Reju, a company specializing in textile-to-textile regeneration, has officially opened its first proprietary Research and Development (R&D) Center in Conshohocken, marking a significant milestone in the company’s North American expansion and its efforts to commercialize advanced textile recycling technologies.
Located within Technip Energies’ Advanced Materials and Catalysts research center, the new laboratory will support the development and industrial scale-up of Reju’s next-generation circular textile solutions.
Strengthening Textile Recycling Innovation
The new R&D center also serves as the new home for Reju’s core research team, which has relocated from IBM Almaden Research Center in California. It was there that Reju’s proprietary VolCat depolymerization technology was originally developed—a catalytic chemical recycling process that breaks polyester textiles into reusable raw materials for new fiber production.
According to Gregory Breyta, the new facility will help move the technology closer to full industrial deployment.
“I’m excited to join such an innovative company and help drive this technology toward industrialization while building the infrastructure needed to enable true post-consumer textile-to-textile recycling at scale,” Breyta said.
Supporting the Full Development Cycle
The Pennsylvania research center will support every stage of technology development, from early feasibility studies through kilogram-scale production trials.
- Research activities will focus on:
- Polyester textile recycling
- Recycling solutions for blended fabrics
- Development of new circular chemistry pathways
- Validation of technologies for future commercial-scale operations
The facility is expected to shorten development timelines while accelerating the transition from laboratory research to industrial application.
Read More: Reju Secures €135 Million Funding for Textile Recycling Hub in the Netherlands
Backed by Technip Energies’ Industrial Expertise
By operating within Technip Energies’ research infrastructure, Reju will gain access to decades of expertise in catalysis, process engineering, technology integration and industrial scale-up, helping accelerate commercialization of its recycling technologies.
Building a Global Circular Textile Network
The new U.S. R&D center forms part of Reju’s broader strategy to establish a global closed-loop textile recycling ecosystem capable of converting post-consumer garments into high-quality recycled raw materials.
The facility complements Reju’s expanding international network, which includes:
- Regeneration Hub Zero in Frankfurt
- Planned Regeneration Hub in Sittard
- Planned Regeneration Hub in Lacq
- Planned Regeneration Hub in Rochester
According to the company, these facilities will create a scalable and replicable circular infrastructure designed to transform today’s textile waste into tomorrow’s textile raw materials.
