Making Polyester from CO₂: Fairbrics Attempt for a Decarbonization Revolution in the Fashion Industry

As the fashion industry faces scrutiny over its environmental impact, the seemingly fantastical idea of "making clothes from CO₂" is becoming a reality.

Founded in Paris, France, in 2019, the chemical company Fairbrics is tackling the decarbonization of the fashion industry with innovative technology that uses captured CO₂ emissions as a raw material to produce fibers with performance equivalent to conventional polyester.

We spoke in detail with the company's Head of Operations, Bruno Marengo, about the technology for making clothes from CO₂, the challenges facing the fashion industry, and the prospects for commercialization.

From CO₂ to Polyester: The Full Scope of the Innovative Technology

Fairbrics is set to revolutionize polyester production by transforming CO₂, previously treated as waste, into a resource.

The technology developed by the company can synthesize the main raw materials for polyester, MEG (monoethylene glycol) and PTA (purified terephthalic acid), not from fossil fuels but from CO₂. This process, which could be described as "industrial photosynthesis," has the major advantage of extremely low energy consumption, as it operates at low temperatures below 200°C, compared to the nearly 1,600°C required by conventional methods.

"The project began when one of our founders, Tawfiq Nasr Allah, started researching the effective use of CO₂ on his own in 2014. He later met our other founder, Benoît Illy, a material science expert, and they discovered that various chemicals could be produced from CO₂ as a raw material, and furthermore, that CO₂ contained substances essential for polyester production," says Marengo.

"We officially started the project around 2019 and are now in the scale-up phase to bring the technology to a commercial level."

Since this technology was a completely new process, different from existing methods, its development was a challenge starting from scratch.

"To overcome this difficult task, we recruited leading scientists and engineers in this field from all over the world, regardless of nationality, to form a strong team of experts. We were fortunate that the vision of 'creating new value from CO₂' was attractive to many talented individuals. Thanks to that, we were able to build a fantastic team."

The fashion industry emits large amounts of greenhouse gases at every stage of its supply chain, with material production, especially polyester, being one of the main contributors. While polyester is a major material, accounting for about half of the world's total fiber production, much of its raw material depends on fossil fuels like oil and coal.

Having secured €22 million in funding from programs such as the EU's "Horizon 2020" research and innovation program, Fairbrics is operating a pilot line with a capacity of 10 kg per day as of 2024. The company plans to launch a demonstration plant capable of producing one ton per day by 2027.

Furthermore, by 2030, they aim to establish a factory with an annual capacity of 40,000 tons, targeting a price point comparable to recycled PET.

"Fairbrics' virgin polyester has the exact same performance as conventional fossil fuel-derived polyester and can be integrated directly into the existing supply chain. Being CO₂-derived, we also expect a significant reduction in carbon emissions," Marengo says with enthusiasm.

If this process is scaled up, it will lead to a significant reduction in environmental impact while greatly expanding the options for sustainable materials.

One of the reasons Fairbrics' technology is gaining attention is that strategic partnerships with several global brands are already underway.

The company has started pilot tests and joint development with major companies such as H&M, On-Running, and Aigle, steadily laying the groundwork for future commercialization.

"Even if a company is interested in the technology, it won't translate into business unless the procurement and quality control departments, who make the final decision on material adoption, give their approval," Marengo explains.

"We provide objective data demonstrating that Fairbrics' polyester achieves the same results as conventional fossil fuel-derived polyester in terms of strength, dyeability, and durability."

The feedback from partner companies has been largely positive. In particular, yarn and fabric manufacturers have given high praise, stating that "it can be handled in the exact same way as conventional polyester, using the same equipment."

Fairbrics is not only focused on replacing polyester but is also developing applications for other synthetic fibers such as nylon.

"For now, our focus is mainly on capsule collections. But starting with polyester, we plan to shift to a phase of mass-produced items that can be sold in retail stores, beginning with the launch of our demo plant in 2027," says Marengo.

"We are already collaborating with many partners in Europe, but we also have a strong interest in partnering with companies in Asia, including Japan. Asia is the center of textile production, and we believe the impact there would be enormous." As he notes, collaboration with regional supply chains is essential.

Fairbrics has set a goal of replacing 10% of the world's polyester consumption with their technology by 2033. If achieved, this would mark a revolutionary turning point in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the fashion industry.

By reframing CO₂ from "waste" to a "resource" and developing it in a way that adapts to the existing supply chain, Fairbrics' approach presents a new option in the development of sustainable materials.