Representative picture. Source Freepik

A new textile-to-textile recycling process for polyester-rich waste has been validated at an industrial scale by Axens, IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN), and JEPLAN, with the partners confirming the completion of a recycling loop for polyester textiles.

Several tens of tonnes of post-consumer, polyester-rich textile waste sourced from Europe, and sorted and prepared in France, were processed at a semi-industrial demonstration unit in Japan. This enabled the successful production of the base monomer used to manufacture 100% recycled polyester.

“This step paves the way for circular polyester loops for the textile industry, including applications in sportswear, home furnishings, and luxury textiles,” the partners stated.

Semi-industrial validation

The industrial test was carried out using Rewind PET technology, developed by the three partners, to recycle post-consumer textile waste rich in polyester (PET). The trial took place at a semi-industrial unit operated by JEPLAN in Japan, with a capacity of approximately 1,000 tonnes per year.

The validation involved processing several tens of tonnes of textiles from the French public collection, prepared by Nouvelles Fibres Textile and Mapea. The process produced several tens of tonnes of BHET (bis(2-hydroxyethyl) terephthalate), the base monomer of polyester, which will be converted into yarns, fabrics, and garments.

The companies stated that this textile-to-textile recycling test is among the first conducted under representative industrial conditions and demonstrates the potential for large-scale chemical recycling of polyester textiles.

Technology and deployment

“Science, scale-up engineering,, and operational expertise come together to demonstrate the performance of the Rewind PET process developed by IFPEN, JEPLAN,, and Axens. Axens and its partners thus demonstrate the robustness, stability, and reproducibility of a cutting-edge recycling technology specifically designed to promote the closed-loop circularity of textile polyester,” said Quentin Debuisschert.

“This industrial demonstration is a major milestone for Axens, IFPEN, and JEPLAN. It confirms our ability to deliver a sustainable solution for the recycling of polyester textiles at scale, contributing to the decarbonisation of the textile industry,” said Franck Renaudin.

“Through this successful demonstration, we have proven that our depolymerisation technology can process real post-consumer textile waste at scale. We are now ready to accelerate its industrial deployment and contribute to building a circular economy for textiles,” said Masaki Takao.

The process can be installed at industrial sites producing polyester, enabling the substitution of fossil-based raw materials with recycled equivalents.

Markets and circularity

The technology, already commercialised for recycling PET packaging, including food-contact applications, has now been validated for use in textiles. It is being made available under an exclusive licence granted by IFPEN/JEPLAN to Axens for global deployment.

The recycled PET is intended to be converted into yarn, fabric, and garments, completing the textile-to-textile loop for segments such as sportswear, home textiles, and certain luxury applications.

Approximately 60% of global textile production relies on polyester and other synthetic fibres, while less than 1% of fibres produced today come from textile-to-textile recycling, according to Textile Exchange.

In this context, the companies stated that the semi-industrial test provides “concrete proof” that circular polyester production can be implemented at scale using post-consumer waste streams.