PETCORE Europe Ambassador Christian-Yves Crépet underlines the broader challenge ahead: “The central question behind unlocking polyester textile circularity in Europe is not only about regulation, infrastructure, and investment. These elements are essential, but they cannot deliver results on their own. Without explicit, measurable, and sustained engagement from textile brands and retailers, circularity will simply not materialise. They control product design, material choices, commercial flows, and market signals — therefore nothing will scale unless they actively commit.”

Strategic framing: Where Europe stands on polyester circularity

The summit opens with a strategic introduction by Alain Pointcheval (REJU), Christian-Yves Crépet, and Raphaël Jaumotte of PETCORE Europe. They will outline the political and industrial context in which polyester circularity is currently advancing, highlighting both the momentum built in recent years and the systemic barriers that still need to be addressed.

This will be followed by a wide-ranging discussion on whether Europe is currently enabling or hindering textile circularity. Moderated by Alain Pointcheval, the session brings together organisations examining the regulatory environment and emerging success models. Contributions from AMI and IFPEN will show which regulatory conditions are necessary for chemical recycling technologies to scale industrially. Examples from France – including Refashion and the integrated model of Nouvelles Fibres Textiles – illustrate how sorting, preparation and downstream processing are already being combined at EU level. GR3N will present its pathway towards industrial deployment and the regulatory challenges that remain.

Regulation, investment & feedstock: Aligning industry and policy

A further focus of the webinar will examine how investment in textile polyester recycling can develop in the coming years. Representatives from Invest-NL and Infinity Recycling will outline what institutional and private investors expect from large-scale recycling projects. Accelerating Circularity will highlight the strategic relevance of currently untapped post-consumer textile volumes, which must be activated urgently to supply future industrial capacities. This block will also include a retailer perspective, emphasising the sector’s growing responsibility in enabling recycling-ready material flows.

After an open discussion round moderated by Christian Crépet, the European Commission will provide a regulatory update. Carsten Wentink from DG Environment will present the latest developments on the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (ESPR) and outline the requirements that may soon apply specifically to polyester-based textiles.

Technology push: Industry readiness for polyester circularity

The afternoon will feature updates on industrial technologies. More than twenty companies from across the global polyester value chain will present short insights into their current projects and technological developments, covering technology readiness levels, planned capacities, feedstock requirements, regulatory obstacles and the specific contributions their technologies can make to European textile circularity. Participating companies include Axens, Carbios, Cure Technology, Depoly, Eastman, GR3N, Indorama Ventures, Loop Industries, Matterr, Plasta Rei, REJU, Coperion, Erema, Starlinger, Pellenc ST, Tomra, and others.

This session will be followed by an extended Q&A. To close the summit, Alain Pointcheval, Christian-Yves Crépet, and Raphaël Jaumotte will outline the next steps: from the update of the Brussels Mapping to new policy coordination initiatives and follow-up EU platform activities planned for 2026.

Registration now open

Registration for the webinar is now open. PETCORE Europe invites all stakeholders from the polyester, textile, recycling, policy and investment sectors to join this central European dialogue on the future of polyester textile circularity.

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