Albany International, Cyclezyme Advance Enzymatic Recycling Of Industrial Textiles
Albany International Corp., and Swedish biotechnology company Cyclezyme AB have reported significant progress in their joint project to develop enzyme-based recycling solutions for industrial textiles made from polyester and polyamide, marking a step forward in advancing circularity for high-performance textile materials.
The collaboration focuses on developing enzymatic depolymerisation processes that break down technical textiles into their original molecular building blocks, enabling the materials to be reused in the production of new products. The technology is aimed at addressing the limited recycling options currently available for industrial textiles and other advanced synthetic materials.
As part of the project, Cyclezyme has successfully depolymerised selected polyester-based material samples while continuing to optimise the efficiency of the degradation process. The company has also developed and produced several nylon-degrading enzymes capable of recycling nylon and polyamide-based materials. Work is now focused on refining analytical methods to evaluate enzyme performance and further improve the technology.
Technical textiles are widely used in paper machine clothing, construction, process industries, logistics and advanced manufacturing. With sustainability regulations becoming increasingly stringent, demand for circular recycling solutions for these materials is expected to grow.
The two companies have also initiated discussions on the next phase of the collaboration, which will focus on scaling the technology for industrial applications.
Merle Stein, President of Machine Clothing at Albany International, said the project demonstrates the potential to improve recyclability without compromising product performance. He noted that while conventional recycling technologies generally target a single material, Cyclezyme’s enzymatic approach has shown the ability to depolymerise both polyester and nylon, offering greater flexibility for end-of-life recycling.
Peter Falck, CEO of Cyclezyme AB, said the project’s progress reinforces the potential of enzymatic recycling for advanced textiles and industrial materials that remain difficult to recycle using existing methods. He added that the successful development of nylon-degrading enzymes expands the company’s platform technology beyond polyester and could enable the recycling of a broader range of plastics and textile materials in the future.
According to the companies, the project is progressing as planned, with ongoing work focused on process optimisation, analytical evaluation and the assessment of additional industrial material streams as they move towards commercial-scale applications.
