Syntetica and Michelin’s Centre for Sustainable Materials announce a collaboration to accelerate the industrialisation of a pioneering nylon recycling technology
Michelin Innovation Park – Cataroux · Centre for Sustainable Materials
Syntetica, a leading European deeptech startup, and the Centre for Sustainable Materials (CMD) at Michelin Innovation Park – Cataroux in Clermont-Ferrand, are working together to accelerate the industrial development of nylon recycling solutions in support of the circular economy.
Syntetica will install its recycling process within a secure, purpose-adapted, and conducive industrial environment to its further development.
A collaboration to cross the industrialisation threshold
This collaboration will enable, for the first time, the industrial-scale recycling of nylon-rich mixed textiles. It brings Michelin’s expertise as a recognised leader in material science for over 130 years, and Syntetica’s proprietary chemical recycling process.
The pilot installation will benefit from the industrial infrastructure, technical teams, and operational excellence made available by the Michelin Innovation Park, transforming a laboratory innovation into a robust and reproducible industrial solution.
Addressing the major challenge of textile recycling across multiple industries
The global textile industry faces a major environmental challenge: today, less than 1% of textiles are recycled. Most technical garments contain mixed synthetic fibres, making recycling complex, or even impossible, using conventional methods.
Syntetica has developed a proprietary, low-temperature chemical process capable of recycling nylon-rich mixed textiles directly, without pre sorting, to produce Nylon 6 and Nylon 6,6 of high purity, compatible with textile, automotive, and industrial applications.
The pilot at the CMD targets the recycling of several tonnes of textile waste from the initial phase, with a progressive scale-up towards industrial volumes for the future demonstrator facility from 2027.
A collaboration in service of the circular economy
This collaboration rests on a shared conviction: industrial players have a key role to play in the transition towards a more sustainable world. It is set within a structuring European regulatory context, marked by the mandatory separate collection of textiles from 2025 and by growing requirements for recycled content from 2027.
The pilot installation at the Centre for Sustainable Materials marks the first step in a broader ambition carried by Syntetica’s green chemistry platform, designed to extend to other polymers and open the way to a new generation of circular industrial solutions.
“Installing our pilot at the Centre for Sustainable Materials marks a decisive milestone for Syntetica. The industrial expertise and operational rigour made available by Michelin are a key lever to scale our technology to full industrialisation.”
“The Centre for Sustainable Materials was designed to support this kind of breakthrough technology towards industrial scale. The collaboration with Syntetica illustrates our ambition to put Michelin’s industrial experience in service of concrete solutions to accelerate materials circularity.”