#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.

Indorama Ventures advances circularity tthrough PETValue Philippines' “Zero Waste to Landfill Partnership” with Republic Cement

Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited, a global sustainable chemical company, is advancing the circular economy through a new Zero Waste to Landfill initiative at its recycling site PETValue Philippines, further demonstrating how collaboration across industries can maximize resource efficiency and reduce waste.

Networking Day 2026: Industry stakeholders unite around textile recycling

In 2026, the Industry Research Group (IRG) Polymer Recycling once again brought together some of the key stakeholders in textile recycling for its annual Networking Day. This year, the event took place at EREMA’s premises in Ansfelden, Austria. It brought together key players from across the textile recycling value chain for a day of structured exchange and in-depth discussions.

EU ban on destroying unsold clothing and footwear now in force

The European Union's ban on the destruction of unsold clothing, clothing accessories and footwear has entered into force. Since July 19, 2026, large companies across the EU have been prohibited from destroying unsold textile products, while medium-sized companies will be required to comply with the same rules from 2030.

Circ launches first denim collection with H&M featuring TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology

Circ today announced that the first men's denim collection featuring TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology is now available at H&M, marking the commercial delivery of this unique pilot project first announced in October 2025. Featuring two styles available across the UK, Scandinavia, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, South Europe, Turkey, North America, Mexico, Canada, and the Middle East, the launch brings TENCEL™ | Circ® with REFIBRA™ technology into H&M's standard men's denim assortment for the first time.

Ministry of Industry Delegation visits NatureWorks’ second global manufacturing site at Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex

NatureWorks Asia Pacific Limited welcomed a high-level delegation led by Mr. Varawut Silpa-archa, Minister of Industry, to its manufacturing site at the Nakhon Sawan Biocomplex (NBC). The visit follows the successful inauguration of the site on April 29, 2026, and highlights the role of public-private collaboration in advancing Thailand’s sustainable industrial development and bioeconomy ambitions.

The new RDJ 7/3 defines the design footprint of modern athletic shoes

Stylish, functional, and efficient to produce – spacer fabrics are the all-arounders among textile materials. These versatile fabrics are particularly in demand in the sports and casual footwear sector, as they combine comfort, breathability, and design freedom. At the same time, this industry is trend-driven, dynamic, and price-sensitive like few others. Innovations are therefore a decisive factor for success. With the RDJ 7/3, KARL MAYER offers a solution specifically tailored to these requirements. The particular strength of the new double raschel machine: its exceptional flexibility, thanks to its three jacquard bars.

Smart textiles reversibly change shape in an energy-efficient manner in response to ambient temperature

Self-actuating textile structures are used in a wide range of applications, such as medical technology, automation, architecture, agriculture, and the apparel industry. An example is the use of shading nets in greenhouses, which can be deployed and retracted depending on the sunlight intensity. The German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research Denkendorf (DITF) are developing textiles based on shape-memory polymers with reversibly controllable geometry.