Inditex-backed Epoch Biodesign partners with Invista for recycled nylon 6,6

Madrid – British biotechnology company Epoch Biodesign, specialising in the enzymatic recycling of petroleum-derived plastic and textile waste, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Invista, one of the world's largest producers of nylon 6,6 and polypropylene and their derivatives. Primary goal of this alliance is to advance global production of “textile-to-textile” recycled nylon 6,6.

In an official statement, both companies explained that the memorandum establishes a collaboration combining EB AI-designed enzymes for recycling plastic and textile waste with Invista global manufacturing expertise in plastics and fibres. These capabilities will be leveraged to advance the alliance's primary objective: producing recycled nylon 6,6 from textile waste with a quality equivalent to virgin nylon. Customer validation for quality and performance will be secured before beginning commercial-scale production of this “textile-to-textile” recycled nylon 6,6. This recovered raw material aims to meet persistent and growing market demand for nylon 6,6 in a circular and sustainable way. Material is considered “fundamental” by industries like automotive and fashion. Finding scalable recycling solutions that meet customer demands continues to be a “major challenge”.

Epoch Biodesign and Invista sign MoU for recycled 6,6

“Invista is committed to exploring innovative technologies with the capacity to improve the sustainability and resilience of the nylon 6,6 supply chains,” stated Ethel Garnier, global sustainability director at the multinational specialising in the manufacture of polymers, fibres and plastic materials. “With this collaboration, both Invista and Epoch will leverage their respective competitive advantages to develop solutions that meet the market need for recycled nylon 6,6. We are eager to begin working with Epoch to advance this important project and continue offering high-quality products that meet our customers' needs”.

“When your recycling technology is chosen from a global pool of options by a company whose history is directly linked to the invention of nylon 6,6, it clearly marks a pivotal moment,” added Jacob Nathan, chief executive officer (CEO) of EB. “We are excited to accelerate our progress towards our goal of global scaling through this partnership. This alliance sends a clear message when one of the largest producers of nylon 6,6 believes in our technology and the need for effective, commercial-scale enzymatic recycling”. Nathan asserted that this statement of intent will have a lasting impact, maintaining that “working with Invista will accelerate real change within the materials supply chain, pushing the industry beyond current recycling approaches and transforming waste into products with virgin-equivalent quality”.

Backed by Inditex

Founded in 2019, EB closed a funding round just under a year ago, raising 18.30 million dollars from investors including Extantia; Lowercarbon Capital; and the Inditex group. Spanish fashion multinational announced its investment in the biotech start-up in December 2024. This investment has now been “encapsulated” within the investments made through Inditex venture capital fund, which is managed by Mundi Ventures and focuses on investing in sustainable fashion start-ups for the Zara owner.

It was announced at the time that the biotech company would primarily use these funds to build the “world's largest” nylon 6,6 fibre recycling plant. Operations began with a pilot plant launched in 2025, which currently has the capacity to process “several tonnes annually” of synthetic nylon textile waste. They expect to scale this volume to over 150 tonnes in 2026 with the launch of the “demo plant”. This intermediate facility will allow their enzymatic recycling solutions to be scaled up further. Full commercial-scale plant is scheduled to launch in 2028 and will have the capacity to process more than 20,000 tonnes of synthetic nylon textile waste annually.

“Epoch Biodesign recycles both nylon 6,6 and nylon 6 through a unique, low-energy, low-cost enzymatic depolymerisation process,” the biotech company explained regarding its operations. This “biological approach allows for the recycling of complex nylon blends into virgin-quality replacement materials, creating a truly closed-loop solution with a low carbon footprint”. They specify that their solutions are designed “to integrate directly into existing supply chains”. This enables EB to manage “any blend, colour, or form of nylon, including highly contaminated textiles with elastane blends, technical plastics, or plastic-coated textiles”. Thanks to its technologies, EB can transform “complex waste into monomers with the same performance and price as fossil-based inputs, enabling true textile-to-textile (T2T) recycling at scale”.

This article was translated to English using an AI tool.

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