From 2024, molecular recycling of carpet will be an industrial reality: methanolysis, enzymatic depolymerization and new global plants pave the way for a circular economy for textile waste

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Article updated: March 2026 | Original version: March 2020 | Author: Marco Arezio

Carpets and rugs remain among the most challenging materials in the global recycling landscape. Six years after this article was first published, the technological landscape has changed radically: what was still research and experimentation in 2020 has become industrial-scale production between 2024 and 2026. Molecular recycling—which uses chemistry to break and recompose polymer bonds—has moved out of the labs and into the factories.

The structural problem hasn't changed — but the solutions have.

Carpets and rugs are naturally composite products. Their typical structure includes surface fibers of nylon, polypropylene, or PET, a primary support layer, a secondary backing of polypropylene or jute, and often a layer of latex or polyurethane foam that acts as a structural adhesive between the layers. These mechanically indissoluble materials make traditional recycling nearly impossible without loss of quality or value.

In the UK alone, it is estimated that only 2% of the 500,000 tonnes of end-of-life carpet is recycled each year , with the vast majority of materials—about 75%—made of non-biodegradable nylon and polypropylene that end up in landfill for decades. In the United States, the carpet industry produces nearly 12 billion square feet of product annually, with just 5% of it being recycled. World Economic Forum

Mechanical recycling: limits confirmed

Mechanical recycling—based on separation, shredding, washing, and extrusion—separates and processes plastics without affecting the polymer chains. It's an effective process for homogeneous, uncontaminated materials, but it faces insurmountable limitations when it comes to composite products like carpeting: chemical additives, thermal binders, and combined polymers remain bonded even after mechanical processing, drastically reducing the quality of the recycled material and making it unsuitable as a replacement for virgin raw materials in the most demanding applications.

Molecular recycling: from hope to industrial reality (2024–2026)

The crucial technological leap occurred between 2024 and 2026. Molecular recycling—also known as advanced chemical recycling or depolymerization—uses chemical processes to break polymers into their basic monomer units, regenerating them as virgin material, with no degradation in performance and no chemical "memory" from previous cycles.

Eastman Chemical: World's Largest Plant to Be Operational by 2024

The most significant global case is that of Eastman Chemical Company . Eastman's Polyester Renewal Technology (PRT) uses methanolysis to convert polyesters into their base monomers and create new materials indistinguishable from those produced with virgin raw materials . This process, also known as depolymerization, allows polyester waste to be repeatedly recycled without degradation over time and reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 20–30% compared to processes that use fossil fuels. Eastman

In March 2024 , Eastman's molecular recycling facility in Kingsport, Tennessee, achieved initial production within specifications, advancing toward the capacity to recycle 110,000 metric tons of plastic waste annually, including plastic packaging, carpet, and polyester textiles. Textiletechsource

During 2025 , Eastman’s Kingsport methanolysis operations recorded 2.5 times the recycled content volume of 2024, confirming the full industrial scale-up phase.

By 2030 , Eastman aims to recycle more than 500 million pounds (approximately 225 million kg) of plastic waste annually through its molecular recycling technologies. Eastman has two additional facilities under development: one in Longview, Texas, scheduled for completion in 2027–2028, partially funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, and one in Normandy, France, with a $1 billion investment that will use renewable energy. Textiletechsource

Reju™ (Technip Energies): the VolCat process for textiles

Reju™, a materials regeneration company owned by Technip Energies, has opened its Regeneration Hub Zero in Frankfurt, Germany, with the goal of starting deliveries of Reju Polyester—produced from textile waste—in 2025. Reju uses VolCat, an organocatalytic chemical recycling process for polyester textiles and packaging developed in a joint venture between Technip, IBM, and Under Armour, capable of extracting clean monomers while reducing CO₂ emissions by 50% compared to virgin polyester. Textiletechsource

PureCycle Technologies: Circular Polypropylene for Carpeting

Emerald Carpets, a manufacturer of trade show carpet, has partnered with PureCycle Technologies to integrate its PureFive Choice recycled polypropylene resin into existing fiber production, exceeding California’s recycled content requirements and establishing a closed-loop process: PureCycle recycles Emerald’s used carpet into polypropylene pellets, which Emerald will use for new carpet, enabling it to meet California’s closed-loop recycled content requirements by 2028.

