Fashion industry, valued at $1.7 t, is a significant contributor to pollution.

The fashion industry, valued at $1.7 trillion, is a significant contributor to pollution, accounting for an estimated 8% to 10% of annual greenhouse gas emissions—more than the combined emissions from aviation and shipping.

The production of clothing often depends on synthetic, fossil-fuel-derived fibers such as polyester, and demands substantial energy and water resources. The rapid turnover of fast fashion leads to many garments being discarded shortly after purchase, resulting in staggering amounts of textile waste. Two startups focusing on textiles have been recognized as Pioneers this year: Circ, based in Danville, Virginia, which converts mixed-fiber fabrics back into reusable raw materials, and EverDye, a Paris-based company that has developed a more environmentally friendly textile dyeing process. Today's fabrics are commonly made from a mix of cotton and polyester, which offers greater durability than pure cotton. However, these blended fibers are particularly difficult to separate and recycle.

"It's extremely challenging to mechanically separate them. You can't just pull them apart," explains Sonja Salmon, a textile science professor at North Carolina State University. "Machines may misidentify them as the same material." To address this issue, Circ has adopted a chemical approach.

According to Peter Majeranowski, the company's president, their technology employs water as a solvent along with pressure to decompose large polyester molecules—polymers—into their individual components, known as monomers. This facilitates the separation of the two types of fibers. Circ subsequently purifies the polyester monomers and cotton so they can be reused in textile manufacturing. Circ has attracted investments from venture capital, supply chain partners, as well as brands like Patagonia, Inditex (the parent company of Zara), and the European fashion platform Zalando SE. The company aims to establish multi-year contracts with brands for the use of materials recycled with its technology. However, Majeranowski notes that securing long-term commitments is rare in the industry—"a practice that brands are not accustomed to." The dyeing of fabric, an energy-intensive stage in garment production, traditionally involves heating pigments to high temperatures to fix the color. EverDye, however, claims to have created a bio-based dye that can be applied at room temperature. An employee at EverDye works in the company's textile process and application laboratory.

The startup has successfully dyed fabrics in brown, orange, and yellow, and is currently refining its methods to produce blue, red, and black shades.
"Adapting the formulas takes time," says Victor Durand, EverDye's head of operations. Last October, EverDye launched a small capsule collection and is conducting pilot tests with brands such as Lacoste and Petit Bateau.

The company is in the process of raising capital for its Series A funding round. "Our objective is to become a regular supplier of dyes in the supply chain," states Durand.