On, Patagonia, Puma and Salomon are working with Carbios on synthetic fiber recycling

Four textile and footwear suppliers On, Patagonia, Puma and Salomon have partnered with French biochemicals company Carbios to leverage its unique biorecycling technology to recycle synthetic fibers, improving the recyclability and ongoing reusability of their products.

“On aims to be fully circular before the end of this decade. Our partnership with Carbios and the other members of the consortium is an important step in paving the way for the industry to pioneer large-scale recycling technologies. Fiber-to-fiber recycling is an important building block to close the loop in the textile and footwear industry,” said Adrianne Gilbride, Senior Sustainability Manager at On.

As part of the two-year collaboration, the companies will partner with Carbios, a pioneer in developing enzymatic solutions for the recycling of plastic and textile polymers, to develop solutions for the take-back of worn polyester items, including sorting and dismantling technologies. In addition, data on fiber-to-fiber recycling and cycle models are to be collected.

Howard Williams, Puma’s director of global innovation apparel and accessories, added that the sporting goods company aims to use 75 percent recycled polyester in the manufacture of its apparel and accessories by 2025, while Olivier Mouzin, sustainability manager for footwear at Salomon, emphasized that the company is committed to want to raise awareness of the lifespan of textiles and establish a true circular economy in the textile industry.

Traditional recycling technologies aim to recycle bottles into fibers; however, future regulations will require a higher recycling and circulation rate for packaging and textiles. “However, the market agrees that there will soon be a shortage of PET bottles as they are used for the circular production methods in the food and beverage industry,” say the partner companies.

Image: how enzymes break down plastic / Carbios

So now is the time to take advantage of Carbios’ innovative process, which represents a technological breakthrough for the recycling of polyester (PET) fibers, which alone or in combination with other fibers are widely used in clothing, footwear and sporting goods – at 52 million tons PET-polyester is the most important fiber for the textile industry, even surpassing cotton with 23 million tons.

The biorecycling process uses an enzyme capable of selectively extracting polyester and reusing it to make new fibers. This revolutionary technology thus makes it possible to recover PET polyester, which is found in all textile waste and cannot be recycled using conventional technologies.

“PET plastics and fibers are used to manufacture consumer goods such as bottles, packaging and textiles. Most PET is currently made from fossil resources and disposed of after use according to a wasteful linear model. By creating a circular economy from post-consumer plastics and fibers, Carbios bio-recycling technology offers a sustainable and more responsible solution,” the companies say.

“Based on the success of previously achieved packaging milestones, this consortium model has proven to be very efficient. We are very excited to partner with On, Patagonia, Puma and Salomon, all of which are highly respected brands. Our common goal is , to contribute to reducing the environmental impact of the textile industry by offering an industrial solution for the recycling of polyester fibers and helping our partners to achieve their goals in the development towards sustainability”, comments Carbios CEO Emmanuel Ladent.

Founded in 2011 by Truffle Capital, Carbios breaks down any type of PET into its basic components, which can then be reused to produce new PET plastic of the same quality as virgin material. This innovative, world-first PET recycling process was recently published in a scientific editorial in the journal Nature.

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