German Design Award 2026 in Gold: LEONHARD KURZ receives highest award for technical textiles made from RECOSYS^® rPET

Fürth/Germany, January 20, 2026: Gold for LEONHARD KURZ at the German Design Award 2026: The innovation Technical Textiles from RECOSYS^® rPET received the highest award in the category ‘Excellent Product Design – Material and Surfaces.’ With this prestigious award, the jury recognizes a material technology development that enables high-quality technical textiles made from recycled materials and sets new standards for sustainable, functional, and design-oriented applications in the automotive and mobility sectors.

Sustainable material innovation with design appeal

With RECOSYS^® rPET, LEONHARD KURZ has developed a solution that makes sustainable materials specifically usable for demanding surface applications. The innovation is based on KURZ's own RECOSYS^® 2.0 take-back and recycling system, which can be used to process used PET transfer carriers from the graphics industry into single-type recycled PET (rPET). This can in turn be further processed for a wide range of applications, such as the manufacture of everyday objects. Another example is sustainable fibers, which serve as the basis for the production of technical textiles and meet the highest functional and aesthetic requirements. The textiles can be processed in a similar way to virgin materials, are durable, and open up new possibilities for design-oriented surface solutions thanks to their structure and design diversity.

Design, function, and circular economy in harmony

The German Design Award jury particularly appreciated the combination of material efficiency, high design quality, and industrial feasibility. “With technical textiles made from RECOSYS^® rPET, we are demonstrating how the material cycle can be closed beyond traditional packaging applications and making an important contribution to reducing virgin plastics,” emphasizes Theresa Stigler, Environmental and Safety Management in the Recycling & Sustainability division at KURZ, adding: “For KURZ, this is a logical step toward a circular economy and part of a long-term materials strategy. The approach is currently still in the testing phase, but it already illustrates how responsible use of materials can be scaled up along the entire value chain in the future.”

At the same time, the textiles enable a differentiated design language with high aesthetic quality and versatile application options. KURZ is thus addressing key requirements of the mobility industry, which is increasingly demanding sustainable materials without compromising on function, quality, or brand impact.

Award for consistent material strategy

With the Gold Award at the German Design Award 2026, KURZ once again underscores its commitment to understanding sustainability as an integral part of design and material development, and to translating circular economy principles into high-quality, application-oriented material solutions. Technical textiles made from RECOSYS^® rPET are examples of an innovative development approach and lay the foundation for a future-oriented material strategy that combines technological performance with sophisticated surface design.

About the German Design Award

The German Design Award is one of the most prestigious international design awards and annually honors outstanding achievements in product design, communication, and architecture. The jury focuses on design quality, degree of innovation, and sustainability, as well as the holistic approach to design as a driver of sustainable and responsible solutions.