#Recycling / Circular Economy

2025-05-01

KBR selected as key commercialization partner for Samsara Eco’s first-of-a-kind enzymatic recycling plant

KBR (NYSE: KBR) announced today it will support biotech innovator, Samsara Eco, to design its first-of-a-kind plastics and textile enzymatic recycling plant, due for completion in early 2028.

Samsara Eco’s enzymatic recycling technology aims to create a continuous recycling loop for some of the most common types of plastic and synthetic fiber – materials that have traditionally been difficult or impossible to recycle. Powered by Samsara Eco’s proprietary AI platform, the company’s patented enzymes break down plastic to its original building blocks (monomers) which aim to allow plastics to be continuously remanufactured into new products without degradation in quality and with a low carbon footprint. Unlike other recycling methods, Samsara Eco’s technology has demonstrated the recycling of notoriously difficult plastics, including nylon 6,6 and mixed fibers, as well as colored and dyed fabric blends. This breakthrough technology is expected to be critical towards achieving the goal of creating a circular loop for all plastics recycling, helping companies utilize resources and divert waste otherwise destined for landfills.

Under the terms of the agreement, KBR will perform a pre-FEED (front-end engineering design) of the project by the end of Q2 2025. KBR’s technical and commercial experts will then deliver a FEED engineering package for the process design to build a 20,000 metric tons per year commercial facility for nylon 6,6.

“KBR is uniquely equipped to deliver world-class solutions that help our customers bring sustainable technology to market, and we are thrilled to support Samsara Eco on this unique opportunity,” said Jay Ibrahim, President, KBR Sustainable Technology Solutions. “With this award, KBR continues to solidify our commitment to sustainability and technological innovation.”

Paul Riley, Founder and CEO of Samsara Eco commented, “We are charging full speed ahead to deliver our first-of-a-kind plant to fuel a circular economy and support our brand partners’ ambition to create more circular products from low-carbon recycled materials. KBR brings unmatched engineering expertise. This will ensure we can design and build our facility with speed and precision. We’re proud to have KBR in our corner, helping bring our technology to industrial scale.”

Samsara Eco is already working with leading brands including lululemon to swap virgin materials for recycled materials. Last year, it debuted the world’s first enzymatically recycled nylon 6,6 product. It also launched the first product made from enzymatically recycled polyester, creating lululemon’s limited edition Packable Anorak jacket.

Samsara Eco and European Outdoor Group launch the Nylon Materials Collective

Australian biotech, Samsara Eco and the European Outdoor Group (EOG) today launched the Nylon Materials Collective, a collaboration designed to make high-performance, virgin-identical recycled nylon accessible to more outdoor brands and accelerate the industry’s shift toward a truly circular textiles future.

Samsara Eco opens first plant to scale circular plastics

Australian biotech innovator, Samsara Eco, has today opened its first plant, representing a significant milestone in the fight against plastic waste. The new plant will exponentially increase the company’s ability to produce virgin-identical, low-carbon circular materials like recycled nylon 6,6 and polyester with broad applications across apparel, packaging and automotives, at scale.

Industry heavyweights join Samsara Eco to accelerate its enzymatic recycling technology

Australian biotech innovator, Samsara Eco, has expanded its global leadership team with the appointment of material science and engineering veterans, Brock Thomas as Chief Innovation Officer and Isaac Iverson as Executive Director of Product. Thomas and Iverson bring decades of experience working within the polymer space in the US and will lead the scaling of the company’s enzymatic recycling technology and first-of-a-kind facilities.

ADVANSA launches ADVA®tex: A new step toward textile-to-textile recycling

ADVANSA has introduced ADVA®tex, a new filling fibre made entirely from recycled pre-consumer textile waste, positioning the material as a significant step forward in textile-to-textile (T2T) recycling. The fibre is designed for use in duvets, pillows, mattresses, and furniture applications and is available in three versions.

European research project addresses textile waste through integrated recycling technologies

A major European research initiative coordinated by Fraunhofer UMSICHT has been launched to develop integrated solutions for textile waste recycling. The AUTOLOOP project aims to create a comprehensive system that could process 1.24 million tonnes of textile waste annually by 2050, whilst potentially creating over 130,000 green jobs across the EU. This project aims to develop, test and integrate automated sorting, tracing, and closed-loop recycling technologies for polyester-based textiles (NRT), addressing the pressing challenge of textile waste management.

Navis TubeTex announces U.S. partnership with Icomatex

Navis TubeTex, a global leader in advanced dyeing and finishing machinery solutions, is pleased to announce a new partnership with Icomatex (www.icomatex.com), a respected European manufacturer of high-quality stenters and textile finishing equipment. Under this agreement, Navis TubeTex will exclusively represent the Icomatex stenter line in the United States.

KARL MAYER celebrates 35 years of EL pattern drive

KARL MAYER is celebrating an anniversary this year: on 30 November 1990, the first warp knitting machine with electronic guide bar control, the KS 4 EL, was delivered – another milestone for patterning. As early as 1980, the SU gearbox with the MRS42SU had initiated the transition from mechanical chains to digital data.

The region of renewable raw materials: Central German Alliance for Bioplastics

The development of sustainable plastic solutions is rapidly gaining importance in light of global environ- mental pollution, dwindling fossil resources and ambitious climate protection targets. As part of the re- gional alliance RUBIO, which brings together 18 partners from central Germany and the Berlin-Branden- burg area, the bio-based and biodegradable plastic polybutylene succinate (PBS) was comprehensively investigated, starting with the raw material, through the manufacturing process, to industrial application.

YKK receives ISPO Textrends Awards for circular innovations

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Koichi Matsushima; hereafter, YKK) is pleased to announce that the ISPO Textrends judges have selected YKK's 3D Composite Puller as the Best Product in the Accessories category. They also selected YKK’s NATULON Plus® Fiber Sourced™ zipper with Recycled PET Open Parts as a Top 5 item in the same category. The competition, held twice a year in conjunction with the ISPO trade show, recognizes the most innovative performance textiles, components, and apparel.