This breakthrough complements Samsara Eco’s existing technology that already enables the infinite recycling of nylon 6,6 and polyester, representing a significant stride towards reducing waste and curtailing the reliance on virgin plastics derived from fossil fuels.
The timing of this innovation aligns with a pressing environmental issue: nearly two-thirds of the 3.25 billion tonnes (t) of textiles produced annually are destined for landfills or incineration. With less than 1% of textiles currently made from recycled materials, the vast majority of synthetic textiles continue to rely on carbon-intensive fossil fuels.
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Samsara Eco’s novel enzyme technology introduces an alternative route for the textile industry to move away from fossil fuel dependency and minimise waste, allowing brands to repurpose what they have already produced into new items.
These newly engineered enzymes can deconstruct nylon 6 back into its fundamental components, which can then be reused time and again without any degradation in quality. This achievement stems from Samsara Eco’s proprietary enzyme design platform, which engineers enzymes capable of disassembling plastics rapidly, on a large scale, and with remarkable accuracy.
Samsara Eco CEO and founder Paul Riley said: “The current take-make-waste economy is incredibly damaging to our planet. We must reduce our reliance on carbon-intensive fossil fuels and instead, use what’s already in circulation.
“Our latest breakthrough makes it possible to believe future textiles will be made from waste and excess, not fossil fuels. We are now able to give new life to nylon 6 and continue to recycle the typically unrecyclable, infinitely. Our ability to recycle nylon 6, nylon 6,6, polyester and mixed fibres, including coloured and dyed blends, is a gamechanger for the textile and fashion industry. Apparel is very rarely made from a single fibre so being able to recycle mixed fibres is the only way we can create true circularly for the industry.
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By GlobalData“Pushed by incoming regulation, industries are becoming increasingly mindful of the entire lifecycle of their products and their carbon impact. We’re providing a way to address both concerns with a real scalable textile-to-textile recycling solution.”
Following extensive research and preliminary testing, Samsara Eco plans to collaborate with partners in the textile and automotive industries where nylon 6 is widely used to conduct trials using the new enzymes on nylon 6 products and blended materials at their upcoming innovation campus in Jerrabomberra, New South Wales, slated to open in mid-2025.
In August this year, Samsara Eco signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with nylon 6,6 producer NILIT to explore investment and construction of a nylon 6,6 textile-to-textile recycling facility in Southeast Asia.
To further enhance its enzymatic recycling technology and manage the processing of millions of tonnes of plastic waste, Samsara Eco secured $100m in June through a Series A+ investment round from both new backers and prior investors.
