An industry consortium comprising Patagonia, Puma, Salomon and French biochemistry company Carbios has announced that it has successfully produced high-quality recycled polyester T-shirts from complex textile and plastic waste, and stated that the process can be replicated and scaled industrially. The results were released by Carbios, whose biological recycling technology is responsible for converting waste into high-performance textile raw materials.

Key Points

  • Carbios' enzymatic recycling technology converts complex PET waste into monomers comparable to petrochemical feedstocks; Portugal's Selenis then re-polymerizes them into over 1 tonne of high-quality r-PET under the trade name EnzyTex.
  • The recycled polyester is then spun into yarn at Antex in Spain, woven by Henitex in France, dyed by Danjoux, and made into garments by Chamatex — all completed within Europe.
  • The finished fiber matches virgin polyester in mechanical strength, dyeability and color fastness, and Puma and Salomon executives both say it is industrially viable.

Carbios CEO Benoît Grenot said that converting complex waste streams into high-purity recycled polyester feedstock proves that the circular economy is ready for industrial deployment. Howard Williams, Puma's Global Director of Apparel and Accessories Innovation, noted that the consortium has demonstrated that under existing industrial conditions, complex PET waste can be recycled into high-quality polyester fiber for use in end products.

In terms of the process, Carbios first produces monomers from textile waste and complex plastic waste, with quality and performance standards competitive with petrochemical-derived materials; the monomers are handed to Portuguese high-end copolyester supplier Selenis for re-polymerization, yielding more than one tonne of high-quality r-PET called EnzyTex, designed to plug directly into existing industrial production lines. The r-PET is then spun into yarn on Antex's industrial line in Spain, woven into double-sided fabric on Henitex equipment in France, dyed in industrial dye vats by France's Teintures et Apprêts Danjoux, and finally made into garments by the French Chamatex Group.

Tests show that the resulting fiber is fully compatible with conventional textile manufacturing processes, with performance in mechanical strength, dyeability and color fastness on par with virgin polyester. The entire garment is made in Europe, demonstrating that circular textile production is scalable without sacrificing quality.

Salomon CEO Guillaume Meyzenq said the achievement proves the industrial potential of textile waste reuse, and the consortium's success reflects the value of full-value-chain collaboration in tackling complex industry challenges, offering an example of how circular high-performance textiles can become an industrial reality. For the consortium, moving recycled polyester from the lab to existing production lines means the high-value closed loop for waste textiles is now connecting the entire chain from waste recovery to finished garments.

Source: Consortium with Patagonia and Puma: High Quality Recycled Polyester Is Industrially Scaleable · Originally published 2026-09-30