circular economy

Amphitex™ is a PFAs-free alternative to traditional waterproof and breathable textiles. Developed by Amphico, a leader in integrating research, engineering, and design to advance innovation and circularity, Amphitex™ is crafted for outdoor use with a unique, coating-free Amphidry™ Yarn. This yarn is essentially superhydrophobic and does not require additional water-repellent chemical coatings. Free from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), Amphitex™ achieves high performance in both waterproofing and breathability, matching the standards of industry leaders.

Keel Labs is a sustainable materials company that develops innovative materials derived from ocean resources. The main product, Kelsun™ fiber, uses seaweed due to its versatility, resilience, and ecological benefits. The production process involves extracting alginate, a biopolymer from seaweed, and combining it with proprietary additives and water to form a solution known as dope. This solution undergoes wet spinning, where polymer chains link to form fine filaments, which are then extruded into an aqueous solution and stretched to align their internal structure.

Circular Systems is a material science company that transforms biowaste into valuable fiber, yarn, and textile fabrics. Texloop™ is a technology that recycles pre-  and post-consumer textile waste into a high-quality recycled cotton fabric and upgrades it into high-quality RCOT™ recycled cotton fiber.

Origin Materials has developed the Origin Platform, which replaces oil as the foundational feedstock for the material economy. Woody biomass is Origin’s feedstock, which comes from agricultural waste, wood waste, and even old cardboard. The Origin platform converts C-6 cellulose into four isolated building-block chemicals in one chemo-catalytic step with almost zero carbon loss. Their catalyst is recovered and doesn’t rely on expensive sugars or fermentation.

Hydrothermal process technology that separates cotton and polyester fibers from polycotton waste and returns them to the raw material stage. Circ’s process is divided into three steps. First, textile waste from various sources is collected, then sorted and mechanically resized. Second, a hydrothermal process using water, pressure, and responsible chemistry separates polyester from cotton fibers, transforming the polyester into a liquid polymer and allowing separation from the cotton residue.

Notpla’s regenerative packaging, made from seaweed and plants, offers a unique, scalable solution to replace single-use plastics without releasing harmful chemicals. The Notpla’s packaging can be disposed of in three ways: 100% recyclable, home-compostable, or industrially compostable. Notpla’s packaging technology is manufactured with components from seaweed and plants, creating biodegradable materials that mimic certain properties of plastic but then break down naturally.

Break down of discarded polyester into raw material for new plastic and new products developed by Protein Evolution. This technology aims to reduce polyester waste piling up in landfills and incinerators due to the complexity of the material. Protein Evolution is leading the way in transitioning the chemicals industry towards a low-carbon, circular economy by transforming plastic waste management production through its Biopure™ technology. Biopure™ process outputs are indistinguishable from the fossil-fuel-derived molecules used to produce polyester today.

Blueland manufactures sustainable household products using environmentally responsible ingredients that are both recyclable and compostable. The company offers a range of products including hand soap, laundry detergent, spray cleaners, and personal care items in plastic-free tablets. These tablets are added to warm or hot water in reusable bottles, shakers, and tins, eliminating the need for single-use plastics like polyvinyl alcohol (PVA and PVOH).

Ambercycle specializes in recycling polyester from end-of-life textiles, aiming to create a closed-loop system where polyester can be continuously regenerated and reused. Cycora® is made by breaking polyester textiles into their essential components into a series of reactors. Once separated into base materials, additives such as dyes and finishes are removed further to purify the raw material at the molecular level. The purified regenerated PET is reconstructed into virgin-grade pellets and can be seamlessly integrated into existing supply chains.