Erema Group buys into BlockTexx, seeking to scale textile-to-textile recycling “to industrial levels”

Austrian-headquartered Erema Group, the world leader in plastic recycling equipment, has made an unspecified strategic investment in Brisbane textile recycling technology startup BlockTexx.

The two companies shared the news at industry fair the K show in Düsseldorf, Germany this week, saying the development is aimed at scaling “post-consumer textile-to-textile recycling to industrial levels”.

BlockTexx was founded in 2018 and is commercialising a world-first technique to turn mixed polyester-cotton fabric into plastic flakes and cellulose for reuse. It currently has capacity to process 10,000 tonnes of fabric every year at its Queensland recycling plant. 

The company has plans for a second plant of 50,000 tonnes per year, with the release citing the need for “a strong investment partner” to help scale up.

“Blended textiles like cotton-polyester account for over 60 per cent of global apparel production but are notoriously difficult to recycle due to fibre incompatibility and chemical contamination”, said co-founder Adrian Jones in a statement on Wednesday.

“EREMA Group’s investment brings not only capital but also deep recycling expertise, proven technology and infrastructure.”

Research from non-profit Textile Exchange suggests 75 million tonnes of synthetic fibres were produced in 2023, and polyester accounted for 57 per cent of total fibre production. The recycling rate for polyester is estimated at only 1 per cent, and almost all of this is from bottles rather than fabric.

Erema Group CEO Manfred Hackl added: “The PET fibre industry is three times the size of the PET bottle industry. 

“We have been investing in the research and development of textile and fibre recycling for several years. 

“With the technology we already provide for PET fibre recycling, our next step is to aim for full-scale industrial textile recycling. We consider BlockTexx a key partner in this.”

According to its website, Erema employs over 690 people, helps recycle 20 million tonnes of plastic pellets annually, and had revenues of 320 million Euro in the 2022/3 financial year.

BlockTexx’s SOFT process will be used to create polyester for Erema’s INTAREMA FibrePro:IV system, the Austrian company said, which will process the polyester into recycled pellets suitable for new garment production.

“Twenty-five years ago, people could not imagine bottle-to-bottle recycling. Today it is standard. I believe the same will happen for textile-to-textile recycling”, added Hackl.

Picture: Hackl, Jones, Wolfgang Hermann (EREMA Group), and Graham Ross (BlockTexx)

Further reading

BlockTexx and INGWE take their reborn fashion accessories to a Paris audience

Opal and BlockTexx begin pilot program recycling paper mill workers’ uniforms

BlockTexx wins top prize at the 2025 Banksia Awards

Australian company offers the world a S.O.F.T. option for problem textiles