Australian biotech company Samsara Eco has opened its first facility dedicated to producing circular materials such as recycled nylon and polyester for use in apparel, automotive and packaging applications.
Located in Jerrabomberra, Australia, the facility operates using Samsara Eco’s enzymatic recycling technology, EosEco, which uses AI-crafted enzymes to break down mixed plastics into recycled raw materials. The plant houses expanded enzyme production facilities, which allows Samsaran Eco to further build out its proprietary enzyme discovery and development platform to include recycling a broader range of plastics.
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“The opening of Jerrabomberra is a proud milestone for us and the broader circular economy. In just four years, we’ve scaled from bench research through to pilot, demonstration, and now our first plant. This is a true tipping point for circularity, shifting circular materials from early-stage innovation to mainstream reality,” said Paul Riley, CEO and founder of Samsara Eco. “Brand demand and supportive new regulations are helping to clear the path forward. Our new facility will help brands deliver circularity with the capacity to produce the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of garments annually,” he added.
Samsara Eco has partnered with a number of global fashion brands such as Lululemon, which will incorporate the recycler’s circular materials in upcoming product lines. The company also will work with Lycra to research and develop recycling solutions for materials such as Spandex, as well as in collaboration with Deakin University’s Recycling and Clean Energy Commercialization Hub, part of the Australian Government’s Trailblazer Universities Program.
“This isn’t just about building a plant. It’s about building a circular future where materials don’t have an end-of-life,” Riley said. “Instead, they are infinitely recycled, reducing the world’s reliance on finite resources.”
According to Samsara Eco, only 10 percent of plastics are recycled, and less than 1 percent of textiles are recycled into new textiles. Textile-to-textile recycling, in particular, has progressed more slowly due to the challenging nature of the process, from collection and sorting to the complications presented by synthetic blends during processing. The company said this facility and its EosEco technology will help change that, scaling the recycling process for both plastics and textiles.
And the Jerrabomberra plant will set the stage for Samsara Eco’s first nylon 6,6 commercial plant, which is being designed in partnership with engineering firm KBR and due to open in Asia in 2028. The company said the 20,000-metric-ton Jerabomberra facility will be the first of a fleet of Samsara Eco plants using the company’s EosEco technology to come.
“Our Jerrabomberra plant marks a significant milestone in Australia’s advanced manufacturing and circular economy journey,” Riley said. “Our technology supports Australia’s net-zero targets while driving economic growth, resilience, and productivity. We’re creating an entirely new industry to unlock major export opportunities and bring new skills to market, while also helping to position Australia as a leader in circular technology and a global exporter of circular materials.”
