Carbios signs up On, Puma, Salomon and Patagonia
French biotechnology start-up Carbios has signed a two-year deal with sports brands On, Puma, Salomon and Patagonia to help accelerate its biorecycling technology.
The multi-stakeholder agreement will further involve research into product recyclability, take-back solutions for pre-owned polyester garments, fibre-to-fibre recycling and additional “circularity models”.
Ahead of anticipated regulation increases when it comes to textile and packaging circularity, and in recognition of conventional bottle-to-fibre recycling's limitations, the four brands seek more varied options, Carbios said. The start-up’s own enzymatic recycling technology offers an alternative route, with its promise of selective polyester (PET) extraction from blends, allowing for fibre recovery and recreation as “virgin fibre”.
Previous successes experienced alongside packaging-industry partners when following a similar consortium model were cited by Carbios’ chief executive, Emmanuel Ladent, as reason to be optimistic about the group’s potential discoveries moving forward.
“Our common goal is to contribute towards reducing the environmental impact of the textile industry by offering an industrial solution to recycling polyester fibres and [ultimately] help our partners meet their sustainable development goals," he added.
Read our feature on Carbios here.
