News item | 01-04-2026 | 10:00
The government is investing €135 million in the innovative textile-to-textile recycling company Reju through the National Investment Scheme for Climate Projects Industry (NIKI). With this support, the Netherlands is taking an important step in making the industry more sustainable and accelerating the circular economy.
With the subsidy, Reju can build the so-called Regeneration Hub One at the Chemelot Industrial Park. In this factory, discarded textiles are processed on a large scale into new raw materials for textile production. This recycles an amount comparable to approximately 300 million garments per year.
Stientje van Veldhoven (Climate and Green Growth): “With this subsidy we support exactly the industry of the future: clean, circular and economically strong. Projects such as Reju’s show that sustainability and innovation go hand in hand, and that the Netherlands can be a leader in circular production. This is an example of how we are working on a future-proof industry in the Netherlands. We are building chains in which raw materials are used again and again and in which economic growth goes hand in hand with climate goals.”
Accelerating CO₂ reduction and circularity
Reju’s project focuses specifically on recycling difficult-to-process textile flows containing polyester. By converting these materials into high-quality circular raw materials for new polyester, dependence on fossil raw materials is reduced and emissions can be significantly reduced. The new materials are expected to have approximately 50% lower CO₂ emissions than conventional polyester.
New standard for circular industry
The arrival of this factory at the Chemelot Industrial Park is an important first step for the Netherlands. It will be the first large installation where old textiles are converted into raw material for new, high-quality textiles. This way, textiles remain in use longer and valuable materials are prevented from being burned or thrown away.
The project also makes the Netherlands more attractive for sustainable industry. Thanks to the good infrastructure, available knowledge and collaboration at Chemelot, this technology can be scaled up quickly.
