Drive Catalyst, the venture capital arm of the Taiwanese conglomerate Far Eastern Group – one of the world’s largest producers of both virgin and recycled polyester – is investing in US-based textile-to-textile recycler Circ.

The investment will accelerate Circ’s production of polyester based on the chemical building blocks derived from recycled polycotton textile waste.

By combining Far Eastern’s manufacturing capabilities with Circ’s technology, the partnership is uniquely positioned to help scale the manufacturing of textile-to-textile recycled polyester. Far Eastern will bring in over 70 years of textile supply chain service to the alliance and its support will enable Circ to address the challenges of scaling up production to meet the demands of large fashion brands and their customers.

“It is crucial that leaders in the polyester supply chain like ourselves set an example by establishing a foundation for collaborative models,” says Juliana Pidner Hsu, managing director of Drive Catalyst. “We are deeply committed to the circular economy and believe that textile-to-textile recycling will play a pivotal role in decarbonizing raw materials. Our dedication to supporting new solutions aligns with the strong demand of our customers for sustainable fashion. To drive significant systemic changes may take time and require collaboration. With Circ’s high-quality materials and the growth potential of its technology, we believe this partnership is a meaningful step towards scaling circularity.”

Integrating Circ’s recovered monomers from recycled textile waste into Far Eastern’s production infrastructure could represent a significant advance.

“Funding is just one factor when introducing innovation to an industry as old and established as textiles,” comments Circ CEO Peter Majeranowski. “We need mission-aligned partners with wide-reaching expertise because no portion of the industry works in a silo. Far Eastern Group’s support not only speaks to the integrity of our polyester but will enable its acceleration and play an instrumental role as we work towards launching our first commercial facility.”

Circ’s recycling technology can successfully separate polycotton blended textile waste and recover both cellulosic and synthetic fibres.

www.feg.com.tw

www.circ.earth