Increasing circularity of polyester textiles

CARBIOS and TOMRA Textiles announced the signing of an agreement to collaborate on establishing an efficient stream in Northern Europe from textile waste collection, sorting and preparation to recycling using CARBIOS’ enzymatic de-polymerization technology at its first commercial plant currently under construction in Longlaville/France. The monomers obtained will be used to produce recycled polyester (r-PET) fiber, closing the loop for polyester textile circularity.

TOMRA and CARBIOS are joining forces to close the textile circularity gap. F.l.: Mathieu Berthoud, Director Strategic Sourcing & Public Affairs, CARBIOS; Vibeke Krohn, Head of TOMRA Textiles; Emmanuel Ladent, CEO, CARBIOS; Mari Larsen Sæther, Recycling Lead, TOMRA Textiles
© TOMRA

The innovations from both TOMRA Textiles and CARBIOS contribute to addressing critical gaps in the value chain and significantly increasing textile-to-textile recycling from its current rate of 1 %. By accelerating a circular economy for polyester, a sustainable alternative to incineration or landfill is made available.

TOMRA Textiles is on a mission to close the gap in textile circularity, by contributing to designing and scaling textile sorting plants. Under this partnership agreement, TOMRA Textiles will explore specific, tangible measures to enable the preparation of post-consumer polyester waste for biorecycling according to CARBIOS’ specifications. CARBIOS‘ biorecycling technology involves breaking down polyester fibers into their basic components using enzymes, which are then used to produce high-quality recycled PET materials such as fibers for the textile industry. The breakthrough collaboration with TOMRA will redirect the challenging PET fraction of polyester textile waste towards biorecycling, showcasing a mutual dedication to pioneering recycling solutions for a circular economy.

Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of CARBIOS, said: “CARBIOS is taking the lead in forming an efficient value chain for textile circularity and actively engages with global industry leaders such as TOMRA to shape the future of sustainable textiles.” Vibeke Krohn, Head of TOMRA Textiles, adds: “The textile industry has been optimized for cost and efficiency for centuries. Closing the gap means scaling all the elements of a circular value chain – from collection to sorting to recycling technologies. Future recycling solutions depend on reliable access to feedstock. Through the collaboration with CARBIOS we hope to stimulate further investments needed to scale textile circularity.”