#Recycled Fibers

2025-11-27

PETCORE Europe announces Institutional EU Polyester Textile Circularity Summit for 2 December 2025

PETCORE Europe’s Textile Special Interest Group (SIG) will host the Institutional EU Polyester Textile Circularity Summit on 2 December 2025, bringing together leading experts from industry, policy, research and investment to discuss the future of polyester recycling in Europe. The online event aims to provide a comprehensive overview of technological progress, regulatory developments and the practical challenges of building a functioning textile-to-textile polyester circularity system.

PETCORE Europe Ambassador Christian-Yves Crépet underlines the broader challenge ahead: “The central question behind unlocking polyester textile circularity in Europe is not only about regulation, infrastructure, and investment. These elements are essential, but they cannot deliver results on their own. Without explicit, measurable, and sustained engagement from textile brands and retailers, circularity will simply not materialise. They control product design, material choices, commercial flows, and market signals — therefore nothing will scale unless they actively commit.”

Strategic framing: Where Europe stands on polyester circularity

The summit opens with a strategic introduction by Alain Pointcheval (REJU), Christian-Yves Crépet, and Raphaël Jaumotte of PETCORE Europe. They will outline the political and industrial context in which polyester circularity is currently advancing, highlighting both the momentum built in recent years and the systemic barriers that still need to be addressed.

This will be followed by a wide-ranging discussion on whether Europe is currently enabling or hindering textile circularity. Moderated by Alain Pointcheval, the session brings together organisations examining the regulatory environment and emerging success models. Contributions from AMI and IFPEN will show which regulatory conditions are necessary for chemical recycling technologies to scale industrially. Examples from France – including Refashion and the integrated model of Nouvelles Fibres Textiles – illustrate how sorting, preparation and downstream processing are already being combined at EU level. GR3N will present its pathway towards industrial deployment and the regulatory challenges that remain.

Regulation, investment & feedstock: Aligning industry and policy

A further focus of the webinar will examine how investment in textile polyester recycling can develop in the coming years. Representatives from Invest-NL and Infinity Recycling will outline what institutional and private investors expect from large-scale recycling projects. Accelerating Circularity will highlight the strategic relevance of currently untapped post-consumer textile volumes, which must be activated urgently to supply future industrial capacities. This block will also include a retailer perspective, emphasising the sector’s growing responsibility in enabling recycling-ready material flows.

After an open discussion round moderated by Christian Crépet, the European Commission will provide a regulatory update. Carsten Wentink from DG Environment will present the latest developments on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and outline the requirements that may soon apply specifically to polyester-based textiles.

Technology push: Industry readiness for polyester circularity

The afternoon will feature updates on industrial technologies. More than twenty companies from across the global polyester value chain will present short insights into their current projects and technological developments, covering technology readiness levels, planned capacities, feedstock requirements, regulatory obstacles and the specific contributions their technologies can make to European textile circularity. Participating companies include Axens, Carbios, Cure Technology, Depoly, Eastman, GR3N, Indorama Ventures, Loop Industries, Matterr, Plasta Rei, REJU, Coperion, Erema, Starlinger, Pellenc ST, Tomra, and others.

This session will be followed by an extended Q&A. To close the summit, Alain Pointcheval, Christian-Yves Crépet, and Raphaël Jaumotte will outline the next steps: from the update of the Brussels Mapping to new policy coordination initiatives and follow-up EU platform activities planned for 2026.

Registration now open

Registration for the webinar is now open. PETCORE Europe invites all stakeholders from the polyester, textile, recycling, policy and investment sectors to join this central European dialogue on the future of polyester textile circularity.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/unlocking-polyester-textiles-circularity-in-europe-tickets-1864936568479?aff=oddtdtcreator

Reju opens its first R&D Center in the U.S. in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania

Reju, the company specializing in textile regeneration, today announced the opening of a Research and Development (R&D) Center in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, the company's first proprietary research center in North America. Located within Technip Energies' existing Advanced Materials and Catalysts research center, the lab will allow Reju to accelerate the rollout of its recycling technologies and develop its next-generation circular solutions.

"We will become a recycling powerhouse"

The textile industry is now in its fourth consecutive year of crisis, while automation, artificial intelligence and recycling are reshaping the rules of the game. In this interview, Rieter CEO Thomas Oetterli discusses the first signs of a market recovery, reflects on his first three years at the helm of the company, explains the integration of Barmag, outlines Rieter’s vision of the fully automated spinning mill and highlights the strategic importance of recycling. In doing so, he explains why the new Rieter Group aims to play a leading role in transforming the textile value chain into a circular economy.

Countdown to Textiles Recycling Expo 2026: Brussels prepares for Europe’s textile recycling gathering

With only two weeks remaining until the start of the second edition of the Textiles Recycling Expo 2026, preparations are entering the final phase. The exhibition and conference, dedicated exclusively to textile recycling and circularity, will take place on 24–25 June 2026 at Brussels Expo and is expected to attract stakeholders from across the textile recycling value chain.

Itema reaffirms its commitment to the Syrian textile industry at NasTex 2026

From July 18th to 21st, Itema will exhibit at NasTex at the Damascus Fairground (Hall 11 – Stand C02), marking its return to one of the Middle East’s historically significant textile markets. Itema will showcase advanced weaving technology designed to support the competitiveness and technological evolution of Syrian manufacturers and announces a new partnership with Growfast Agency as the sole agent of Itema in Syria.

KARL MAYER's HKS 2-SE Expands Possibilities for Premium Stretch WARP KNITS

Warp knitted fabrics with a woven look are more in demand than ever in the fashion and apparel industries. Stretch WARP KNITS, in particular, impress with their freedom of movement, breathability, and virtually wrinkle-free wear – thereby opening up new style worlds such as smart casual or business casual. When it comes to the highly efficient production of premium-quality stretch WARP KNITS, the HKS 2-SE has long been the machine of choice. KARL MAYER’s best-selling tricot machine produces standard elastic fabrics characterized by high gauges, smooth, delicate surfaces, and a soft hand feel.

JEC Forum Southeast Asia 2026 highlights Taiwan as a strategic hub for the global composites industry

The third edition of JEC Forum organized in Southeast Asia brought together 350+ participants from 22 countries for three active days of high-level Business Meetings, conferences, and networking, emphasizing Southeast Asia’s growing role in the global composites market. Held for the first time in Taipei from 23 to 24 June 2026, following the successful first editions in Bangkok, JEC Forum Southeast Asia 2026 confirmed its position as the region’s leading business platform dedicated to the composites industry.