KIPAS Launches fibR-e to Revolutionize Polyester Recycling

KIPAS unveils fibR-e, a breakthrough platform that transforms post-consumer polyester into high-quality yarns, slashing emissions by 74% and enabling circular fashion.

KIPAS Textiles, Europe’s largest fully integrated textile manufacturer, has introduced fibR-e, a breakthrough recycling platform aimed at solving one of fashion’s most persistent sustainability challenges: recycling polyester at scale.

Despite millions of tonnes of polyester garments produced annually, less than 1 percent is recycled, with the majority ending up in landfills or incinerators. Increasing regulatory pressure in Europe and growing consumer demand for sustainable practices have intensified the need for viable circular solutions.

fibR-e provides brands with a credible pathway toward circularity. The system combines Meltem Kimya’s patented molecular recycling with KIPAS’ thermomechanical process, enabling the transformation of post-consumer garments—including polyester-elastane blends and mixed-fibre textiles—into high-quality GRS-certified rTEX Chips. These chips are then converted by KIPAS into certified filament yarns and staple fibres, ready for new fashion collections.

Unlike conventional recycling methods, fibR-e removes accessories during processing, eliminating manual sorting bottlenecks, and decolourises blended fabrics for cleaner, higher-quality outputs. The molecular recycling technology breaks polyester down to its core building blocks and rebuilds it without generating microplastics, allowing repeated recycling with no loss in material quality.

Early studies indicate that producing polyester entirely from post-consumer textile waste using fibR-e can reduce emissions by nearly 74 percent compared to virgin production.

"Recycling has barely scratched the surface of the polyester problem," said Halit Gümüser, CEO of KIPAS Textiles. "With fibR-e, we can take real post-consumer waste in all its complexity and return it to the market as certified, high-quality filament yarns and staple fibres. This is how the industry moves from linear to circular, not through pilots but at commercial scale."

Built on a multi-year partnership with Meltem Kimya, fibR-e integrates molecular recycling expertise with KIPAS’ industrial capabilities, allowing bulk production of traceable, performance-tested materials at competitive pricing. This ensures brands can reduce reliance on virgin polyester while meeting regulatory requirements and maintaining commercial quality standards.

fibR-e signals a major step forward for the fashion industry, turning the ambition of circular polyester into an industrial reality.

For more details, visit www.kipastextiles.com and www.kipasfibre.com.