Taiwanese textile innovator Singtex is advancing what it describes as the “world’s first” chemical recycling technology for composite materials, targeting one of the most difficult waste streams in the textile and advanced materials industry.
The system, branded RePUra™, focuses on composite and multi-layer textiles such as polyurethane (PU)-coated fabrics and blended performance materials used in outdoor apparel, footwear, and technical applications. These materials are widely used across the industry but are typically considered unrecyclable using conventional mechanical systems.
Composite textiles are difficult to process because they combine different bonded materials that cannot be easily separated without damaging their structure. As a result, most are either incinerated or sent to landfill, contributing to more than 120 million tonnes of textile waste generated globally each year, according to industry estimates.
Singtex says its process uses chemical depolymerisation to break composite PU-based textiles down into molecular components, which are then rebuilt into new polyurethane materials. This approach enables what the company describes as a closed-loop recycling system for materials that previously had no viable recycling pathway.
“Composite fabrics have long been one of the final barriers to true textile circularity,” Singtex said in a statement. “RePUra™ allows us to recover and regenerate materials that were previously considered unrecyclable.”
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The company’s “world’s first” claim refers specifically to chemical recycling applied to composite textile structures, rather than general plastic or polymer recycling, where similar chemical processes already exist in other forms.
Unlike mechanical recycling, which often downgrades fibre quality, chemical recycling is designed to preserve or restore material performance. Singtex says the regenerated output can meet technical requirements such as waterproofing and breathability used in high-performance garments.
The innovation has been recognised with an R&D 100 Award, which highlights commercially viable breakthrough technologies, and has been developed in collaboration with research institutions including Taiwan’s Industrial Technology Research Institute.
Industry analysts say the development reflects growing urgency across the textile sector to address blended-material waste, which has historically limited recycling rates.
“Blended and coated textiles remain one of the most persistent barriers to circularity,” said a sustainability analyst familiar with advanced textile systems. “If scalable, chemical approaches like this could significantly expand what the industry is able to recycle.”
Despite its promise, challenges remain around scaling infrastructure, collection of post-consumer composite waste, and cost competitiveness compared to virgin materials. However, pressure is increasing on brands and suppliers to improve circularity and reduce reliance on fossil-based synthetics.
Singtex has not announced a full commercial rollout timeline but indicated that supply chain partnerships will be key to scaling adoption.
The development positions RePUra™ within a broader wave of chemical recycling technologies aimed at unlocking previously non-recyclable textile waste streams and advancing circular manufacturing models.
