US Fashion Recycling Startup to Build $500 Million Plant in France
Virginia-based Circ cites incentives and the regulatory environment as draws amid a US retreat from clean tech support.
A pile of jeans sits in a clothing factory in Karachi, Pakistan.
Photographer: Asim Hafeez/BloombergUS clean-tech startup Circ plans to build what it says is the world’s first large-scale plant that can break down the textiles heavily used in fast fashion. Fabrics made of a blend of polyester and cotton are difficult to recycle and worsening a global waste crisis.
The 450 million euro ($510 million) plant will be in Saint-Avold, France, and construction is set to begin in 2026. The facility will have the capacity to process 70,000 metric tons of polycotton material per year, according to the company. It is expected to be fully operational by 2028 and create 200 direct and indirect jobs.