Enzymatic recycler's North Acton plant, due to open in Q3 2026, is timed to a new EU rule that from 19 July will prohibit large companies from destroying unsold apparel.
UK biotech Epoch Biodesign will open what it describes as Europe's first - and the world's largest - enzymatic recycling plant for nylon 6,6 in the third quarter of 2026, processing hundreds of tonnes of post-consumer waste a year at Grapht Works, Imperial College's new North Acton manufacturing hub.
The plant will process post-consumer nylon 6,6 from apparel, automotive and industrial sources, including silicon-coated airbag fabric, elastane-blended activewear, carpet fibre and military webbing. Condensed from two six-carbon monomers, the nylon 6,6 polymer is stiffer and more heat-tolerant than nylon 6. this makes it better suited for use in seatbelts, tyre cord and technical sportswear, but these properties also make it hard to recycle mechanically.
Epoch's AI-designed enzymes will break the material down in a process that runs at low temperature, which lets the plant sit inside a London neighbourhood rather than on a conventional industrial park. "The fact that we can build and operate a nylon 6,6 recycling plant in Greater London is not incidental; it is a feature of the clean, low-energy process our team has developed," said Jacob Nathan, Founder and CEO of Epoch Biodesign. "This is what genuinely circular, industrial biochemistry looks like."
North Acton will be Epoch's first demonstration site but not its only one. The company is already building a second biorecycling facility, and in February signed a Memorandum of Understanding with INVISTA to develop post-consumer recycled material at commercial scale. Epoch has raised more than $50 million (around £37 million) from backers including lululemon, Lowercarbon Capital, Extantia, KOMPAS VC, Happiness Capital, Leitmotif and Inditex's venture arm Mundi Ventures.
The investments aim to provide capacity to meet forthcoming EU regulations. From July,Article 25 of the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation (Regulation 2024/1781) will prohibit large companies from destroying unsold apparel, clothing accessories and footwear, with medium-sized firms following in 2030.
Luciano Caruso, Chief Commercial Officer at Epoch Biodesign, said the process offered brands an alternative to the price swings that have tracked oil markets across the petrochemical nylon supply chain. "This is the start of a sustainable, resilient supply chain of a critical material, without the pricing volatility associated with petrochemical-derived products," he said.
Grapht Works forms part of Imperial's Old Oak Innovation Cluster and the wider WestTech London ecosystem. Its 28 industrial units, ranging from 100 to 1,700 square metres, are intended for deep-tech scale-ups; other tenants confirmed so far include synthetic textile developer Solena Materials, alternative protein producer Meatly and energy storage venture Aed Energy.
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.