PESCO-UP Newsletter

Improving polyester purity for chemical recycling

Within the PESCO-UP project, partners are working to overcome one of the main barriers in textile recycling: the presence of polyester (PES) and cotton (CO) in the same material. These blended textiles are widely used, but the cotton fraction disrupts the polyester recycling process, especially during high-temperature treatments, where cellulose degrades and negatively affects the quality of recycled PET (rPET).

To address this challenge, the project is testing and improving two separation technologies: VTT’s Biocelsol process and NBG’s Aaltocell process. Once the polyester fractions are obtained through these methods, the PESCO-UP partners CuRe Technology and Centexbel analysed their purity to evaluate whether they meet the requirements for the PES recycling process. By linking these steps, the project aims to reach a polyester purity of over 99%, ensuring that both the PES and CO streams from blended textiles can be successfully recycled and reused.

Register for the PESCO-UP Policy Event on DPP and Traceability

Registrations are now open for the PESCO-UP in-person event “Digital Product Passports: the Golden Thread Through Textile Recycling?”, taking place on 13 January 2026 in Brussels and hosted by CEPS.

As EU policy advances requirements for traceability and transparency, textiles will soon be among the first sectors mandated to implement a Digital Product Passport (DPP). This event will explore how DPPs can support more traceable, transparent and sustainable textile recycling value chains.

PESCO-UP at Bio-based Futures: Alternative feedstocks and technologies

On 15-16 May 2025, Anneli Auranen from NBG and Heli Kangas from Valmet, attended the Bio-based Futures: Alternative Feedstocks and Technologies seminar in Espoo, Finland. They also presented the PESCO-UP project poster, showcasing its goals and recent developments to a broad bio-based innovation audience.

PESCO-UP at ISGC 2025

On 12-16 May 2025, the PESCO-UP project was showcased at the International Symposium on Green Chemistry (ISGC) 2025 event, France.
Representing the PESCO-UP project, Annelore Aerts from VITO presented the project poster, showcasing its latest developments to a wide audience of experts in green chemistry.

PESCO-UP at Textiles Recycling Expo

On 24-25 June 2025 the PESCO-UP project was showcased at the inaugural Textiles Recycling Expo in Brussels, Belgium. Representatives included Tilla Kross, Charlotte Denis, and Lutz Walter from Textile ETP, as well as Lien Van der Schueren from Centexbel. During the event, the project team connected with fair participants to share recent developments and highlight the main goals of the PESCO-UP initiative.

PESCO-UP at Circular Textile Days

On 10-11 September 2025, PESCO-UP partners Traci Kinden from Texroad and Carla Fité from Reverse Resources took part in the Textile Circular Days, where they co-hosted a workshop on Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and Digital Product Passports (DPPs).

PESCO-UP at
Dornbirn-GFC 2025

On 10–12 September 2025, the PESCO-UP project was featured at Dornbirn GFC Home in Dornbirn, Austria. On stage, Heli Kangas from Valmet presented the project and its collaborative approach to mixed textile recycling. Textile ETP’s Secretary General, Lutz Walter, also took part, strengthening the project’s visibility among key textile innovation stakeholders.

PESCO-UP at the ECOSYSTEX Conference 2025

At the end of September 2025, PESCO-UP partners attended the ECOSYSTEX Conference in Sweden, where the project was highlighted across several sessions. Coordinator Marjo Määttänen from VTT presented PESCO-UP’s work on transforming mixed polyester/cotton waste through advanced sorting, digital product passports, and innovative recycling solutions. The team also hosted an exhibition stand showcasing early results, and co-organised a workshop focusing on data sharing, shared ontologies, and value chain modelling as key enablers for circular textile systems. These insights will support the further development of PESCO-UP’s value chain model.

PESCO-UP at Taiwan Textile Research Institute Conference

At the end of September 2025, our PESCO-UP partners, Heli Kangas from Valmet and Johannes Leis from STFI, participated in the Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) Conference, part of the Textile International Forum. They presented the PESCO-UP project, focusing on innovative approaches for recycling textile fibres from mixed cotton/polyester streams.

Click on the photos to meet Anneli Auranen from Nordic Bioproducts Group Ltd, and Marco Valtolina from Vegea,
and discover their activities within PESCO-UP and
their hopes for the project!

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HADEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.