Textile recycling firm Reju, owned by French energy infrastructure company Technip Energies opens new tab, said it will build a large polyester recycling plant in southwest France as startups and retailers take aim at fast fashion’s waste problem.
“We are reinforcing our mission to transform textile waste into valuable, circular resources,” CEO Patrik Frisk said in a statement.
The new plant in Lacq would turn used textiles from national waste collection and recycling operations into new polyester fibres. Reju has already announced plans for plants in the Netherlands and the United States.
Final investment decisions are pending for the three plants, each targeting around 50,000 metric tons per year of recycled polyester, with a cost at least twice that of virgin polyester.
Fast fashion retailers such as H&M , opens new tab and Zara owner Inditex, opens new tab, keen to make their businesses more sustainable and meet tougher regulations without sacrificing growth, are backing textile-to-textile recycling startups.
Production of polyester, made from petrochemicals, has increased in recent years, according to the latest estimate from Textile Exchange. Low cost and durability have driven widespread use for a variety of clothing, from dresses to sportswear.
