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DOE puts $3 million behind polyester-eating enzymes to turn textile waste into new polyester. Making that work cheaply remains the central problem. by Ray Brennan September 8, 2026 Photo Credit: Stella McCartney The U.S. Department of Energy is backing a biotech effort led by Protein Evolution that could help turn worn-out polyester into fresh fabric instead of sending it to the trash, WWD reported. At stake is a $3 million push to see whether enzymes that digest polyester can become a part of a manufacturing process that works at industrial scale and at a competitive price. Here's what to know. According to WWD, the DOE tapped New Haven, Connecticut-based Protein Evolution to head an effort to scale a biological process that converts polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, textile waste into the chemical inputs for new polyester. Xytel, which specializes in pilot plants, and the National Laboratory of the Rockies, formerly known as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, are partnering on the work. Among 56 projects splitting $117 million from the DOE's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation, this one is expected to receive $3 million. The figure could change during negotiations. The DOE said the aim is to create a recycling method that can compete on cost with conventional polyester raw materials. TCD picks " Quince spotlight. These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all In 2024, polyester made up 59% of global fiber production. WWD, citing Textile Exchange, reported that 88% of that polyester still came from virgin resources. Manufacturers made most recycled polyester from plastic bottles, and less than 1% of the market came from discarded textiles. More background. At the molecular level, enzymes can be used to break PET apart into terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol. After purification, those substances can go back into standard polyester production. WWD stated that it offers a way to make material comparable to virgin polyester rather than the lower-quality output that repeated mechanical recycling can produce. Used textiles vary widely and are often dyed or coated with chemical finishes. And polyester fibers also tend to be highly crystalline, which makes it harder for enzymes to access them. If the material has to be softened first with extra heat or processing, much of the environmental and financial upside begins to disappear. A 2022 study from the National Laboratory of the Rockies said researchers reviewed more than 250 million protein sequences before identifying enzymes that could attack crystalline PET. In bioreactor tests, they reported converting nearly 98% of the PET into terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol after 48 hours. That analysis also found that avoiding some energy-intensive actions could reduce supply-chain energy use by 45% and lower planet-heating pollution by 38% compared with enzymatic systems that soften the material first. The researchers further estimated that recovering terephthalic acid from discarded clothing and carpeting could cost less than about $0.45 per pound. That could lead to savings down the line for manufacturers and eventually consumers. Still, those results were not tied specifically to Protein Evolution's process, and the DOE has not shared the cost or technical benchmarks for the newly funded project. What's being done? For Protein Evolution, the award builds on several years of work. After operating privately, the company went public in 2022 with more than $20 million in initial funding and an enzyme-design platform that combines artificial intelligence with synthetic biology. Its first product, Biopure, was created to break down plastic and textile waste into ingredients for new materials. At COP28 in 2023, Stella McCartney presented a parka made with recycled polyester that Protein Evolution supplied. That demonstration, however, relied on rigid packaging and industrial polyester straps rather than used clothing. Then, in November 2024, Protein Evolution announced a partnership with Slovenian biotech firm Acies Bio to expand enzyme production, along with plans for a Biopure demonstration facility in 2025. While one person won't solve the world's overconsumption problem, it's still important to create circular economies whenever possible. Buying durable clothes, reusing what you already own, shopping secondhand, and exploring lower-plastic purchases can all help. Protein Evolution's DOE-backed effort is part of a much larger push to cut fashion and plastic waste through new materials and better recycling. - Across the fashion industry, brands are testing biodegradable clothing designed to leave less waste behind. - In Australia, scientists launched a groundbreaking technological innovation initiative to develop compostable plastics. - Genecis is turning food scraps into biodegradable plastic using bacteria, broadening biotech's materials playbook. There's no single fix for plastic waste, which is why so many approaches are moving forward at once. Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips, smart advice, and a chance to earn $5,000 toward home upgrades. To see more stories like this one, change your Google preferences here.

