BASF opens commercial textile recycling plant in Shanghai

BASF has launched its first commercial facility dedicated to recycling textile waste into raw materials for making new garments. Located at its Caojing site in Shanghai, China, the plant has the capacity to process 500 tons of waste annually. It focuses on breaking down polyamide 6, commonly known as nylon 6, into caprolactam, a key ingredient that can be reused in textile production.

Ramkumar Dhruva, president of BASF’s monomers division, highlighted the versatility of the loopamid technology, stating that it enables textile-to-textile recycling of polyamide 6, even in fabrics blended with materials like elastane.

While BASF has not disclosed detailed information about its recycling technology, the company noted that it involves molecular-level recycling of both post-consumer and post-industrial textiles. Since most textiles are made of mixed materials, separating polyamide from other fibers is a complex task.

BASF has developed a method that effectively isolates polyamide 6 with high recovery rates. According to BASF, this circular process helps reduce carbon emissions by 70% compared to traditional production using fossil-based resources—making it a significant step toward more sustainable textile manufacturing.