In a significant move to combat textile waste, Deakin University’s Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH) has partnered with Samsara Eco to fast-track world-first enzyme technology that promises to revolutionize the recycling of plastics and textiles, including materials previously deemed unrecyclable.
Australia’s ongoing war on waste now has a powerful ally in this collaboration, which focuses on the development of enzyme technology capable of breaking down synthetic materials such as nylon 6,6 and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). These materials, widely used in textiles, have long been considered too difficult to recycle and pose a significant environmental threat due to their durability and slow decomposition.
Textile waste, fueled by fast fashion and unsustainable consumption patterns, remains one of the world’s most persistent environmental challenges. In Australia, synthetic fibres account for nearly 60% of clothing materials, yet less than 1% of discarded garments are recycled into new clothing. The rest are either buried in landfills or incinerated, contributing to pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Samsara Eco’s cutting-edge enzyme technology, powered by artificial intelligence, is designed to break down fossil-fuel derived materials into their original building blocks or monomers. These monomers can then be used to rebuild the materials into new products with virgin-quality performance. This enzymatic depolymerisation process stands in stark contrast to traditional mechanical recycling, which often degrades the quality of the materials and limits recyclability.
Paul Riley, Founder and CEO of Samsara Eco, expressed the company’s commitment to creating a true circular economy. “We are laser-focused on creating true circularity, and that means finding solutions for all plastics. This research supports our efforts to make this a reality. We’ve already made significant progress with our enzymatic recycling technology, and this collaboration with Deakin will allow us to recycle more waste, faster, at scale, and with precision,” Riley said.
As part of the partnership, Samsara Eco will leverage Deakin’s advanced chemical analysis and polymer processing expertise to address challenges posed by textile additives like dyes, finishes, and coatings. These additives can interfere with the recycling process, but through this collaboration, the teams aim to identify solutions to ensure the breakdown and rebuilding of synthetic fibres remains efficient.
Distinguished Professor Colin Barrow, Chair in Biotechnology at Deakin’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences, highlighted the importance of the research in tackling a critical challenge in textile recycling. “Our research is focused on understanding how dyes, textile finishes, coatings, and other chemical treatments affect the breakdown and rebuilding of synthetic fibres. This collaboration will help us produce high-performance recycled materials from all types of waste feedstock, making the future of textile recycling more sustainable.”
With the combined expertise of Deakin University and Samsara Eco, this collaboration marks a significant step towards addressing the global textile waste crisis, offering hope for a cleaner, more sustainable future in textile production and recycling.
