"Plastic recycling has fallen short. Only about 9% of all plastic is recycled globally, which sounds pretty bad until you compare it with textiles. Only 0.5% of those are recycled. One of the biggest challenges is that textiles are seldom one material. Buttons and zippers complicate matters, but spandex is even worse. Novel synthetic blends have made for clothing that's a dream to wear but a nightmare to recycle."
"Peña Feliz knows the potential pitfalls of plastic recycling well. Earlier in his career, he helped run ExxonMobil's chemical recycling plant, which uses heat to break down plastic into simpler hydrocarbons. It works, but the process is energy intensive and spews a lot of carbon dioxide. "I saw that firsthand and knew something had to be done," he said. Soon after he left Exxon, Peña Feliz decided to pursue an MBA at MIT."
Global plastic recycling rates are low at about 9%, while textile recycling recovers only about 0.5%. Textiles are difficult to recycle because garments combine materials, with buttons, zippers and spandex creating contamination and unpredictable waste streams. MacroCycle developed a process to selectively pluck desirable synthetic fibers from waste textiles, leaving other materials behind, enabling recycled plastic at costs comparable to virgin material. A co-founder previously ran ExxonMobil's chemical recycling plant and observed its high energy use and CO2 emissions. The founders connected at MIT, received a Breakthrough Energy Fellowship, and raised a $6.5 million seed round while reaching Top 20 status at Startup Battlefield.
Read at TechCrunch
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