Innovation

Untuvia’s innovation combines existing technologies in a novel way to tackle down recycling, an area often neglected due to challenges like contamination and material degradation. Down, commonly used in outdoor gear like jackets and sleeping bags, degrades over time due to exposure to environmental factors such as moisture and oils from human skin. Untuvia uses supercritical carbon dioxide, a technique employed in industries like food and medical technology, to both clean and restore down for reuse. This method avoids the heavy water consumption of traditional down cleaning processes, and helps reduce textile waste. 

Inspiration

The idea of the innovation was born when one of the founders realized that a broken down jacket could not be recycled efficiently. While further researching the market, the co-founders recognized the potential for reintroducing down as a high-quality, sustainable material, particularly if they could overcome the challenges of contamination and degradation. 

According to the interviewee, the innovation wasn’t initially aimed at creating a sustainability-driven business. However, as avid outdoor enthusiasts who frequently use down products, they developed an interest for the material. “Our interest came from appreciating the quality and value of down as a material,” Lemetti shared. “We didn’t set out to create a sustainability business, but it naturally became a high priority when we realized the potential impact.” 

Overall impact

In the short term, Untuvia’s innovation has enabled the company to develop a viable business model around down recycling. Their approach reduces the amount of textile waste that ends up in landfills or incinerators, especially in Europe. By using supercritical carbon dioxide, they also eliminate the water consumption typically required in down cleaning, potentially saving thousands of liters of clean water per kilogram of down processed. 

Long-term, the potential for scale is significant. If Untuvia’s process is widely adopted, it could revolutionize down recycling across the global textile industry. The company estimates that reaching a 35% recycling rate for down could save over 50,000 tons of textile waste annually across Europe alone, contributing substantially to the circular economy. 

Business benefit

Lemetti discusses how the innovation benefits the business: "For us as a company, the significance lies in being able to carry out profitable and sustainable business operations, and through that, to employ all the people working with us – that's the first priority. At this point, it's just the two of us, but hopefully soon, there will be many more. That’s definitely the most essential aspect for us." 

Furthermore, Untuvia has found that their innovation opens up new business opportunities and partnerships. By addressing a niche with very few competitors, the company is well-positioned to collaborate with major brands in the textile and outdoor industries. Their technology not only provides a solution to down recycling, but also brings significant cost savings in terms of water and energy usage. This has attracted the interest of potential partners and investors. 

Untuvia works closely with research institutions like VTT in Finland, to refine and scale their solution. Collaborating with VTT and other research bodies strengthens the company’s technological expertise, while partnerships with outdoor brands creates opportunities to test and refine their materials. In the long run, this could open up more markets and help establish Untuvia as a global leader in sustainable down recycling.

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Social and environmental benefit

Untuvia’s recycling process could have a significant impact on the environment by preventing contaminated and degraded down from going to landfills or being incinerated, which in turn helps to significantly reduce the environmental footprint of the textile industry. The use of supercritical carbon dioxide as a cleaning agent further benefits the environment by saving water and energy that would otherwise be used in traditional cleaning processes. 

From a societal perspective, Untuvia’s approach aligns with broader sustainability goals. The company’s solution contributes to reducing the overall demand for virgin down, a material that requires animal farming and has its own environmental costs. The innovation also demonstrates how existing technologies can be repurposed to solve emerging environmental challenges, providing a model for other industries to follow. 

Interview

Teemu Lemetti, COO