German start-up CircularFabrics has developed technology that enables efficient nylon recycling without depolymerisation.

The Munich-based company’s process recovers high-quality nylon fibres from post-industrial and post-consumer textile waste, offering a sustainable alternative to traditional nylon production.

Nylon is the commercial name for a group of polyamides that are thermoplastic polymers. Like polyester, nylon is a synthetic material and its production is reliant on fossil-fuel-derived chemicals, which have a negative environmental impact. Nylon production is energy intensive and can shed microplastic fibres during creation and use. Additionally, like polyester, garments made of synthetic materials can end up in landfills or incineration.

Founded in early 2025, CircularFabrics wants to build “true circularity for synthetic fibres”, starting with nylon. The start-up has recently been recognised in H&M Foundation’s Global Change Awards 2025 for its sustainable process and material.

CircularFabrics’ solution NYLOOP
Josephine Mayer, managing director and CEO at CircularFabrics says: “As scientists from different disciplines, we came together with a shared goal of tackling one of the textile industry’s most pressing challenges – the lack of scalable, affordable, and truly circular solutions for recycling nylon, particularly from