#Recycling / Circular Economy

2025-06-12

DePoly wins SEF award for Deep Tech Innovation in PET Recycling

At the 2025 Swiss Economic Forum (SEF), held in Sion, Switzerland, advanced recycling company DePoly was awarded the top prize in the Deep Tech / Life Sciences category—further cementing its position as a key player in the circular materials space.

The SEF Awards are among Switzerland’s most prestigious recognitions for startups and scale-ups driving technological transformation. A high-level jury of business and scientific leaders evaluated companies on innovation, sustainability, scalability, and societal impact.

DePoly impressed the jury with its patented chemical recycling technology, capable of breaking down unsorted, contaminated PET plastic waste into virgin-quality monomers—Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) and Mono Ethylene Glycol (MEG)—chemically identical to their fossil-based counterparts. This process enables true circularity by reintroducing PET waste into the value chain as high-quality feedstock.

“This recognition fuels our drive to push boundaries in plastic recycling and scale our global impact,” said Dr. Samantha Anderson, CEO and co-founder of DePoly. “Winning the SEF Award among such remarkable companies is a strong endorsement of our vision.”

From lab development to its showcase plant in Monthey, DePoly is demonstrating that its technology is not only scalable but also strategically positioned to support Europe’s transition to circular production models—an ambition highly relevant to the textile industry, where PET-based materials like polyester dominate.

The SEF accolade is expected to strengthen DePoly’s momentum in securing partnerships, expanding into European markets, and attracting further investment.

Also recognized in the Deep Tech / Life Sciences category were Synendos Therapeutics AG and Artiria Medical, noted for their outstanding contributions to medical innovation.

DePoly Inaugurates its Showcase Plant in Monthey Switzerland

What if used plastic bottles, PET packaging material and polyester textiles could become raw materials just as high performing as virgin resources? That is the ambition of DePoly, a circular materials company based in Sion, Switzerland which inaugurated its Showcase Plant in Monthey on July 6th & 7th. The first depolymerization facility of its kind and scale in Switzerland, this industrial Showcase Plant represents a major milestone in the company's growth and its journey toward commercialization.

Odlo and DePoly “Close the loop” on Polyester with InnoBooster project

Odlo, the Swiss-based performance apparel brand, together with DePoly, the award-winning chemical recycling pioneer, has successfully completed an InnoBooster-funded innovation project. By turning production cut-offs from Odlo’s base layer factory into virgin-quality recycled polyester fabric, the partners have taken an important step towards closing the loop on one of the most widely used materials in the textile industry.

Creating a circular economy for fashion and textiles in the UAE

As the United Arab Emirates (UAE) accelerates its shift towards a circular economy, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation is working to co-design and deliver a national textiles circularity policy framework as part of the country’s wider Naseej initiative, a Presidential-level programme to create a circular economy for fashion and textiles.

Indorama Ventures strengthens Packaging business through strategic circular PET partnership

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, a global sustainable chemical company, today announced a strategic partnership through Indovida, Indorama Ventures’ packaging business segment, with Suntory Holdings Limited, Suntory PepsiCo Beverage (Thailand) Co., Ltd. and Iwatani Corporation, to bring commercial-scale circular PET packaging to Thailand. The collaboration further strengthens Indorama Ventures’ downstream packaging platform while expanding its leadership in circular packaging solutions.

Managed workwear services are providing a blueprint for the circular textile economy

Managed workwear service providers are demonstrating how commercial success and circularity can go hand in hand by extending garment lifespans through repair, laundering, reuse and recycling, according to “Managed workwear services—a circular textile economy ahead of the game”, a new 14‑page report from the global business information company Textiles Intelligence.

Eco-design as the foundation of circular textiles

Based on the results of an extensive European analysis, the Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity is currently developing three practice-based training modules covering recycling technologies, eco-design for the circular economy and sustainable manufacturing. This was preceded by a comprehensive company survey and a joint analysis conducted by the project partners under the leadership of IVGT. The results show that the greatest challenges lie not so much in a lack of technology as in skills gaps.

Première Vision Paris expands innovation focus across fashion and beauty

From September 1–3, 2026, Première Vision Paris will bring together more than 900 exhibitors from across the global fashion value chain. This year's edition places a strong emphasis on Innovation-Tech, highlighting technologies and materials that are reshaping product development, manufacturing and sustainability.

SHIMA SEIKI to exhibit at Première Vision Paris

Leading digital textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan will exhibit at Première Vision Paris in Paris, France next month. The company will exhibit in the "Smart Creation" area, dedicated to showcasing cutting-edge technologies that integrate sustainability and innovation. The knitting expert will be demonstrating solutions that optimize product development workflows and enhance sustainability through proposals in Digital Product Creation (DPC).