For many years, recycling worn-out polyester into new clothing seemed nearly impossible. Previously, the only recycled content found in polyester garments came from crushed PET bottles. However, green biotech firm CARBIOS has developed a way to transform this synthetic fiber back into new garments.

Source: waste360

This groundbreaking technology utilizes enzymes that break down the polymer into its fundamental building blocks. According to Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of CARBIOS, these building blocks are then reformed into a virgin-like material that can be recycled up to ten times.

The first shirt made entirely from waste was created after two years of experimentation with materials supplied by Patagonia, PUMA, PVH (the parent company of Calvin Klein), On, and Salomon, who also funded this initial research.

These major brands were fully committed, as polyester constitutes over 50 percent of the fibers used in the fashion and textiles industries. While recycling bottles was a positive step, it didn't fully address the waste issues faced by clothing manufacturers.

The French developer has made progress gradually, starting with seven years of laboratory work before launching a pilot plant and subsequently a demonstration operation.

In the early demonstration phase, CARBIOS produced packaging from recycled PET for companies like PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and L’Oréal. The transition to fiber-to-fiber recycling began in 2022, making recycled polyester, as polyester and PET are essentially the same polymer.

The first commercial plant, set to open in France in 2026, will process 50,000 tons of waste annually to produce both packaging and textiles. To put this into perspective, that equates to 2 billion bottles, 2.5 billion food trays, or around 400 million t-shirts.

While this is significant for brands, Ladent believes it falls short for the planet, especially considering that manufacturers produce about 100 million tons of PET each year.

Discussions with potential clients are ongoing across Asia, Europe, and North America, with three PET suppliers having already signed letters of intent: one in China, one in Turkey, and a Spanish company planning to establish a plant in the U.K.

Ladent is particularly focused on the U.S. market, recognizing its strong growth potential.

CARBIOS will earn royalties from enzyme sales, having partnered with Novozymes as the exclusive enzyme producer and distributor.

Salomon, one of the brands involved in CARBIOS' consortium, explored various solutions before committing, including mechanical and chemical recycling. The French sports and apparel manufacturer chose to concentrate on the enzymatic process due to its higher potential for reducing emissions, according to Thibaut Poupard, Senior Innovation Program Manager and Sustainability Lead for footwear, bags, and socks at Salomon.

The company's support for CARBIOS aligns with its own sustainability efforts, which include a program for recycling shoes they manufacture, with components that are ground and repurposed into ski boot shells. This winter, Salomon will also launch a ski helmet made from polyolefins that will be recycled into products such as car bumpers and flowerpots.