ARCHIBIO Wins ITMF Start-up Award 2026 for Enzymatic PET Recycling Technology

Chinese company advances textile-to-textile recycling with proprietary enzymes and a planned production line with 6,500-tonne annual capacity

ARCHIBIO, identified in the award announcement as Yuantian Biotechnology (Tianjin), has received the ITMF Start-up Award 2026 for its work in enzymatic recycling and the industrialisation of waste polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The company was the only Chinese recipient among five winners worldwide and received the award at the ITMF & IAF Conference in Fortaleza, Brazil, held on October 14–15, 2026.

The recognition comes as ARCHIBIO prepares to expand its production capabilities. According to the company, a new production line with a planned annual capacity of 6,500 metric tonnes is under construction and is expected to begin operations by the end of 2026. It follows the operation of a pilot facility with an annual capacity of 300 metric tonnes of recycled purified terephthalic acid (rPTA), which has been running for two years.

Enzymatic Technology Targets Polyester Textile Waste

ARCHIBIO’s recycling process uses engineered enzymes to break down PET, the polymer commonly used to manufacture polyester. The process recovers terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol, the chemical building blocks used to produce PET.

After purification, the recovered monomers, recycled purified terephthalic acid (rPTA) and recycled ethylene glycol (rEG), can be repolymerised to produce the company’s RB®PET recycled polyester.

The technology is designed to process polyester-containing blended textiles, including polyester-cotton and polyester-elastane fabrics. By targeting the PET component, the process offers a route to recovering polyester from mixed textile waste and returning the material to production.

This approach could expand the range of feedstocks available for textile-to-textile recycling, where recovering polyester from blended fabrics remains a technical challenge.

Recycled Polyester and Material Recovery

According to ARCHIBIO, its RB®PET recycled polyester offers quality comparable to virgin polyester. The company’s approach focuses on recovering PET at the molecular level, with the aim of replacing fossil-based feedstock in the production of new polyester materials.

For textile manufacturers and brands, the technology is intended to provide recycled material that meets performance requirements while supporting circular sourcing strategies.

AI-Assisted Enzyme Development Supports Scale-Up

ARCHIBIO began its enzyme-engineering research in 2017. Since then, the company has developed an enzyme library containing more than 500,000 samples and uses artificial intelligence-assisted screening to guide enzyme development.

The research supports the proprietary enzymes used in its recycling process. The company’s development activities also cover process engineering and production-line design, with the objective of translating laboratory research into industrial operations capable of supplying materials for downstream manufacturing.

Certifications and Intellectual Property

ARCHIBIO reports holding Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and OEKO-TEX ECO PASSPORT certifications, alongside more than 50 invention patent applications.

The company’s operating pilot facility and ongoing research form the basis of its planned production expansion. Following the ITMF Start-up Award recognition, ARCHIBIO is focused on completing the new production line and developing applications for its recycled polyester.

The planned expansion is intended to increase the scale of its enzyme-based recycling process and support the use of textile waste as a feedstock for new polyester products.