Aunde, PreZero to build polyester recycling plant

Aunde, a leading automotive textiles company based in Mönchengladbach, Germany, has formed a strategic partnership with PreZero to set up a plant that will recycle polyester-based textile waste into new, high-quality polyester granules.

Aunde supplies textiles, leather and various interior and composite components to the automotive sector. PreZero provides a wide range of services, including waste management, recycling solutions and sustainability consulting. The company is headquartered in Neckarsulm, Germany.

Aunde notes that global polyester fibre production continues to grow, but nearly 99 percent of recycled polyester fibres currently come from PET bottle flakes. These flakes can be more effectively reused in closed-loop systems within the packaging industry, causing increased competition for recycled PET material.

Peter Bolten, CEO of Aunde, said the company sees it as its responsibility to support sustainable solutions in the automotive textile industry. The partnership with PreZero, he added, is an important step towards keeping textile materials in circulation and reducing reliance on PET bottles. Their goal is to set a new benchmark for textile recycling through this new plant.