#Recycling / Circular Economy

2024-08-29

Samsara Eco and NILIT team up to build world-first Nylon 6,6 recycling facility

Samsara Eco, the enviro-tech innovator and NILIT, the world’s leader in the production of nylon 6,6 for apparel, have announced plans to explore investment and construction of a nylon 6,6 textile-to-textile recycled polymer production site in South East Asia to help close the loop on nylon 6,6.

Roughly 4 million tonnes of nylon 6,6 is created every year, it is one of the most widely used fibers in the performance apparel and fashion industries. However, it is notoriously difficult to recycle and when blended with other fibres like spandex, it increases the challenge. Together, Samsara Eco and NILIT are seeking to address this issue head-on.

Aiming to be operational by late 2026, the anticipated facility will be uniquely capable of recycling textile waste, producing high-quality recycled nylon 6,6 polymers, for textile brands and manufacturers to seamlessly use in their existing supply chains to create new textile fabrics, infinitely.

“Our vision is to deliver climate repair through infinite recycling. One of the ways we’re achieving this is by creating the first circular pathway for nylon 6,6. Discarded clothing made from nylon 6,6 such as activewear, and even products like car interiors, typically end up in landfill or are incinerated at the end of life, which has dire consequences for our planet,” said Paul Riley, CEO and Founder of Samsara Eco.

Sarah Cook, Chief Commercial and Operations Officer of Samsara Eco also commented on the agreement: “By working with NILIT, we can reverse this trend and give apparel a new life. The MoU agreement is an important step to help brands and the world advance nylon 6,6 circularity and reduce plastic waste. We’re proud to be exploring a pilot recycling facility with NILIT, setting a precedent of what’s possible for future partners globally.”

“NILIT’s partnership with Samsara Eco is a critical step in our multi-pronged strategy to provide the apparel market with premium nylon 6,6 products that have lower environmental impact,” explained Ilan Melamed, NILIT General Manager. “Implementing textile-to-textile recycling solutions will substantially decrease global carbon emissions and reduce the 92 million tonnes of textile waste added to landfills annually. Together, NILIT and Samsara Eco have the potential to produce infinitely recycled nylon 6,6 that delivers outstanding fabric quality and performance while benefitting the planet.”

EosEco™ is the world's first technology to infinitely recycle nylon 6,6 by combining biophysics, chemistry, biology and computer science (such as AI) to create a family of plastic-eating enzymes. The enzymes break down plastic waste, including textiles made from nylon 6,6 into raw materials, which are then seamlessly integrated into existing manufacturing processes to create a truly closed loop. EosEco™ can recycle a breadth of feedstock inputs, including coloured and blended textiles like nylon 6,6 with spandex. EosEco™, together with NILIT’s unique polymerization, spinning and technology will be able to create premium recycled Nylon 6, 6 yarn for global consumption.

NILIT announces strategic expansions, including a joint venture with Shenma in China

NILIT, the global leader in high-performance Nylon 6.6 fibers for the apparel industry and leader in sustainability, that owns the broadest line of sustainable Nylon 6.6 products, is announcing a new joint venture with Shenma Industry Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Shenma), a subsidiary of China Pingmei Shenma Group, a global leader in the industrial Nylon 6.6 market and a leading supplier to the automotive industry around the world.

NILIT goes circular with SENSIL® Flow

NILIT, the global market leader, and a producer of high quality Nylon 6.6 for apparel and owner of the SENSIL® brand, introduces SENSIL® Flow, a new approach to Nylon 6.6 circularity that enables yarn, fabric, and, ultimately, apparel recycling to eliminate waste and further reduce apparel’s environmental impact. SENSIL® Flow is more than just a sustainable performance product. It is an innovative approach that engages the entire supply chain to truly attain circularity through product design and partnership.

HKRITA signs MoU with Jeanologia and Looptworks to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem

The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA) yesterday officially signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with two key global partners, Jeanologia and Looptworks, to establish the Green Machine Circular Textile Ecosystem – a first-of-its-kind collaboration to accelerate the large-scale recycling of blended textiles.

Object Carpet tests production of rPET BCF yarn on Neumag BCF line

In a joint project with Object Carpet GmbH, Denkendorf; the Institute for Textile Technology (ITA), Augsburg; and Next Generation Recyclingmaschinen GmbH (NGR), Feldkirchen, Austria, Barmag investigated the processing of recycled polyester for BCF yarn. The goal was to evaluate the fundamental suitability of 100% recycled carpet material for reuse in carpet yarn production to create a closed-loop system in carpet manufacturing. To date, commercial rPET BCF processes have been based solely on rPET from bottle pellets.

Albany International reports progress with Cyclezyme on industrial textile recycling project

Albany International Corp. (NYSE:AIN) reports continued progress in the ongoing project with Cyclezyme AB, a leader in advanced enzyme-based plastic recycling, based in Sweden. The project exemplifies leading edge innovation in materials science, focusing on the development of enzyme-based recycling of industrial textiles primarily consisting of polyester and polyamide, where there is currently a significant lack of effective solutions for circular material flows. The objective of the project is to establish enzymatic processes for depolymerization and recycling of technical textiles and high-performance industrial materials.

The textile industry in transition

Recycling, traceability, eco-design and digitalisation are among the key future challenges facing the European textile industry. The Erasmus+ project Skills4Circularity, involving 21 partners from twelve countries, is investigating the skills required to address these challenges. As the German industry partner, the Industry Association for Finishing – Yarns – Fabrics – Technical Textiles (IVGT) is bringing the industry’s perspective to the project.

2026 general meeting of the Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen at ITA

The Friends and Supporters of RWTH Aachen e. V. (proRWTH) looked back on a successful year of support at their 2026 general meeting. The meeting took place at Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen and was combined with a joint session of the Executive Board and the Administrative Board. Before the general meeting began, participants were given a guided tour of ITA, providing them with fascinating insights into current research and development topics in textile engineering.

Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brings supply chain leaders together around cotton innovation

Cotton Incorporated’s Cotton ConneXions Insight to Impact brought together more than 300 industry leaders from 140 companies across 10 countries, including more than 45 top global brands and sourcing organizations, underscoring strong global interest in cotton-rich product development, sourcing and supply chain collaboration.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.