Reju, a leader in textile-to-textile regeneration, has revealed plans for its inaugural industrial facility in the United States, set to be located in Rochester, New York. The facility aims to regenerate an impressive 300 million articles of textile waste each year.
Covering an area of 18.9 acres within the Eastman Business Park, Reju selected this site to enhance opportunities for diversifying and nearshoring manufacturing efforts. The facility will focus on transforming textiles that would otherwise contribute to waste. It will produce rBHET, which will subsequently be repolymerized into Reju PET.
This project is pending a final investment decision from the board of Technip Energies, Reju’s parent company.
CEO Patrik Frisk stated, “As our first Regeneration hub in the United States, this site selection is a major leap forward in building a truly global circular system. We are proud to bring Reju’s sustainable manufacturing and jobs to the Rochester community.”
New York Governor Kathy Hochul supported the initiative, saying, “New York State is committed to creating good paying jobs and supporting innovative projects and companies that are working to keep materials out of landfills and protecting our planet. Reju’s ambitious project, which will create approximately 70 new jobs at Eastman Business Park, demonstrates how smart investments can turn waste into opportunity, further supporting our state’s overall green economy efforts and creating a brighter future for everyone.”
Frisk emphasized that the establishment of this first US facility for textile regeneration bolsters the company’s presence in the market. He remarked, “Reju is investing in a future where post-consumer textile waste becomes a resource, not a liability. The US Regeneration Hub further strengthens Reju’s US footprint. It’s a signal to the market that circularity at scale is possible and now is the time to ensure the momentum continues to build.”
This new facility will complement Reju’s existing demo plant, Regeneration Hub Zero, in Frankfurt, and follows the announcement of Regeneration Hub One at Chemelot Industrial Park in Sittard, Netherlands.
Reju employs proprietary recycling technology developed in collaboration with Technip Energies and IBM Research to transform textile waste, starting with polyester, into high-quality Reju Polyester. This innovation features a carbon footprint 50% lower than that of virgin polyester and is engineered for multiple recycling cycles, significantly reducing the industry’s reliance on fossil-based materials.