Technip Energies and Reju to Build Large-Scale Polyester Recycling Plant in France

Technip Energies has signed an agreement with polyester recycler Reju to support the development of a new large-scale textile-to-textile recycling plant in France, marking a significant step forward in Europe’s push to scale circular solutions for the fashion and textile industry.

The planned facility will use chemical recycling technology to process end-of-life polyester textiles and convert them into purified raw materials suitable for producing new polyester fibres. The plant is expected to become one of the first industrial-scale facilities in Europe dedicated to closing the loop on polyester textile waste.

Polyester is the most widely used fibre in the global textile market, accounting for more than half of total fibre production. However, most polyester garments currently end up in landfill or incineration after use. Mechanical recycling remains limited due to fibre degradation and contamination, particularly in blended fabrics. Chemical recycling offers a pathway to break polyester down into its molecular components, allowing repeated recycling without significant loss of quality.

Engineering and Project Delivery

Under the agreement, Technip Energies will provide engineering and project delivery services for the new plant. The company, which has experience in petrochemicals, polymers and process engineering, is expected to support design, integration and potential scaling of the recycling technology.

The project aligns with Technip Energies’ broader strategy to expand into sustainable process solutions, including low-carbon hydrogen, carbon capture and circular chemicals. By entering the textile recycling space, the company is positioning itself within a growing market driven by regulatory pressure, brand commitments and consumer demand for lower-impact materials.

Reju, a specialist in polyester recycling, is focused on chemical depolymerisation technology designed to process post-consumer and post-industrial textile waste. The process aims to produce monomers that can be repolymerised into polyester with properties equivalent to virgin material derived from fossil fuels.

While detailed capacity figures and financial terms were not publicly disclosed, the facility is expected to serve as a cornerstone for scaling textile recycling in Europe.

Policy and Regulatory Drivers

The project comes at a time when the European Union is tightening its approach to textile waste and circular economy targets. Under the EU Waste Framework Directive, the separate collection of textile waste becomes mandatory across Member States. Additionally, forthcoming extended producer responsibility schemes for textiles are expected to increase pressure on brands and manufacturers to manage end-of-life materials.

The EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles also sets out measures to promote durability, repairability and recyclability in garment design. As a result, demand for advanced recycling infrastructure is rising.

France has already implemented extended producer responsibility for textiles and has established collection and sorting systems that could help supply feedstock for chemical recycling plants. However, scaling high-quality recycling requires significant investment in sorting technology capable of separating blended fabrics and contaminants.

Climate and Net-Zero Implications

The textile sector is estimated to account for a substantial share of global greenhouse gas emissions, driven by fossil-based fibre production, energy-intensive manufacturing and global supply chains. Virgin polyester production relies heavily on petrochemical feedstocks, linking fashion consumption directly to fossil fuel extraction.

By converting textile waste into new polyester inputs, chemical recycling can potentially reduce demand for virgin fossil-based raw materials and lower lifecycle emissions. The exact carbon savings depend on factors such as energy sources used in the recycling process, transportation logistics and material recovery rates.

From a net-zero perspective, circularity is increasingly seen as a critical lever. Reducing material throughput and keeping carbon embedded in products for longer periods can complement the decarbonization of energy systems.

However, experts note that chemical recycling technologies must demonstrate strong environmental performance to justify large-scale deployment. Transparency around energy use, emissions intensity and waste by-products will be key to assessing climate benefits.

Market Implications for Brands and Investors

Global fashion brands have announced commitments to increase recycled content and reduce Scope 3 emissions across their value chains. Yet the supply of high-quality recycled polyester remains constrained.

Industrial-scale facilities such as the planned French plant could help bridge this gap by providing reliable volumes of recycled feedstock that meet performance standards required for apparel manufacturing.

For investors, the project signals continued growth in circular materials infrastructure. Capital is increasingly flowing into recycling technologies capable of addressing hard-to-recycle waste streams, including textiles and multilayer plastics.

As regulatory frameworks evolve and carbon pricing mechanisms expand, companies that integrate circular materials may gain competitive advantages in cost stability and compliance.

Scaling Challenges

Despite the positive outlook, textile recycling faces structural hurdles. Collection rates for used garments vary significantly across Europe, and a large proportion of clothing is exported for reuse or disposal abroad.

In addition, blended fabrics combining polyester with cotton or elastane complicate recycling processes. Technology providers must demonstrate the ability to manage mixed-material inputs at scale while maintaining product purity.

Cost competitiveness is another critical factor. Virgin polyester remains relatively inexpensive, particularly when oil prices are moderate. Achieving price parity or demonstrating clear regulatory or brand-driven demand will be essential for long-term viability.

A Step Toward Industrial Circularity

The collaboration between Technip Energies and Reju illustrates how established engineering firms are partnering with recycling innovators to industrialise circular solutions. By combining process engineering expertise with advanced depolymerisation technology, the project aims to move textile recycling beyond pilot stages into commercial-scale operation.

If successfully executed, the French facility could serve as a model for similar plants across Europe and other regions seeking to reduce textile waste and cut emissions from synthetic fibre production.

As the fashion industry confronts mounting environmental scrutiny, infrastructure investments such as this may become central to achieving circular economy and net-zero objectives.

Source: www.reuters.com