Recycling nylon just got a major boost: Lululemon is betting on Syntetica, a French startup that’s cracked the code on turning hard-to-reuse nylon waste into reusable pellets. The company’s $30 million Series A, backed by Lululemon and other heavyweights, aims to tackle a stubborn problem in fashion—what to do with the tons of nylon clothing that end up in landfills each year.
How Syntetica’s nylon recycling works
Most recycling programs struggle with nylon because two common types—Nylon 6 and Nylon 6,6—are nearly impossible to separate once mixed in textile waste. Syntetica’s process skips the sorting step entirely, breaking down both types into pellets that manufacturers can spin into new yarn. Think of it like a universal charger for your old electronics: instead of hunting for the right plug, it just works.
For brands like Lululemon, Victoria’s Secret, and Etam (all early partners), the appeal is clear. Nylon is durable and stretchy—ideal for activewear—but its production relies on fossil fuels, and recent geopolitical turmoil has sent prices swinging wildly. Syntetica’s CEO, Marco Bertone, calls it a “wake-up call” for brands that assumed petrochemical-based synthetics would stay cheap and stable.
Why cost and scale matter more than green hype
Syntetica isn’t chasing a “green premium.” Bertone insists the only way to make recycling viable is to match the cost of virgin nylon while scaling fast. The startup’s pragmatic approach has already landed a commercial demo facility in Clermont-Ferrand, France, via a partnership with Michelin’s Center for Sustainable Materials. Unlike some competitors, Syntetica won’t make textiles itself—it’ll sell pellets to suppliers like MAS Holdings, which then produce yarn for apparel brands.
The Series A, led by France’s Bpifrance, also includes private backers like EQT Ventures and SWEN Capital. Public and private support reflects a broader push in Europe to cut fossil fuel dependence while strengthening industrial capabilities. But Syntetica isn’t alone: competitors like BASF and enzymatic recycling startups are also in the race. Bertone’s take? “If everyone scales to tens of factories, we still won’t solve this problem. Everyone needs to succeed.”
What’s next for Syntetica and sustainable fashion
With fresh funding, Syntetica’s immediate goal is to prove it can produce hundreds of tons of recycled pellets annually and deliver them to clothing supply chains. After that, the plan is to build facilities near waste sources and textile hubs worldwide. Lululemon, for its part, has also invested in other textile recycling startups like Epoch Biodesign and Samsara Eco—signaling a long-term bet on circular fashion.
