Looptworks to open recycling facility in Gresham

An upcycling company is transforming a building in Gresham into a state-of-the-art, first-of-its-kind textile recycling facility.

Looptworks is taking over the former RR Donnelly Building near the corner of 181st and Halsey, with a planned first phase to be completed later this summer. The facility will be the first of its kind on the west coast, and will include two more phases over the next year and a half.

The Gresham facility will divert used clothing and other textiles from the landfill and convert them back into recycled fiber that is then put back into industry supply chains.

The whole project has sustainability baked in. Looptworks is repurposing a 1970s building in Gresham, reusing the structure’s original utility lines. It is also partnering with the Energy Trust of Oregon to implement a proprietary energy-efficient HVAC system. Later phases will include a rooftop solar farm.

Since its founding in 2009, Looptworks, a Certified B Corporation, has had a mission to protect the environment one stitch at a time. The company has pioneered new methods to eliminate textile waste throughout the world. It has recovered nearly 17 million pounds of material.

Some of that is used to make new textiles and apparel using high-quality fiber, while lower-quality textiles can be used for insulation, carpet padding, concrete binding and acoustic tiles.

Learn more at looptworks.com.