Australia’s push to tackle its mounting waste challenge has gained a significant boost with a collaboration between Deakin University’s Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialisation Hub (REACH) and sustainable materials pioneer Samsara Eco. The partnership aims to accelerate the development of world-first technology capable of recycling plastics and textiles once considered unrecyclable—materials that could otherwise take centuries to decompose.
Textile waste remains one of the planet’s most persistent environmental challenges, fuelled by fast fashion, high consumption, and poor disposal habits. In Australia, synthetic fibres such as nylon and polyester account for nearly 60% of clothing materials, yet less than 1% of discarded garments are recycled into new apparel. The rest end up in landfill or are incinerated, contributing to pollution and harmful emissions.
Samsara Eco’s breakthrough lies in AI-designed enzymes that can break down fossil-fuel-derived materials—including nylon 6,6 and polyethylene terephthalate (PET)—into their original building blocks (monomers). These can then be reconstructed into new products with virgin-quality performance.
Through this partnership, Samsara Eco will leverage Deakin’s expertise in advanced chemical analysis and polymer processing to better understand how additives such as dyes, finishes, and coatings in textile waste impact recycling processes.
“We are laser-focused on creating true circularity and that means finding a solve for all plastics,” said Paul Riley, Founder and CEO of Samsara Eco. “Our enzymatic recycling technology can infinitely recycle PET and nylon 6,6 plastics used for clothing and other textiles, including mixed fibres and plastics. This collaboration with Deakin will help us recycle more waste at speed, scale, and precision.”
Unlike traditional mechanical recycling, which diminishes material quality and limits reuse, Samsara Eco’s enzymatic depolymerisation technology enables the transformation of worn or contaminated textiles into virgin-equivalent materials.
Distinguished Professor Colin Barrow, Chair in Biotechnology at Deakin’s School of Life and Environmental Sciences, highlighted that the research addresses a key obstacle in textile recycling—understanding how chemical treatments affect fibre breakdown and rebuilding. “By analysing these contaminants and determining their impact, we can produce high-performance recycled materials from all types of waste feedstock.”
Associate Professor Chris Hurren from Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials added that testing recycled materials in real-world polymerisation and processing will refine the recycling pipeline, bringing closed-loop textile recycling closer to commercial viability. He emphasised that this technology could revolutionise the textile sector by delivering both environmental and economic benefits. “We’re working to unlock a scalable, circular future for fashion—one that reduces reliance on harmful inputs and keeps textiles out of landfill.”
Samsara Eco already has a 10-year agreement with global activewear giant lululemon to provide around 20% of its total fibre portfolio using recycled materials. Their partnership has led to notable achievements, including the world’s first enzymatically recycled nylon 6,6 garment (the Swiftly top) and the first retail garment made from enzymatically recycled polyester (a limited-edition Packable Anorak jacket).
With its first commercial facility due to open in Jerrabomberra later this year, Samsara Eco’s 2030 target is to recycle 500 million clothing items and 10 billion plastic bottles annually, preventing hundreds of thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions.
“We’re uniquely positioned to recycle mixed plastics and fibres,” Riley said. “By working with brands to replace virgin inputs with our low-carbon, enzymatically recycled materials, we can integrate directly into existing supply chains. Together with Deakin, we’ll find new recycling solutions to keep more waste out of landfill and in circulation.”