UKFT member Epoch Biodesign has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Invista, a global manufacturer of chemical intermediates, polymers and fibres for the nylon and polypropylene value chains, aimed at advancing the development of post-consumer recycled nylon 6,6.

The collaboration will combine Epoch’s AI-engineered recycling enzymes with INVISTA’s polymerization expertise and global footprint. The end goal is to produce customer-validated, virgin-quality nylon 6,6 at commercial scale. Nylon 6,6 is a critical material across apparel, automotive, and industrial applications, but scaling recycled solutions that meet customer demands is a major industry challenge.

Epoch Biodesign is a UK-based biotechnology company and the global leader in enzymatic recycling. Epoch’s ultra-low emission process produces virgin-quality materials from mixed waste streams. By combining artificial intelligence and advanced synthetic biology, Epoch designs enzymes to efficiently recycle end-of-life plastic and textile waste at a commercial scale.

Epoch is backed by leading investors, including Lowercarbon Capital, Extantia, and Inditex. They are currently building the world’s largest nylon 6,6 biorecycling facility. Watch Epoch Biodesign at UKFT’s Sustainability Conference, Innovation in Action, last year.

“When your recycling technology is chosen from a global set of options by a company whose heritage is directly linked to the invention of nylon 6,6, it is clearly a defining moment,” said Epoch Biodesign CEO Jacob Nathan. “We are excited to increase momentum towards our goal of global deployment; this is a clear message that one of the largest producers of nylon 6,6 believes in our technology and the need for effective, enzymatic recycling at commercial scale. Working with INVISTA will accelerate real change in the materials supply chain, advancing the industry beyond existing recycling approaches, transforming waste into virgin-equivalent products.”

“INVISTA is committed to exploring innovative technologies that can improve the sustainability and resilience of nylon 6,6 supply chains,” said INVISTA Global Sustainability Director Ethel Garnier. “With this collaboration, both INVISTA and Epoch are applying their comparative advantage to develop solutions to a market need for recycled nylon 6,6. We look forward to working with Epoch to advance this important project and continuing to provide high-quality products that meet our customers’ needs.”

The MoU represents the beginning of a structured collaboration between the two companies. Technical assessment and polymer qualification are already underway and will be followed by application performance testing.

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