Reju has officially inaugurated its first U.S. Research & Development Center in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania. This strategic expansion into North America is designed to accelerate the commercialization of its proprietary polyester regeneration systems. The new facility is situated within the Technip Energies Advanced Materials and Catalysts research center and will function as the primary hub for Reju’s domestic operations, focusing on the transformation of discarded fabrics into high-quality reusable raw materials.
The opening of this center also facilitates the relocation of the company’s core scientific team from the IBM Almaden Research Center in San Jose, California. It was at the California site where the VolCat depolymerization technology, a cornerstone of Reju’s textile recycling technology, was originally pioneered. The Conshohocken laboratory is equipped to manage the entire development lifecycle, ranging from initial feasibility assessments to kilo-scale production trials.
Advancing Polyester Regeneration and Textile Waste Solutions
The research conducted at the Pennsylvania facility will prioritize chemical recycling research, specifically targeting polyester materials and mixed-fabric processing. By exploring new circular chemistry pathways, the center aims to bridge the gap between laboratory-scale innovation and full industrial manufacturing. Gregory Breyta, Reju’s director of research and development, noted that the facility is essential for moving the company’s technology toward industrial deployment while establishing the necessary infrastructure for large-scale textile-to-textile recycling.
By integrating into the existing research infrastructure of Technip Energies, Reju benefits from specialized expertise in catalysis, technology integration, and industrial engineering. This collaborative environment is intended to validate new processes rapidly, effectively reducing the time required to bring textile waste solutions from the development phase to commercial application. This center is a vital component of the company’s mission to build a robust circular textile economy.
Strategic Expansion of Global Textile Recycling Technology
The innovations validated in Conshohocken are expected to support Reju’s planned Regeneration Hubs, which are industrial-scale facilities designed to process significant volumes of textile waste. The company’s international network is growing steadily, with Regeneration Hub Zero already established in Frankfurt, Germany. Additional projects have been announced for Lacq, France; Sittard, the Netherlands; and Rochester, New York. Together, these sites aim to create a scalable and replicable textile recycling technology infrastructure across several global regions.
Breyta emphasized that this expanding network is built to transform textile waste into feedstock for new products, encouraging the widespread adoption of circular manufacturing. Reju, owned by Technip Energies and utilizing technology from IBM Research, remains focused on regenerating polyester textiles and post-consumer PET waste. As global brands seek to increase recycled content, the demand for advanced chemical recycling research and textile waste solutions continues to rise within the circular textile economy. Technip Energies, which operates in 35 countries, reported €7.2 billion in revenue in 2025 and maintains a global workforce of over 18,000 employees dedicated to sustainable chemistry and decarbonization.
