US textile recycling company Circ plans to build the first of its kind facility to recover cotton and polyester from textile waste on an industrial scale. To be built with an investment of $500 million, the project will be supported by the French Government and the European Union.
To be located in Saint –Avold in Northeast France, the plant will begin operations in 2028 and process 70,000 metric tons of textile waste annually, creating 200 jobs.
The development will be funded through a combination of equity and debt. The €450 million ($504.09 million) plant will help secure grants and guarantees including the Strategic Projects Guarantee from the French state, says Peter Majeranowski, CEO.
According to Majeranowski, this plant will help EU create a ‘circular economy’ through increased recycling to reach its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. It will be the world’s first industrial-scale polycotton recycling plant, he states.
According to a UN report, the fashion industry accounts for up to 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and consumes more energy than the aviation and shipping industries combined. It's also a significant consumer and polluter of water.
A number of companies are developing technologies to recycle the millions of tons of polycotton waste generated each year. This comes amidst increasing demand from retailers eager to bolster their sustainability credentials and comply with stricter regulations.
Circ utilizes hydrothermal technology to break down polyester without harming the cotton, allowing both materials to be recovered and reused in the same process.
Clothing retailers Inditex and Patagonia have invested in Circ, and the company's recycled materials are already being used by brands such as Inditex-owned Zara.
Partners in the plant's construction include Worley, GEA, and Andritz. Circ aims to use this facility as a blueprint for future plants, notes Majeranowski. Metakeys: Circ, textile recycling plant, Saint-Avold, France,
