U.S. textile recycling firm Circ® has received backing from the French government and the European Union to build a $500 million polycotton recycling plant.
The plant will be built in Saint-Avold and employ 200 people. It is set to begin operations in 2028 and will be able to process 70,000 metric tons (about 77,161.8 U.S. tons) annually.
Funded through a mix of equity and debt, the €450 million ($504.09 million) plant will look to access grants and guarantees, including the Strategic Projects Guarantee from the French state, says Peter Majeranowski, Circ CEO.
“This will be the world’s first industrial-scale polycotton [recycling plant],” he says. “Now, most of the clothing produced is a blend of polyester and cotton, and that makes it very difficult to recycle, so having this facility is a major milestone.”
Circ uses hydrothermal technology to break down polyester without damaging the cotton, such that both can be recovered in the same process and reused. Clothing retailers Inditex (ITX.MC) and Patagonia have both taken stakes in Circ, and its recycled materials are already being used by brands including Inditex-owned Zara.
Partners in the building of the factory include Worley, GEA and Andritz and the aim is to use it as a model for future plants, says Majeranowski, with strong demand from producers and suppliers keen to help fashion firms meet their climate goals.
“We have a lot of interest from all over the world, from South Asia, East Asia, in the States of course, Canada, Australia,” he says.
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