#Recycled Fibers

2025-11-27

PETCORE Europe announces Institutional EU Polyester Textile Circularity Summit for 2 December 2025

PETCORE Europe’s Textile Special Interest Group (SIG) will host the Institutional EU Polyester Textile Circularity Summit on 2 December 2025, bringing together leading experts from industry, policy, research and investment to discuss the future of polyester recycling in Europe. The online event aims to provide a comprehensive overview of technological progress, regulatory developments and the practical challenges of building a functioning textile-to-textile polyester circularity system.

PETCORE Europe Ambassador Christian-Yves Crépet underlines the broader challenge ahead: “The central question behind unlocking polyester textile circularity in Europe is not only about regulation, infrastructure, and investment. These elements are essential, but they cannot deliver results on their own. Without explicit, measurable, and sustained engagement from textile brands and retailers, circularity will simply not materialise. They control product design, material choices, commercial flows, and market signals — therefore nothing will scale unless they actively commit.”

Strategic framing: Where Europe stands on polyester circularity

The summit opens with a strategic introduction by Alain Pointcheval (REJU), Christian-Yves Crépet, and Raphaël Jaumotte of PETCORE Europe. They will outline the political and industrial context in which polyester circularity is currently advancing, highlighting both the momentum built in recent years and the systemic barriers that still need to be addressed.

This will be followed by a wide-ranging discussion on whether Europe is currently enabling or hindering textile circularity. Moderated by Alain Pointcheval, the session brings together organisations examining the regulatory environment and emerging success models. Contributions from AMI and IFPEN will show which regulatory conditions are necessary for chemical recycling technologies to scale industrially. Examples from France – including Refashion and the integrated model of Nouvelles Fibres Textiles – illustrate how sorting, preparation and downstream processing are already being combined at EU level. GR3N will present its pathway towards industrial deployment and the regulatory challenges that remain.

Regulation, investment & feedstock: Aligning industry and policy

A further focus of the webinar will examine how investment in textile polyester recycling can develop in the coming years. Representatives from Invest-NL and Infinity Recycling will outline what institutional and private investors expect from large-scale recycling projects. Accelerating Circularity will highlight the strategic relevance of currently untapped post-consumer textile volumes, which must be activated urgently to supply future industrial capacities. This block will also include a retailer perspective, emphasising the sector’s growing responsibility in enabling recycling-ready material flows.

After an open discussion round moderated by Christian Crépet, the European Commission will provide a regulatory update. Carsten Wentink from DG Environment will present the latest developments on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and outline the requirements that may soon apply specifically to polyester-based textiles.

Technology push: Industry readiness for polyester circularity

The afternoon will feature updates on industrial technologies. More than twenty companies from across the global polyester value chain will present short insights into their current projects and technological developments, covering technology readiness levels, planned capacities, feedstock requirements, regulatory obstacles and the specific contributions their technologies can make to European textile circularity. Participating companies include Axens, Carbios, Cure Technology, Depoly, Eastman, GR3N, Indorama Ventures, Loop Industries, Matterr, Plasta Rei, REJU, Coperion, Erema, Starlinger, Pellenc ST, Tomra, and others.

This session will be followed by an extended Q&A. To close the summit, Alain Pointcheval, Christian-Yves Crépet, and Raphaël Jaumotte will outline the next steps: from the update of the Brussels Mapping to new policy coordination initiatives and follow-up EU platform activities planned for 2026.

Registration now open

Registration for the webinar is now open. PETCORE Europe invites all stakeholders from the polyester, textile, recycling, policy and investment sectors to join this central European dialogue on the future of polyester textile circularity.

https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/unlocking-polyester-textiles-circularity-in-europe-tickets-1864936568479?aff=oddtdtcreator

Expansive innovations converge in Shanghai as Yarn Expo Autumn 2026 opens doors next week

With just days to go, industry enthusiasm is building for the opening of Yarn Expo Autumn, Asia’s premier yarn and fibre trade fair, running from 25 – 27 August at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (Shanghai). Across 27,000 sqm in Hall 8.2, buyers will find nearly 600 exhibitors from 14 countries and regions, spread across seven specialised zones that range from cutting-edge man-made and regenerated fibres to time-honoured cashmere and silk. Beyond the extensive sourcing options, a fringe programme of trend showcases, presentations and product launches rounds out the three¬day event with design, innovation and market intelligence.

Naia™ from Eastman strengthens western hemisphere textile connections at Apparel Sourcing Show Guatemala

As brands and retailers explore more diversified and responsive sourcing networks, the Naia™ brand from Eastman is strengthening its engagement with the textile and apparel value chain across the western hemisphere. From August 18–20, the company will participate for the first time in Apparel Sourcing Show Guatemala, a regional meeting point for apparel sourcing, manufacturing and nearshoring.

Usha Yarns secures growth equity investment from Fullerton Carbon Action Fund

Usha Yarns Limited (“Usha Yarns”), a producer of high-quality recycled yarns with advanced, well established production processes, announced a growth equity investment from the Fullerton Carbon Action Fund (“Fullerton”), a private equity strategy managed by Fullerton Fund Management that backs established mid-market companies across Emerging Asia to accelerate decarbonisation.

DOMOTEX Southeast Asia 2026 - Building the Gateway to ASEAN's fast-growing flooring market

From 11–13 November 2026, the inaugural DOMOTEX Southeast Asia will take place at BITEC (Bangkok International Trade & Exhibition Centre) in Bangkok, Thailand. Jointly organized by GLOBUS Events Limited and Hannover Milano Fairs Shanghai Ltd., with Worldex G.E.C. Co., Ltd. as the local partner, the exhibition marks the expansion of the internationally recognized DOMOTEX brand into Southeast Asia. As the newest addition to the global DOMOTEX portfolio, the exhibition has been developed specifically to serve the rapidly evolving ASEAN market, creating a dedicated business event for the flooring and interior finishing industry.

Execs help steer Cascale’s consumer goods agenda in Athens

The 2026 Cascale Annual Meeting, taking place September 15–17 in Athens, Greece, will convene leaders from across the global consumer goods value chain to tackle one of the industry’s defining questions: how to accelerate meaningful, system-wide transformation. Guiding those conversations as this year’s co-chairs are Sean Cady, vice president, global sustainability, responsibility, trade, and government affairs at VF Corporation, and Dr. Delman Lee, vice chair at TAL Apparel Limited.

YKK launches no. 3 size of QuickFree® click-TRAK® magnetic zipper globally

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) has begun the global rollout of the No. 3 size of its QuickFree® click-TRAK® Magnetic zipper, expanding availability beyond China for the first time. While maintaining the same functionality and ease of operation, the No. 3 size is approximately 60% the size of the No. 5 size *1. This enables applications in lightweight garments, sportswear, hooded apparel, and other similar uses.