Reju leads the shift to circular polyester manufacturing
Reju is redesigning the textile system through materials regeneration, turning post-consumer polyester waste into high-performance fibre that can be endlessly recirculated. With teams across Europe and North America, the company collaborates with industry partners to build a durable, circular future for textiles. In conversation with Fibre2Fashion, CEO Patrik Frisk explains how Reju is scaling true textile-to-textile circularity through its proprietary polyester regeneration technology and its first industrial hub in Frankfurt.
Reju’s mission focuses on transforming textile waste into circular resources. How does your technology truly differ from other recycling solutions?
We process post-consumer textile waste: a challenging material to recycle because it contains mixed fibres and chemicals and recover the polyester within it. We are the only company dedicated specifically to recycling post-consumer textiles.
Polyester is our focus because it accounts for over 60 per cent of global fibre use. Using our proprietary technology, we break down contaminated polyester into its monomer, rBHET, thoroughly purify it, and then re-polymerise it into high-quality polyester that can be spun back into new yarns and fabrics.
What were the key challenges and breakthroughs behind scaling your first industrial hub in Frankfurt?
Our Regeneration Hub Zero in Frankfurt proves that true post-consumer textile-to-textile regeneration is commercially viable.
Designed to meet stringent environmental and safety standards while running efficiently, it serves as a validated, scalable model for future hubs that delivers both high performance and strong sustainability outcomes.
With Frankfurt proving the model, what is guiding the design of future localised hubs?
Three principles are guiding our next hubs. First, locate close to both feedstock and manufacturing to minimise logistics and emissions.
Second, use modular design so capacity can scale in phases. Third, integrate sorting, pre-treatment, and digital systems from the start rather than adding them later.
These choices make future hubs more resilient, cost-efficient, and easier for partners to integrate into existing supply chains.
How is Reju engaging with global fashion brands to integrate circularity into their supply chains?
Circularity depends on coordinated action across the entire value chain. We are actively partnering with brands and manufacturers to demonstrate how regeneration technology can support their long-term sourcing and sustainability goals.
At this stage, our priority is to build understanding and alignment, clarifying how textile-to-textile systems function, the infrastructure required to enable closed-loop operations, and how evolving policies will shape future cost structures and supply dynamics.
What role does materials science play in your roadmap?
Materials science is at the core of our work. With a team of engineers, scientists, and textile specialists, we rely on advanced polymer chemistry and engineering to break textiles down and rebuild them into high-quality materials.
Achieving true circularity requires strong collaboration across the value chain, bringing together fibre and fabric innovators, recyclers, and brands to create systems that can operate at scale.
Polyester is under scrutiny. How does Reju address both its footprint and recyclability?
The challenge lies not in the material but in how it is managed. Our process breaks polyester down to its original monomers, allowing it to be reused at the same quality as virgin material.
Life cycle assessments show substantial reductions in greenhouse gas emissions compared with traditional production, and our purification stage removes dyes and additives that would otherwise be unusable.
This gives mills a familiar, high-quality input while significantly enhancing circularity and lowering environmental impact.
What role should Reju play in amplifying circular textiles globally, especially with COP30?
Our focus is to demonstrate what industrial circularity looks like in practice; through operational hubs, verified data, and partnerships that deliver measurable impact.
By shifting from ambition to implementation, circular textiles can secure a meaningful role in the global climate conversation.
How do you envision Reju’s growth over the next five years? Which regions are priorities?
We are prioritising Europe and North America, where regulation and brand demand are moving in the same direction.
Our strategy is to build a network of regional regeneration hubs that are modular, scalable, and embedded within local ecosystems. The aim is to ensure consistent performance, reliable operations, verified quality, and full traceability that partners can depend on.
With polyester dominant, which innovation most reduce its footprint and improve recyclability?
In the near term, the most significant gains will come from advancing chemical regeneration technologies, boosting yields, reducing energy use, and refining purification for cleaner, more efficient processing.
Equally important is designing dyes and finishes with recycling in mind to prevent contamination and ensure smoother, higher-quality recycling streams.
How will EPR reshape global textile supply chains?
Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) will fundamentally shift the industry by internalising end-of-life costs and rewarding products designed for recyclability.
This will accelerate investment in collection and recycling infrastructure, strengthen incentives for circular design, and increase transparency across the supply chain.
Regions and companies that adopt credible circular systems early will be best positioned to lead.
What systemic barriers still hold back large-scale closed-loop implementation?
Key hurdles include inconsistent feedstock quality, limited sorting capacity, and the cost disadvantage compared to virgin materials in markets without supportive policy.
These challenges are beginning to ease through improved technology, better data transparency, stronger policy frameworks, and deeper collaboration across the value chain.
How can fashion ensure circular textiles and waste reduction stay on the climate agenda?
By focusing on evidence and measurable progress. This means quantifying emissions reductions, publishing credible transition roadmaps, and showcasing operating models that demonstrate real impact.
Collective data and coordinated industry messaging are essential to keep circularity recognised as a climate solution.
What role do industrial-scale hubs play in regional circular economies, and how can governments and partners speed adoption?
Industrial regeneration hubs are foundational to regional circularity. They consolidate textile waste, convert it into high-value feedstock, and retain economic value within the region.
Governments can accelerate adoption by simplifying permitting processes, offering targeted incentives, and leveraging public procurement. Partners can help by securing offtake agreements and co-investing in capacity expansion.
