Reju selects site for US textile recycling facility

Paris-based Reju has selected Rochester, New York, as the site for its first U.S.-based industrial facility.

The Reju site spans 18.9 acres and will aim to process the equivalent of 300 million textile articles annually that would otherwise be landfilled. The facility will produce rBHET that will then be repolymerized into Reju polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Reju says this site selection also will provide opportunities for diversifying and near-shoring manufacturing.

The project will be subject to final investment decision by the board of Technip Energies, the parent company of Reju.

“As our first regeneration hub in the United States, this site selection is a major leap forward in building a truly global circular system,” Reju CEO Patrik Frisk says. “We are proud to bring Reju’s sustainable manufacturing and jobs to the Rochester community.”

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Reju says this facility serves as a key moment in its expanding network of regeneration hubs, complementing the Regeneration Hub Zero demonstration plant in Frankfurt, Germany, and the site selection of Regeneration Hub One in Sittard, Netherlands, announced last year.

Reju uses proprietary recycling technology developed by Technip Energies and IBM Research to recycle end-of-life textiles, starting with polyester, into Reju Polyester. The company says this recycled material has a 50 percent lower carbon footprint than virgin polyester and is engineered to be recycled multiple times.

“New York State is committed to creating good paying jobs and supporting innovative projects and companies that are working to keep materials out of landfills and protecting our planet,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says. “Reju’s ambitious project, that will create approximately 70 new jobs at Eastman Business Park, shows how smart investments can turn waste into opportunity, further supporting our state’s overall green economy efforts and creating a brighter future for everyone.”

“Reju is investing in a future where postconsumer textile waste becomes a resource, not a liability,” Frisk says. “It’s a signal to the market that circularity at scale is possible, and now is the time to ensure the momentum continues to build.”