Reju Establishes First U.S. Textile Regeneration Center in Rochester, New York

Reju’s Regeneration Steps in the U.S.

In a landmark move towards sustainable textile management, Reju, a leader in textile waste regeneration, has announced the site selection for its first industrial regeneration center in the United States, to be located in Rochester, New York. This initiative reflects the company’s commitment to promoting a closed-loop textile recycling system on a global scale.

The facility will be built on 18.9 acres within the Eastman Business Park and is projected to process an impressive 300 million textile items each year, which would otherwise contribute to landfill waste. The center will manufacture rBHET (recycled Bio-Hydroxyethyl Terephthalate), a key material that will be repolymerized into Reju PET, supporting a circular economy in textile consumption.

“Choosing Rochester as our first regeneration hub in the States is a major step forward in establishing a truly global closed-loop system,” stated Patrik Frisk, CEO of Reju. “We are proud to be creating a sustainable production environment and generating job opportunities within the local Rochester community.” This facility is part of a wider network of Reju centers, complementing the existing Regeneration Hub Zero in Frankfurt and the forthcoming Regeneration Hub One in Chemelot, Netherlands, which was announced last year.

Reju employs patented recycling technology developed by Technip Energies and IBM Research to convert various textile waste into premium polyester. Notably, the regenerated material boasts a 50% lower carbon footprint compared to virgin polyester, making it suitable for multiple recycling cycles and reducing the industry’s dependency on fossil materials.

The governor of New York, Kathy Hochul, emphasized the job creation aspect of the project. “New York State is dedicated to fostering well-paying jobs and supporting innovative initiatives aimed at diverting materials from landfills, contributing to planetary health. The ambitious Reju project, poised to create around 70 new jobs at Eastman Business Park, showcases how strategic investments can transform waste into opportunity, thus enhancing efforts towards a green economy and a brighter future for all.”

Reju’s collaboration with global brands, textile manufacturers, and waste aggregators ensures full traceability in textile logistics, transforming clothing that would otherwise end up in landfills or incinerators into valuable resources for a new circular economy. The opening of their Rochester center significantly strengthens Reju’s foothold in the U.S. market.

“Reju is investing in a future where post-consumer textile waste is seen as a resource, not a burden,” added Mr. Frisk. “This serves as a strong market signal that large-scale circular implementation is not just possible but timely as well.”

For additional details, interested parties can visit reju.com.

Overview of Technip Energies

Technip Energies is a global leader in technology and engineering across sectors such as liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen, and sustainable chemistry. Their approach focuses on enabling critical markets such as energy, decarbonization, and circular economies through innovation and precise execution from over 17,000 employees in 34 countries. In 2024, Technip Energies reported revenues of €6.9 billion and is listed on Euronext Paris.

About Reju

Reju specializes in textile waste recycling, aiming to create innovative solutions for processing post-consumer textile waste and PET waste. As a subsidiary of Technip Energies, using technology based on IBM Research findings, Reju strives to establish a global textile recycling system that caters to the needs of a closed-loop economy.