LEONHARD KURZ Wins Gold at German Design Award 2026 for RECOSYS® rPET Textiles

LEONHARD KURZ earned top honors at the German Design Award 2026 with its technical textiles made from RECOSYS® rPET, a material innovation that merges sustainability, function, and aesthetics. Derived from the company’s own RECOSYS® 2.0 take-back system, the rPET material originates from recycled PET transfer carriers used in the graphics industry. These are transformed into high-quality, single-type rPET suitable for the production of durable, design-rich technical textiles—particularly relevant for the automotive and mobility sectors.

The award jury praised KURZ for aligning circular economy principles with industrial feasibility and material elegance. “With technical textiles made from RECOSYS® rPET, we are demonstrating how the material cycle can be closed beyond traditional packaging applications,” noted Theresa Stigler, from KURZ’s Recycling & Sustainability division. The project, still in testing, underscores KURZ’s long-term commitment to sustainable material innovation without compromising quality or brand impact. The German Design Award jury recognized this approach as a forward-thinking model for responsible, high-performance material development.

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