Epoch Biodesign, a textile recycling company backed by Lululemon and Inditex, has acquired a manufacturing facility that will allow it to produce recycled nylon at industrial scale. The acquisition marks a transition from pilot-phase innovation to commercial reality for a technology that has long promised to address fashion’s dependence on virgin synthetic fibres.
The company’s enzymatic recycling process breaks down post-consumer nylon waste — discarded stockings, damaged swimwear, industrial offcuts — into its molecular building blocks, which are then repolymerised into virgin-quality nylon. The new factory, whose location has not been disclosed, will give Epoch the capacity to process tonnes of waste per year, a significant step change from lab-scale operations.
If Epoch succeeds at scale, the implications extend beyond nylon. The same enzymatic approach may eventually be adapted to polyester, cotton blends, and other difficult-to-recycle fibres. For now, the acquisition represents a tangible bet that circular fashion is not just an ideal but an industrial reality.
The backing of Lululemon and Inditex, two of the world’s largest apparel producers, signals that the industry’s biggest players recognise the urgency of circular feedstock. Nylon production is heavily reliant on petrochemical inputs, and recycled alternatives have struggled to achieve the price parity and quality consistency that brands demand.
The textile recycling sector has been crowded with pilot projects and breakthrough announcements that rarely translated to commercial volume. Epoch’s factory acquisition addresses the most persistent criticism of the category: that the technology works in theory but cannot scale. With a physical plant and industrial equipment, the company moves from proofs to production.
