Australia's war on waste has a powerful new ally—Deakin University's Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH). The Hub has joined hands with Samsara Eco to fast-track new technology that could recycle plastics and textiles (previously considered unrecyclable) that would take centuries to eliminate from the environment.
- Deakin REACH and Samsara Eco have united to transform textile recycling with world-leading enzyme technology for synthetic materials processing.
- The collaboration will see Samsara Eco lean into Deakin's advanced chemical analysis and polymer processing expertise for specific additives.
- Samsara Eco's AI-designed enzymes break down fossil-fuel derived materials like synthetic fibres into their original building blocks or monomers.
- In Australia, synthetic fibres like nylon and polyester make up almost 60% of the materials used in clothing production.
- Less than 1% of discarded garments get recycled into new clothes, with most ending up in landfill or incineration.
THE PROJECT: Samsara Eco will work with Deakin's advanced chemical analysis and polymer processing expertise to better understand and find recycling solutions for specific additives like dyes, finishes and coatings present in textile waste. The research will tackle a critical challenge in textile recycling by understanding how chemical treatments affect synthetic fibre breakdown and rebuilding. The work helps to refine the recycling pipeline and bring closed-loop textile recycling closer to commercial reality.
- The research will explore solutions by analysing contaminants and determining their impact on textile recycling processes for high-performance materials.
- It will examine how dyes, textile finishes, coatings and other chemical treatments affect breakdown and rebuilding of synthetic fibres.
- The work involves testing how materials perform in real-world polymerisation and processing to help refine the recycling pipeline.
WHAT'S AT STAKE: Textile waste is one of the world's most persistent environmental issues, driven by fast fashion, high consumption and poor disposal practices. Most discarded garments end up in landfill or are incinerated, adding to pollution and harmful emissions. The collaboration will address materials that would take centuries to eliminate from the environment without technological intervention through enzymatic processing solutions.
THE TECHNOLOGY: Samsara Eco's AI-designed enzymes break down fossil-fuel derived materials like synthetic fibres, including nylon 6,6 and polyethylene terephthalate, into their original building blocks or monomers.
- Unlike mechanical recycling, which degrades the quality of materials and limits recyclability, Samsara Eco's enzymatic depolymerisation technology makes it possible to rebuild worn or contaminated textiles into virgin-equivalent materials.
- Samsara Eco's enzymatic depolymerisation technology can rebuild worn or contaminated textiles into virgin-equivalent materials unlike mechanical recycling.
- The company has a ten-year agreement with global activewear brand Lululemon to support approximately 20% of its overall fibre portfolio with recycled Samsara Eco's 2030 vision is to recycle half a billion clothing items and ten billion plastic bottles annually.
- Samsara Eco's first commercial facility is set to open in Jerrabomberra later this year for large-scale processing operations.
WHAT’S NEXT: The company is already working with brands to swap virgin inputs for their low carbon, enzymatically recycled materials, which plug directly into existing supply chains. Together with Deakin's researchers, they aim to find further recycling solutions to keep more textile waste out of landfill and in circulation.
WHAT THEY SAID:
We are laser-focused on creating true circularity and that means finding a solve for all plastics. This research supports our efforts to make this a reality. We've already come a long way with our enzymatic recycling technology, which can infinitely recycle PET and nylon 6,6 plastics used for clothing and other textiles, including mixed fibres and plastics. Our research collaboration with Deakin will support our efforts to recycle more waste at speed, scale and with precision.
— Paul Riley
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Samsara Eco
Our research tackles a critical challenge in textile recycling – understanding how dyes, textile finishes, coatings and other chemical treatments affect the breakdown and rebuilding of synthetic fibres, including other types of polyester and nylon to repurpose into new products. We are exploring solutions by analysing these contaminants and determining their impact on textile recycling processes, to make it possible to produce high-performance recycled materials from all types of waste feedstock.
— Prof Colin Barrow
Chair in Biotechnology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences
Deakin University
By testing how these materials perform in real-world polymerisation and processing, we're helping to refine the recycling pipeline and bring closed-loop textile recycling closer to commercial reality. We're working to unlock a scalable, circular future for fashion – one that reduces reliance on harmful inputs and keeps textiles out of landfill.
— Prof Chris Hurren
Associate Professor, Institute for Frontier Materials
Deakin University