Protein Evolution receives funding to scale enzymatic polyester recycling. YarnsandFibers News Bureau 2026-09-04 13:51:51 - USA The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has selected biotechnology company Protein Evolution to lead a project aimed at improving and scaling a biological process that converts polyethylene terephthalate (PET) textile waste into the basic chemical materials needed to produce new polyester. Protein Evolution, based in New Haven, Connecticut, will work on the project with pilot plant specialist Xytel and the National Laboratory of the Rockies, formerly known as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The project is one of 56 initiatives receiving a share of $117 million from the DOE's Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation. The funding programme focuses on reducing manufacturing costs, improving energy efficiency and strengthening domestic supply chains. Protein Evolution is expected to receive $3 million, although the final funding amount and the company's required contribution could change as the agreement is finalised.

Aggregates producers contribute to DOE cementitious material projects. The Department of Energy Office of Critical Minerals and Energy Innovation has awarded $117 million to 56 projects designed to strengthen the competitiveness of key American industries through energy and cost-saving innovations. One of nine topic areas in the program is Advanced Building and Infrastructure Materials: Cement, Concrete, Asphalt Pavement and Glass. It includes four projects, funded at $2.9 million to $3 million each, with diverse partner groups of cementitious material or concrete production stakeholders and academia, including Ozinga and Irving Materials: * Low-Cost Advanced Cement Material from Abundant Raw Materials, based in McMinnville, Ore. Led by Oregon-based concrete admixture developer Solid Carbon Inc., a research team will test belite-rich calcium sulfoaluminate and super sulfated slag cements with alternative supplementary materials from underwater waste streams, specifically those found in high ash-fraction forest waste biochar from tree thinning and wastewater incinerator ash. Project partners: Amrize Ltd. and Wilsonville Concrete Products, plus National Laboratory of the Rockies, Oregon State University and University of Kentucky. * Development of Concretes Containing High-Volume Calcined and Mechanochemically Activated Clays and Carbonated Recycled Concrete Aggregates, based in Coral Gables, Fla. A team led by the University of Miami will target next-generation concrete mixtures in which low-to mid-kaolinitic content clays, portland limestone cement, and engineered recycled concrete aggregate blends enable a lowering 60 to 75% clinker content than typically found in concrete mix designs. The technology enhances kaolinic clay reactivity through calcination or mechanochemical activation (induction of chemical reactions via mechanical energy), to enable high clinker replacement. Project partners: Ozinga Bros. Inc. and Illinois Institute of Technology. * Limestone/Activated Clay/Calcium Sulfate Blends for Concrete, based in Oak Ridge, Tenn. Oak Ridge National Laboratory will lead a team eyeing a next generation binder milled from readily available domestic materials. The project will develop a physically and compositionally optimized limestone, activated clay, and calcium sulfate blend to partially replace portland cement without significant impact on finished concrete performance or cost. Investigators will seek to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of clay activation by mechanochemical processes like grinding or milling that do not require heat for activation. Project partners: Carbon Upcycling, Irving Materials Inc., Imerys, St Marys Cement and Tindall Corp., plus Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, Tennessee Concrete Association, Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Texas, Austin. * Manufacturing of Cement and Concrete Enabled by Electrochemical Technologies, based in Irvine, Calif. Researchers from University of California, Irvine, along with partners De Nora Tech LLC and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, will test an electrochemical process to produce cement without the use of traditional kiln combustion methods. In lieu of a kiln, the process uses an electrolyzer - operating a significantly lower temperatures - to form calcium hydroxide. The Advanced Building and Infrastructure Materials area also supports one glass recycling and four asphalt binder or pavement material projects. Another topic area, Electrification of Industrial Heat, will span testing of equipment suiting raw material treatment in cement production. "DOE is committed to funding innovation that positions American industry at the forefront of the global marketplace," said Assistant Secretary of Energy Audrey Robertson. "These projects will deliver affordable, market-ready solutions that strengthen America's energy security and support job creation and economic growth nationwide." Advances in industrial technologies can deliver lasting benefits by lowering production costs, improving energy productivity, and bringing industrial innovation back to the United States, she added.