Ambercycle was founded in 2015 by Shay Sethi and Moby Ahmer. Its process, Ambercycling, separates and purifies post-consumer textile waste at the molecular level to produce regenerated materials. 

Hardware, such as buttons and zippers, is removed from post-consumer clothing and the textiles are shredded and fed into a series of reactors. The polyester is separated from cellulosic materials (cotton, viscose), dyes and other components. These other components are recovered as a pulp.

The polyester is further purified and reconstituted into pellets.The regenerated Cycora pellets are spun into new fibres and yarns.

Mr Sethi said: “Our breakthrough molecular regeneration process enables a clear vision for circularity, in which fashion can flow in and out of our lives. Not only will this improve the sustainability performance of the items in our closets, but it builds a new way for us to interact with our materials.”  

The company has been testing the technology at a pilot plant in Los Angeles, and plans to scale up the production of Cycora. It has already been used by H&M for its 2021 Circular Design Story Collection.

Erik Karlsson, acting head of H&M CO:LAB, said: “We are delighted to support Ambercycle with this recent collection and are excited to continue being part of their successful journey. The H&M Group has an ambitious goal of making our business fully circular by 2030 and we truly believe in the team behind Ambercycle with their exceptional dedication to their mission. With this new funding round we look forward to partnering with them as they scale commercially.” 

Photo: Actress Rosario Dawson visiting Ambercycle HQ in December 2021