#Recycling / Circular Economy

2025-05-22

Reuters: Circ to build landmark €450 million textile recycling plant in France

According to Reuters, U.S.-based recycling company Circ is set to construct what it calls the world’s first industrial-scale facility capable of recycling both cotton and polyester from blended textiles. Backed by the French government and the European Union, the plant will be located in Saint-Avold, northeastern France, and is expected to begin operations in 2028. Once fully operational, it will process up to 70,000 metric tons of material annually and create around 200 jobs.

The €450 million (approximately $500 million) project is being financed through a mix of equity and debt and aims to access additional state support, including France’s Strategic Projects Guarantee. Circ CEO Peter Majeranowski told Reuters that the plant represents a turning point for the textile industry, which struggles with recycling blended fabrics that dominate today’s clothing.

Circ’s hydrothermal technology allows polyester to be broken down without damaging the cotton, enabling both fibers to be recovered and reused in a single process. Retailers such as Inditex (parent company of Zara) and Patagonia have already invested in Circ and are using its recycled materials in their products.

The new facility is intended to serve as a model for future sites around the globe, as demand grows from brands and suppliers working to meet stricter climate and sustainability goals.

Circ announces its first sourcing partnership with H&M Group

Circ®, the only textile-to-textile recycler capable of taking polycotton blends and fully recovering both the polyester and the cellulose for reuse, today announced a collaboration with H&M Group. For the first time, H&M will incorporate Circ’s recycled fibers from polycotton textile waste into its product offerings. The first products debut in Fall 2025, with a womenswear v-neck fleece sweatshirt made with Circ® Polyester and expands in Spring 2026 with menswear denim crafted with TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ Technology.

Niccolò Pasqualetti debuts Circ’s recycled materials at Paris Fashion Week

On October 5, 2025, textile-to-textile recycling innovator Circ® was featured at Paris Fashion Week, collaborating with experimental designer Niccolò Pasqualetti. Two looks from Pasqualetti’s Spring/Summer 2026 Collection were crafted with Circ® Lyocell – with the help of Italian textile mill Tessilgodi – and debuted on the runway, marking the material’s first-ever appearance at Paris Fashion Week.

Patrick McDowell brings Circ’s recycled Polyester filament to the Runway at London Fashion Week

Circ®, a US-based textile-to-textile recycling innovator, is making history at London Fashion Week with renowned designer Patrick McDowell. For the first time, a recycled polyester filament made from polycotton blended fabric waste will appear on the runway on September 20, 2025 in McDowell’s Spring/Summer Collection.

Recover™ launches Recover™ Fabrics to accelerate recycled cotton adoption

Recover™, a leading materials science company and one of the world’s largest producers of recycled cotton fiber, today announced the launch of Recover™ Fabrics, a new product line designed to make premium, low-impact fabrics readily accessible to brands of all sizes, from global retailers to emerging labels.

38th International Cotton Conference Bremen launches registration and unveils key topics

Participants can now register online for the 38th International Cotton Conference Bremen, which will be held on 25-27 March 2026 at the Haus der Bürgerschaft parliament building on market square. All visitors can look forward to a high-calibre conference programme, numerous additional meetings and a valuable exchange of knowledge and information. The comprehensive range of topics covering the entire value chain will provide practical expertise, address current developments, answer key industry questions, and provide new impetus for the future.

Innovation and customer proximity – KARL MAYER’s clear focus makes an impression

ITMA ASIA in Singapore was a resounding success for KARL MAYER, exceeding all expectations. The company welcomed visitors from 39 countries and held around 570 expert discussions. Most guests came from India, followed by China, Indonesia and Pakistan. The exchange with them was both well-founded and targeted. Conversation topics ranged from investment projects and new technologies to opportunities for cooperation and business expansion.

Catching heart disease early with AI-based sensor system

It slips on like a normal vest: Fraunhofer IZM has created a smart sensor system in cooperation with the Charité and the Technical University of Berlin. The vest records a vast array of cardiovascular parameters, which an AI-based system uses to support medical diagnostics and spot potentially dangerous developments.