CLERMONT-FERRAND- Carbios, a leader in biological recycling technology for plastics and textiles, alongside its consortium partners—On, Patagonia, Puma, Salomon, and PVH Corp. (the parent company of Calvin Klein)—has unveiled what is claimed to be the world’s first polyester garment made entirely from textile waste through enzymatic recycling.
The collaboration aimed to demonstrate a closed-loop, fibre-to-fibre recycling process at an industrial level, with the ultimate goal of supporting the textile industry’s transition towards a sustainable, circular economy.
The consortium intentionally chose a simple white T-shirt to spotlight the technology, showing how mixed and colored textile waste could be converted back into polyester.
Carbios’ technology uses enzymes to break down polyester into its base components, which are then reassembled into recycled polyester that is claimed to rival virgin polyester in quality.
The production process began with the consortium members providing textile waste—including production scraps and fabric rolls containing complex blends with cotton, elastane, and various treatments.
Carbios processed this waste in its pilot facility in Clermont-Ferrand, where the material was deconstructed into monomers PTA and MEG. These were then reformed, spun, and woven into a new fabric by external partners, integrating with standard manufacturing processes.
Since 2021, Carbios has operated a demonstration plant in Clermont-Ferrand and is constructing the world’s first industrial-scale enzymatic PET recycling facility in Longlaville, France. Carbios has signed letters of intent with PET producers across Asia and Europe to expand its biorecycling technology worldwide.
Carbios CEO Emmanuel Ladent said: “This may look like an ordinary T-shirt, but the technology behind it is revolutionary. Achieving fibre-to-fibre recycling was a huge technical challenge, made possible only through our collaboration with consortium partners.”
Begüm Kürkçü, sustainability director at On, added: “This first T-shirt made from 100 per cent biorecycled fibers marks a critical milestone,” adding that the partnership aims to drive adoption of circular technologies across the industry.
Anne-Laure Descours, chief sourcing officer at Puma, expressed Puma’s ambition for all polyester to eventually come from recycled textiles, calling the breakthrough a significant step in advancing the industry toward full-scale circularity.
