A major breakthrough in circular polyester manufacturing has been achieved as AXENS, IFP Energies nouvelles (IFPEN), and JEPLAN successfully validated their Rewind® PET textile recycling technology at semi-industrial scale, marking one of the most advanced demonstrations yet of textile-to-textile chemical recycling under real industrial conditions.
The companies processed several tens of tons of post-consumer polyester-rich textile waste collected from Europe and recycled it into high-purity BHET (Bis(2-Hydroxyethyl) terephthalate), the key monomer used to manufacture polyester.
The industrial trial was carried out at JEPLAN’s Kitakyushu Hibikinada demonstration plant in Japan, which has an annual processing capacity of 1,000 tons. Textile waste used in the project was collected and sorted in France by recycling partners Nouvelles Fibres Textile and Mapea before being shipped to Japan for chemical recycling through the Rewind® PET system.
The recovered BHET will now be converted back into polyester yarns, fabrics, and garments, creating a closed-loop textile-to-textile recycling chain. Industry analysts say the project represents a significant step toward scaling circular polyester production at a time when global textile waste continues to grow rapidly while fiber-to-fiber recycling remains extremely limited worldwide.
According to Textile Exchange data referenced by the companies, around 60% of global textile production relies on polyester and synthetic fibers, yet less than 1% of textile fibers are currently recycled back into new textiles.
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The Rewind® PET technology is based on glycolysis depolymerization followed by deep purification of the resulting monomer. One of the technology’s main advantages is its ability to remove dyes, additives, and contaminants from difficult-to-recycle polyester waste streams, producing a purified monomer that can be directly reintroduced into existing polyester manufacturing systems.
The process can handle a wide range of PET waste, including polyester textiles, colored bottles, multilayer trays, and packaging films that are often unsuitable for conventional mechanical recycling methods.
The three companies first partnered in 2020 to develop and commercialize the technology, supported by the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME).
After years of research and pilot-scale testing, the semi-industrial demonstration unit officially began operations in Japan in 2023. The latest successful textile recycling campaign is now seen as proof that the technology can operate reliably at larger scale and under realistic industrial conditions.
Quentin Debuisschert, CEO and Chairman of Axens, said the project demonstrated the “robustness, stability, and reproducibility” of the jointly developed recycling technology. Pierre-Franck Chevet, President and CEO of IFPEN, described the achievement as the culmination of more than a decade of research aimed at enabling high-purity chemical recycling for demanding textile applications.
JEPLAN CEO Masaki Takao added that the breakthrough could help accelerate the development of fabrics containing very high recycled content without compromising durability or performance.
The companies also confirmed that the technology is now commercially validated for textile recycling applications under an exclusive licensing agreement between IFPEN, JEPLAN, and Axens.
Because the process can be integrated into existing polyester production facilities worldwide, industry observers believe it could help polyester manufacturers reduce dependence on virgin fossil-based raw materials while supporting tightening sustainability regulations and recycled-content targets across the global textile sector.
The recycled polyester produced through the process is expected to target high-demand sectors such as sportswear, outdoor apparel, home furnishings, and selected luxury textile applications where polyester remains widely used.
The development also strengthens momentum behind chemical recycling technologies as brands and manufacturers face increasing pressure to reduce landfill waste, lower carbon footprints, and establish scalable circular production systems for synthetic textiles.