Samsara Eco: the enzymatic recycling of nylon

Another technological frontier arrives from Australia. Samsara Eco produces infinitely recycled nylon 6.6 from textile waste through a patented process that uses plastic-eating enzymes called EosEco™, capable of recycling polyester, nylon 6, and blended fabrics. Specialty Fabrics Review

The regulatory framework: regulation as an accelerator

The global regulatory environment is pushing the entire industry toward circular solutions. In Europe, the Ecodesign for Sustainable Products (ESPR) Regulation, which came into force in 2024, imposes increasing requirements for recycled content and recyclability for construction products, including flooring. The European Green Deal and the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Directive are creating a framework for manufacturers to take responsibility for the end-of-life of carpets.

In the United States, California remains a pioneer: state laws imposing recycled content quotas are driving investments and partnerships between manufacturers and recyclers, with operational deadlines of 2028 for closed-loop systems. Floor Daily

Industrial take-back and recycling programs

Alongside molecular recycling technologies, the collection logistics infrastructure is being consolidated. Tarkett, a global flooring leader, has collected over 124,000 tons of flooring through its ReStart® program in 14 years , with North American collections expected to grow 40% in 2024, recycling 2.1 million pounds of used flooring. The program is active in 29 countries worldwide. PR Newswire

Open challenges: costs, infrastructure and volumes

Critical issues abound.

The main infrastructure challenge, according to Chris Killian, Senior VP and CTO of Eastman, is not technological but scale: "Today, with a single plant, the level of raw material is manageable. But the infrastructure challenge is to grow."

Conclusion: a sector undergoing structural transformation

Between 2020 and 2026, carpet molecular recycling has moved from promises to concrete implementation. Operational plants, industrial partnerships, and converging regulatory frameworks are building an infrastructure that—though still incomplete—represents the first systemic response to a problem that has remained unsolved for decades. Depolymerization is no longer the hope: it is the present that is becoming industrialized.

❓ FAQ

Q: What is molecular carpet recycling?

A: It is a chemical process that depolymerizes the plastic fibers in carpet—such as nylon, polypropylene, and PET—returning them to their original monomers, which can be regenerated as virgin raw material without loss of quality.

Q: Why can't carpet be mechanically recycled?

A: Carpet is a composite product made of various polymers, additives, and thermally bonded layers. Mechanical recycling fails to break these chemical bonds, resulting in a degraded material with little commercial value.

Q: Which companies are leaders in carpet molecular recycling in 2026?

A: Eastman Chemical (USA/France), Reju/Technip Energies (Germany), PureCycle Technologies (USA) and Samsara Eco (Australia) are among the major players with plants operating or in advanced stages of development.

Q: How much carpet is currently recycled?

A: Rates remain low: around 2% in the UK and 5% in the US. Molecular recycling aims to significantly increase these figures in the coming years.

Q: Is molecularly recycled carpet of lower quality?

A: No. Depolymerization produces monomers that are indistinguishable from virgin ones, allowing the production of materials of equivalent quality to the first-generation product.

Q: What does European legislation provide for end-of-life carpets?

A: The ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products) Regulation, which comes into force in 2024, imposes increasing requirements for recyclability and recycled content for construction products, including textile flooring.

Main sources cited:

Eastman Chemical Company — eastman.com/en/sustainability

Textile Technology Source — Advances in Textile Recycling, November 2024

World Economic Forum — Why carpet is so difficult to recycle, September 2023

Tarkett Press Release — Tarkett innovates circular recycling solution, June 2025

FloorFocus — Carpet Recycling Update 2025, August/September 2025

Plastics News — Eastman sees chemical recycling gains, January 2026