CARBIOS and TOMRA Textiles join forces to scale circularity of polyester textiles

CARBIOS and TOMRA Textiles will collaborate to close the textiles circularity gap between collection of textile waste and innovative technologies for textile-to-textile recycling

Oslo/Clermont-Ferrand, Tuesday 18 June 2024 (6.45am CEST): (Euronext Growth Paris: ALCRB), a pioneer in the development and industrialization of biological technologies to reinvent the life cycle of plastic and textiles, and , a tech venture set up by sorting technology leader (Oslo Stock Exchange: TOM.OL), announce the signing of an agreement to collaborate on establishing an efficient stream in Northern Europe from textile waste collection, sorting and preparation to recycling using CARBIOS’ enzymatic depolymerization technology .

The monomers obtained will be used to produce recycled polyester (r-PET) fiber, closing the loop for polyester textile circularity.

The innovations from both TOMRA Textiles and CARBIOS contribute to addressing critical gaps in the value chain and significantly increase textile-to-textile recycling from its current rate of 1%¹. By accelerating a circular economy for polyester, a sustainable alternative to incineration or landfill is made available.

TOMRA Textiles is on a mission to close the gap in textile circularity, by contributing to designing and scaling textile sorting plants. Under this partnership agreement, TOMRA Textiles will explore specific, tangible measures to enable the preparation of post-consumer polyester waste for biorecycling according to CARBIOS’ specifications.

CARBIOS' biorecycling technology involves breaking down polyester fibers into their basic components using enzymes, which are then used to produce high-quality recycled PET materials such as fibers for the textile industry. The breakthrough collaboration with TOMRA will redirect the challenging PET fraction of polyester textile waste towards biorecycling, showcasing a mutual dedication to pioneering recycling solutions for a circular economy.

Emmanuel Ladent, CEO of CARBIOS: “CARBIOS is taking the lead in forming an efficient value chain for textile circularity and actively engages with global industry leaders such as TOMRA to shape the future of sustainable textiles.”

Vibeke Krohn, Head of TOMRA Textiles: “The textile industry has been optimized for cost and efficiency for centuries. Closing the gap means scaling all the elements of a circular value chain – from collection to sorting to recycling technologies. Future recycling solutions depend on reliable access to feedstock. Through the collaboration with CARBIOS we hope to stimulate further investments needed to scale textile circularity.”

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About CARBIOS

is a biotech company developing and industrializing biological solutions to reinvent the life cycle of plastic and textiles.  Inspired by nature, CARBIOS develops enzyme-based processes to break down plastic with a mission to avoid plastic and textile pollution, and accelerate the transition to a circular economy. Its two disruptive technologies for the biorecycling of PET and the biodegradation of PLA are reaching industrial and commercial scale.  Its biorecycling demonstration plant has been operational since 2021 and a first industrial plant, in partnership with Indorama Ventures, is currently under construction.  CARBIOS, founded in 2011 by Truffle Capital, has received scientific recognition, notably with the cover of Nature, and is supported by prestigious brands in the cosmetics, Food & Beverage and apparel industries to enhance their products’ recyclability and circularity. Nestlé Waters, PepsiCo and Suntory Beverage & Food Europe are members of a packaging consortium founded by CARBIOS and L’Oréal. On, Patagonia, PUMA, PVH Corp. and Salomon collaborate with CARBIOS in a textile consortium.

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CARBIOS is eligible for the PEA-PME, a government program allowing French residents investing in SMEs to benefit from income tax rebates.

About TOMRA Textiles

TOMRA Textiles helps transform the textile value chain, from linear to circular. We do so by closing the gap between waste textiles and textile-to-textile recycling. Our automated sensor-based sorting technology, in collaboration with progressive partners, enables circularity at scale. TOMRA Textiles is part of TOMRA Horizon, the venture arm set up by TOMRA Group to explore new adjacent business opportunities and alternative business models leveraging the Group’s technology and decades of know-how.

TOMRA is a global leader in solutions that enable the circular economy with advanced collection and sorting systems. With an ultimate mission to strive for a world without waste, TOMRA specializes in waste management systems, material recovery technologies and food processing by employing sensor-based sorting and grading technology. Today, TOMRA has more than 110,000 installations in 100 markets globally, employs 5,400 people and annual revenues of NOK 14.8 billion (EUR 1.4 billion). TOMRA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange.

1 Ellen MacArthur Foundation, 2017

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