Textile-to-textile recycling pioneer Syre, headquartered in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, has announced new strategic partnerships with the leading brands Gap, Houdini Sportswear and Target as part of its commercial launch.

Syre is establishing its first ‘blueprint’ plant in in Cedar Creek,, North Carolina, to be operational in 2026 and delivering volumes of up to 10,000 metric tons of circular polyester annually.

It has secured around $100 million in funding following a Series A round and earlier this month outlined details of the recent registration certificate it has obtained to construct a further $1 billion polyester fabric recycling plant in the central Vietnam province of Binh Dinh.

The Vietnam project, designed to have a capacity of up to 250,000 tons per year, is expected to become operational by the end of 2028.

Among Syre backers is leading retail brand H&M, headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, which now partners with 103 local factories that employ over 86,800 workers in Vietnam, so the location makes sound logistical sense.

Gap, the largest speciality apparel retailer in America, has now partnered with Syre with the aim of using an annual 10,000 metric tons of Syre’s recycled polyester chip annually. The collaboration marks a significant step in Gap’s commitment to integrating more sustainable materials across its portfolio of brands, including Athleta, Banana Republic, Gap and Old Navy.  

Swedish technical outdoor brand Houdini has also partnered with Syre to meet its aim of having a fully circular and waste free ecosystem in place by 2030 and for textile-to-textile recycled fibres to become the company’s primary source of polyester. Houdini has committed to sourcing 50% of its polyester usage from Syre circular polyester for a period of three years.

Minneapolis-based Target has customers at nearly 2,000 stores and at Target.com and plans for 100% of its owned brand products to be designed for a circular future by 2040. As part of this commitment, Target is partnering with Syre to incorporate textile-to-textile recycled polyester into a selection of the company’s owned brand products.

“We are thrilled to announce our partnerships with these forward-thinking brands representing different segments and sizes,” says Syre CEO Dennis Nobelius. “They are truly front runners, understanding the need to secure capacity of a scarce future resource. As we embark on the next phase of scaling at speed, we’re confident that these collaborations will not only bolster commercial success but also help redefine the industry and drive the urgent shift towards true circularity.”

“We’re proud to be among the first to support Syre’s innovative textile solutions,” adds Dan Fibiger, vice president of global sustainability at Gap. “This partnership will enable us to accelerate our progress towards realising a more circular fashion industry. Our ambition to utilise 10,000 metric tons per year of Syre’s recycled polyester chip is not only an innovation that we feel will resonate with our customers, but an important lever for Gap in our efforts to bridge the climate gap.”

Recent market research conducted by Syre and McKinsey highlights a 10-12 million tons annual supply-demand gap for textile-to-textile recycled polyester by 2030. Brands across textile-heavy industries have committed to bold circularity targets and regulations will accelerate demand for circular materials, while also phasing out the established solution for recycled polyester (bottle-to-fibre) which is not circular.

www.syre.com