Intimiti Australia Pty Ltd, developer of Celys, the world’s first certified compostable polyester, has been awarded the Innovate P2X 2025 grant by the NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub. The recognition marks a major step forward in the company’s mission to tackle textile waste and pioneer solutions at the intersection of circular textiles and clean energy.
Tackling Australia’s Textile Waste Crisis
Australia’s textile footprint underscores the urgency of the challenge: each year, 373,000 tonnes of new clothes are imported, while nearly 200,000 tonnes end up in landfill. Despite widespread donations, more than 210,000 tonnes of unwanted clothing given to charities or bins cannot be reused or recycled, leaving the nation with a recycling rate of just 2 percent.
From Waste to Clean Energy
With support from Innovate P2X and in collaboration with Macquarie University, Intimiti aims to demonstrate that end-of-life clothing can be reengineered into high-value energy solutions, including Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This breakthrough approach combines material innovation with clean energy, addressing two global challenges simultaneously: fashion waste and aviation sector emissions.
“This initiative is more than innovation, it’s reimagining waste as opportunity. By valorising waste streams, we’re creating high-impact circularity in textiles and energy industries,”
— Jason, Project Lead at Intimiti Australia
Toward a Decarbonised Future
By converting discarded textiles into renewable fuel, Intimiti’s project not only diverts fibres from landfill and reduces microplastic pollution, but also provides a scalable model for true circularity. The aviation industry, one of the hardest to decarbonise, could benefit significantly from this sustainable fuel pathway.
With the backing of Innovate P2X, Intimiti is positioning itself at the forefront of a new era in circular fashion and clean energy, proving that fashion waste can find a second life as fuel for a sustainable future.
