Canberra-headquartered Australian biotech innovator Samsara Eco has joined the new T2T Alliance which brings together textile recyclers already including Circ, Circulose, Re&Up and Syre to support policy action for the circular textile industry. 

Samsara Eco’s new plant in Jerrabomberra, New South Wales, is set to open this year as the company scales up production and further develops its suite of AI-crafted enzymes.

A first-of-its-kind nylon 6.6 enzymatic recycling plant is also scheduled to be operational by 2028 and the company has recently expanded its leadership team to support commercial growth.

“Regulation shapes society and enforces change,” says Samsara Eco’s COO Sarah Cook. “It is a primary lever to deliver systemic change when thoughtfully and thoroughly designed. Policy needs to be informed by all corners of the room and that’s why we’re joining the T2T Alliance – a group of advanced recyclers advocating for policy action to deliver a resilient and truly sustainable textile-to-textile industry.”

The EU’s focus on creating a circular economy with the likes of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation, is among the most forward-thinking in the world, she adds. However, there are still nuances and misconceptions that can heavily impact the outcomes of this policy, particularly around the use of recycled materials and recyclability, which can hinder a circular economy.  

“As part of the T2T Alliance, we can help inform policy to ensure the outcomes derived from regulation are achievable and actionable – supporting progress and innovation rather than inadvertently hindering it,” Cook says. “We are laser-focused on supporting the textile industry’s transition to a circular economy. It is a crucial step to repairing the planet and by having the right regulatory frameworks in place we can better support the shift. We look forward to collaborating with our peers to drive meaningful policy action.”

www.samsareco.com