There is a new player on the block in the world of textile recycling - textile to textile regeneration company Reju was incorporated in Paris, France just 12 months ago. Now, the materials regenerator owned by French engineering and technology company Technip Energies has opened its “Regeneration Hub Zero” in Frankfurt, Germany. In a world where only one percent of textiles are recycled and promising players are forced to regroup - Renewcell is now Circulose and Soex is looking for a new investor - this is good news indeed.

According to Reju, the problem is the solution - according to the British Vogue, there are enough textiles on the planet to never make new ones again - so the company wants to “unlock infinite possibilities within finite resources”. By recovering textile waste before it becomes waste, by regenerating textiles into materials that feel and function better than new and by recirculating them so they can be used infinitely. All using technology invented by IBM research.

That may be a tall order but the company is not doing it alone - Reju works with brands, sorters and collectors, yarn spinners and polymer creators primarily, and is supported by investors, non-profits, retailers, logistics providers, local governments and coalitions. Ultimately also by consumers, policy makers, government agencies, regulators, educational institutions and cultural influencers.

“Technip Energies brings over 65 years of engineering experience. We are present in 34 countries. It has proven its expertise in accelerating climate solutions, combining engineering and construction capabilities with technological know-how as it drives towards a less carbon-reliant economy of tomorrow,“ states Reju COO Alain Poincheval who is a 35-year executive of Technip Energies in a press release.

Reju Polyester will recover the growing polyester pile

The new operating unit will help and is expected to begin deliveries of Reju Polyester created from from waste that would otherwise be buried, burnt or dumped in 2025. Given that polyester has overtaken cotton as most used material in the fashion industry a quarter century ago, this should be a good beginning.

“We’re starting with the most urgent problem in textile waste - polyester,” confirms Reju CEO Patrik Frisk, an industry veteran who is the former CEO of Under Armour and the Aldo Group and an executive of VF Corp.

“The world produces 92 million tons of textile waste each year, yet less than 1 percent is recycled. It is a system that extracts finite resources creating textile waste with no responsibility for end-of-life. Reju is going to change that by unlocking a new system through critical partnerships around the world. We will build infrastructure, scale technology, comply with regulation and, in the end, help the textile industry evolve and enable a change in behaviour. Our Regeneration Hub Zero in Frankfurt is a significant milestone, showcasing how this advanced technology addresses the global textile waste problem,” adds Frisk.

The company will also guarantee textile-to-textile traceability - another must-have. Reju Polyester will have a 50 percent lower carbon footprint than virgin polyester and the company is committed to “bringing a product to market that is demonstrably cleaner and can be regenerated infinitely“, according to a press release.

More information about Reju Polyester and its lifecycle assessment can be found on the company’s website.