ABB And Syre To Explore Technologies For Industrial-Scale Textile Recycling
ABB has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Swedish textile impact company Syre to explore advanced technologies for enabling industrial-scale textile-to-textile polyester recycling in Vietnam.
The collaboration will focus on leveraging ABB’s expertise in automation, electrification, and digitalisation to support the development of Syre’s first large-scale recycling plant. The facility, proposed in Gia Lai Province, aims to convert used textiles and industrial polyester waste into new recycled polyester materials.
Under the agreement, both companies will evaluate how ABB’s technologies—including distributed control systems, digital industrial software, and electrification solutions—can be adapted to enhance process efficiency, quality control, and operational safety. The collaboration is expected to run alongside the plant’s detailed engineering phase.
Polyester, one of the most widely used fibres globally, is traditionally derived from fossil-based resources. Textile-to-textile recycling offers a sustainable alternative by reducing reliance on virgin raw materials, lowering environmental impact, and promoting circularity within the textile industry.
“This agreement reflects ABB’s role in supporting emerging industrial applications where automation and electrification can enable greater resource efficiency,” said Wilson Monteiro, Global Business Line Manager for Pulp, Paper and Fiber in ABB’s Process Industries division. “Together with Syre, we will explore how our experience in fibre processing, chemicals, and advanced process industries can be applied to polyester recycling.”
Dennis Nobelius, CEO of Syre, added, “As we move into full industrial deployment, partnerships like this become critical. Industrialising textile-to-textile recycling is a complex undertaking, and ABB brings the expertise and execution capability needed to help scale this vision.”
Since its launch two years ago, Syre has rapidly advanced its technological capabilities, establishing an R&D facility and pilot production line in Mebane, North Carolina. In 2025, the company achieved multi-ton production of circular PET chips, demonstrating the viability of its recycling process.
Syre is now focused on developing its first commercial-scale plant in Vietnam, with construction expected to begin in 2027.
While exploratory in nature, the partnership underscores ABB’s commitment to supporting next-generation, fiber-based industries. As circular materials transition from concept to large-scale reality, collaborations like this are expected to play a crucial role in enabling efficient and sustainable production systems.
