Ambitious Project Aims to Tackle Global Waste Crisis and Support Sustainable Fashion

US clean-tech startup Circ is set to build a $500 million plant in Saint-Avold, France, which it claims will be the world’s first industrial-scale facility dedicated to recycling post-consumer and post-industrial polycotton textiles. The facility, which is expected to be fully operational by 2028, will have the capacity to process 70,000 metric tons of polycotton material per year.

Circ’s chief operating officer, Conor Hartman, cited the EU’s supportive ecosystem and finance world as key factors in the company’s decision to locate the facility in France. The plant will be built using a combination of national and regional grants, as well as financing assistance from the French government and the EU Innovation Fund.

The facility will utilize a chemical process to separate the polyester and cotton fibers in blended clothing material into two recycling streams, which is a difficult task to accomplish mechanically. The purified fibers can then be reused, supporting textile producers in meeting their Extended Producer Responsibility obligations to manage the entire life cycle of their goods.

France has implemented ambitious environmental and textile waste laws, including an anti-waste and circular economy law that focuses on reducing waste, managing it more responsibly, and building domestic recycling infrastructure. The plant is expected to create 200 direct and indirect jobs and support the country’s goal of becoming a leader in sustainable fashion.

Financing for the project is expected to come from new and existing investors, as well as a blend of equity and debt. Circ has previously received investment from notable companies such as Patagonia, Inditex (Zara’s parent company), and Zalando SE.

The project was announced by President Emmanuel Macron’s administration at the 2025 Choose France summit, a country’s annual economic development showcase. Hartman described France as the “leader in fashion,” making it the perfect location to debut the future of the fashion industry.