Reju selects Rochester, N.Y. for first U.S. industrial textile regeneration facility

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Reju, a textile-to-textile regeneration company backed by global engineering firm Technip Energies, has selected Rochester, New York, as the site of its first U.S.-based industrial-scale facility, marking a significant step in the company’s global expansion and the region’s growing role in sustainable manufacturing.

The future facility, known as a Regeneration Hub, will be located on 18.9 acres at Eastman Business Park. Once operational, the site is expected to regenerate the equivalent of up to 300 million textile articles annually that would otherwise end up as waste. The facility will produce regenerated BHET (rBHET), which will be repolymerized into Reju Polyester, a recycled material designed for repeated reuse.

The project remains subject to final investment approval by the board of Technip Energies, Reju’s parent company.

“As our first Regeneration Hub in the United States, this site selection is a major leap forward in building a truly global circular system,” said Reju CEO Patrik Frisk. “We are proud to bring Reju’s sustainable manufacturing and jobs to the Rochester community.”

The Rochester hub would become a central node in Reju’s growing international network. The company is already operating a demonstration facility, Regeneration Hub Zero, in Frankfurt, Germany, and previously announced the site selection of Regeneration Hub One at Chemelot Industrial Park in Sittard, Netherlands.

Reju’s technology, developed in partnership with Technip Energies and IBM Research, focuses initially on recycling polyester textiles into high-quality regenerated polyester. According to the company, the material carries a carbon footprint roughly 50 percent lower than virgin polyester and is engineered to be recycled multiple times, reducing dependence on fossil-based raw materials.

State leaders framed the project as aligned with New York’s broader clean economy and advanced manufacturing priorities. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the project is expected to create approximately 70 new jobs at Eastman Business Park.

“Reju’s ambitious project shows how smart investments can turn waste into opportunity,” Hochul said, adding that the facility supports the state’s efforts to keep materials out of landfills while creating well-paying jobs.

Eastman Business Park, owned by Kodak, has increasingly positioned itself as a hub for advanced manufacturing, materials science, and sustainable technologies. Jim Moran, president of Eastman Business Park, said Kodak looks forward to supporting Reju’s long-term goals.

“We are thrilled to welcome Reju to Eastman Business Park,” Moran said. “The project leverages the unique infrastructure and capabilities of the Park while advancing a vision where textile waste no longer exists.”

Beyond its environmental impact, the Rochester site is also intended to support manufacturing diversification and near-shoring, reflecting broader shifts in global supply chains. Through partnerships with global brands, textile mills, and waste aggregators, Reju aims to provide end-to-end traceability, converting post-consumer garments into raw material for new products.

The U.S. facility further strengthens Reju’s North American footprint and signals growing momentum behind circular textile systems at industrial scale.

“Reju is investing in a future where post-consumer textile waste becomes a resource, not a liability,” Frisk said. “It’s a signal to the market that circularity at scale is possible.”

Reju is owned by Technip Energies, a Paris-based engineering and technology company with more than 17,000 employees across 34 countries. Technip Energies reported €6.9 billion in revenue in 2024 and operates across energy, decarbonization, and circular economy markets.

More information is available at reju.com.

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