Paris-based Syntetica SAS, a company developing advanced technology to recycle nylon fibers, often used in clothing, announced Thursday it has raised $30 million in early-stage funding to build its first commercial facility.

The Ecotechnologies 2 fund, managed on behalf of the French government by Bpifrance, led the Series A round. Numerous heavyweight tech investors and retail brands also joined the round, including Lululemon, MAS Holdings and existing investor EQT Ventures. Public institutions participating in the round included Bpifrance itself, a French public investment bank, and the European Innovation Council.

“For decades, mixed nylon waste has been considered too complex and too expensive to recycle at scale,” said co-founder and Chief Executive Marco Bertone. “We have shown that it is possible to recover high-value materials from the waste streams the industry has historically written off.”

The company has developed a specialized solution for recycling both Nylon 6 and Nylon 6,6 from mixed fabrics and textiles using a single process. The separation of these two fiber types is one of the biggest challenges for recycling nylon at scale. Together, they are also the most commonly used in textile and plastic production and represent the vast majority of nylon used in consumer clothing and industrial textiles.

The environmental impact of nylon

Nylon is a persistent, non-biodegradable fiber that remains in landfills for centuries. A single pair of nylon stockings or an old windbreaker can sit in a dump site for 300 to 400 years before disintegrating. Worse, sunlight and other pressures can generate microplastics, which easily pass through landfill barriers and contaminate surrounding soil. The breakdown process of nylon-based clothing and other textiles can also leech toxic chemical additives, dyes and heavy metals into water tables and local aquatic ecosystems.

The alternative is to incinerate nylon products, which creates an equally problematic environmental impact. This includes the production of greenhouse gases and toxic gas emissions, which must be captured and scrubbed.

According to Textile Exchange, a global nonprofit that promotes sustainable practices in the textile and apparel industry, reported that global nylon production reached around 7.7 million tons in 2024. Although there is growing demand for circular use, nylon still accounts for less than 2% of the total nylon market thanks to the challenges of recycling. A report from the Ellen MacArthur Foundation noted that over 80% of all textiles discarded by households are incinerated, landfilled or simply abandoned. Given the note on the tonnage produced every year, that is a considerable burden on the environment.

Aside from reducing harmful environmental effects, the company says, recycling nylon will help reduce Europe’s reliance on imported fossil fuels, including crude oil and coal, as well as petrochemical-derived resources. Making nylon requires roughly twice as much energy per kilogram as producing polyester; it also requires significant water use during cooling, spinning, and chemical processes.

Syntetica said it is already working alongside name brands such as Victoria’s Secret and Etam, as well as a growing list of apparel companies, to increase the number of recycled materials within the industry.

The funding will support the company’s first commercial demonstration facility, to be built in France. It will bring the process out of the laboratory and into production scale, aiming to process hundreds of tons of textile waste every year. Michelin’s Centre for Sustainable Materials in Clermont-Ferrand will develop the facility in partnership with Syntetica.

Although the initial focus is on nylon recycling, the company said it plans to expand its technology to cover additional materials and applications over time. This will include other textiles, automotive and specialty materials.

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