Reju and Circle-8 Join Forces to Revolutionize Textile Recycling in the UK

Reju and Circle-8 Join Forces

In a groundbreaking move aimed at transforming the textile industry, Reju™, a pioneer in textile regeneration, has announced a partnership with Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems, a leading creator of ecosystem infrastructures for fabric recycling. The collaboration is set to significantly advance the textile recycling ecosystem in the UK, paving the way toward a more sustainable future.

Circle-8 plans to provide Reju with raw materials sourced from textile waste processed at the world’s first automated sorting and pre-processing facility—marking a critical step in building a network of such facilities on an industrial scale. Reju will utilize these materials to produce Reju Polyester™, known for its 50% lower carbon footprint compared to virgin polyester and its potential for unlimited regeneration.

Patrik Frisk, Reju's CEO, emphasized the importance of this collaboration: "Partnering with the evolving Circle-8 ecosystem and the ATSP enables us to enhance the efficiency of textile recycling. By simplifying and honing the process, we can produce a superior quality product that meets Reju's stringent polyester standards." He also noted that as awareness grows among consumers and clothing manufacturers regarding the significance of preventing textile waste from ending up in landfills, it becomes increasingly vital to have automated, streamlined processes in place.

The partnership is poised to bolster the UK's material processing infrastructure and foster collaboration towards creating a fully transparent and profitable fiber-to-fiber ecosystem. This agreement aims to guide UK brands and retailers towards adopting a circular textile industry. Circle-8 will deliver pre-sorted, processed raw materials to Reju, ensuring efficiency, precision, and scalability in handling over 700,000 tons of non-reusable textile waste generated each year in the UK.

Cyndi Rhoades, co-founder and CEO of Circle-8, affirmed the companies' shared commitment to promoting genuine fabric recycling both in the UK and globally. "This partnership highlights the importance of collaboration and innovation in repurposing textile waste into valuable resources," she said.

As international regulatory bodies take coordinated action, Reju and Circle-8 are dedicated to developing scalable solutions that meet legal requirements while promising a more sustainable future.

About Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems

Circle-8 is redefining the future of materials by initiating a circular economy in the textile industry. The company is responsible for designing, building, and launching a network of automated textile sorting and pre-processing facilities that convert unusable fabrics into recycling feedstock. Their ultimate aim is to establish large-scale polymer waste recycling centers in the UK.

With a focus on building necessary partnerships throughout the value chain, Circle-8 aims to prevent the approximately 700,000 tons of unrecyclable textiles that enter the UK every year from being exported, landfilled, or incinerated, thus fulfilling the vision of a circular economy.

About Reju

Reju is dedicated to the regeneration of textile materials, focusing on innovative solutions for polyester and PET plastic waste recycling. A part of Technip Energies, and leveraging technology stemming from IBM research, Reju aims to establish a global circular recycling ecosystem for textiles, addressing the challenge posed by PET plastic waste in fabrics.

For more information, visit Reju's official website.