. Respin involves taking fibre from leather waste to spin yarn that can then be woven or knitted.

All three partners are now working towards commercialising the material, using a technique that Spinnova has been using with other fibres since its launch in 2014. Its technique is based on fibre-suspension flows, mechanically pulping the fibres and controlling the flow in such a way as to form a yarn. After going through a drying process, the yarn is ready for spinning.

The Respin joint venture will pay a total €2.5 million to Spinnova for the pilot production line and research and development services in the course of this proof-of-concept phase, which is estimated to take one year.