Syntetica is a textile recycling technology company developing advanced chemical recycling solutions for nylon-rich textile waste. Through strategic partnerships with industry leaders, including Michelin and Lululemon, the company is scaling its technology to accelerate the transition towards a commercially viable circular textile economy.
In an interview with Fibre2Fashion, Co-founder and CEO Marco Bertone explained how Syntetica's proprietary low-energy recycling technology addresses one of the fashion industry's biggest circularity challenges by enabling the recycling of both nylon 6 and nylon 66 from blended textile waste while recovering valuable fibres such as elastane. He emphasised that collaboration across the value chain, supportive regulations and strategic partnerships will be essential to scaling textile-to-textile recycling and accelerating the commercial adoption of circular materials.
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Question : Syntetica describes its technology as 'feedstock agnostic'. How important is this flexibility for brands and recyclers seeking circular supply chains, and what types of textile waste can your process handle today?
A feedstock-agnostic process is essential for recycling nylon waste, as it provides the flexibility to handle the variability in the feedstock that Syntetica receives.
Brands use different types of nylon in varying blends with fibres such as elastane, polyester and cotton, while the current waste management infrastructure often lacks the capability to accurately and consistently distinguish between nylon 6 and nylon 66 during the sorting stage.
This flexibility enables Syntetica to work effectively with the existing capabilities of upstream waste collection and sorting partners, while supporting a wide range of brands in recycling diverse nylon-containing textile waste streams.
Question : Syntetica has attracted backing from leading technology investors as well as strategic partners such as lululemon and MAS Holdings. How are these partnerships helping accelerate technology development, commercialisation and industry adoption?
Achieving circularity in the fashion industry requires committed stakeholders across the entire value chain to support the commercialisation of emerging technologies, that can transform how sustainable innovations are implemented.
Strategic partnerships play a crucial role in this process, enabling collaboration with key industry stakeholders to develop commercially viable solutions that can be adopted more widely, making next-generation recycling technologies increasingly accessible across the fashion industry.
Question : Many textile recycling innovations struggle to move beyond pilot projects. What milestones has Syntetica achieved so far, and what are your key priorities as you scale towards commercial deployment?
Syntetica has progressed well beyond the pilot stage, demonstrating that its chemistry and recycling process can be scaled reliably. Over the past year, the company has successfully validated its depolymerisation technology across diverse nylon waste streams, completed multiple external trials, and achieved operational readiness on industrial-grade reactors, delivering a stable process with consistently high-quality output.
The company's focus is now firmly on industrial-scale deployment. Its immediate priority is to establish its first pilot and continuous demonstration facility in partnership with Michelin, enabling the recycling technology to operate at commercial volumes and accelerating its path to market.
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