Decathlon has announced an investment in textiles recycling company Recyc’Elit as it looks to become a more circular business and find ways for its products to find a new life after they are no longer wanted by consumers.
Group CEO Barbara Martin Coppola announced on LinkedIn this morning that she and the sports equipment retailer were “thrilled” to team up with the France-based business to help support a textiles recycling system.
“At Decathlon, working with Recyc’Elit will enable us to create a dedicated textile recycling value chain, in Europe, to significantly reduce our contribution to textile waste,” Coppola explained.
“We have the potential to create truly circular products with this process, all while reducing our CO2 output. I can’t wait to see how it develops.”
Recyc’Elit was founded in 2020 by brothers Karim Medimagh and Raouf Medimagh, and is developing technology to help many industries manage hard-to-recycle materials. The tech breaks down polyesters to their original building blocks with what the organisation calls “very moderate energy consumption”, and aims separates materials to create recycled polyester, elastane, and polyamide.
The total investment in Recyc’Elit has not been disclosed but it comes via Decathlon’s Alliances arm. Recyc’Elit’s first demonstrator is to be built in 2025.
Franck Vigo, chief of alliances & new business at Decathlon, said the retailer and Recyc’Elit “share common values and a commitment to drive positive change across the textile industry and beyond”.
“To truly contribute to the decarbonation of our planet, we must support and surround ourselves with the brightest minds and the most committed and innovative partners,” he explained.
“It’s not just about finding solutions; it’s about nurturing them, refining them, and scaling them for impact.”
Karim and Raouf Medimagh, respectively president and CEO of the textiles recycling company, added: “Together, we can turn the tide on textile waste, transforming it to a valuable resource in our circular economy.
“This partnership with Decathlon fully aligns with our values. Besides the complete and obvious human fit between us, both of our companies aim at creating together a fertile ground to push the entire textile industry to its next chapter in the upcoming years”.
Decathlon said its strategic investment will coexist with a long-term commercial collaboration that notably includes the creation of capsule collections, as well as building the value chain together with Recyc’Elit and “all committed partners eager to engage into this journey”.
A spokesperson for Decathlon also told Green Retail World the initial contract between the two companies is for the next three years.
“Both parties are looking to create a long-term partnership that will disrupt the textile industry with innovative solutions,” they added.
Read more about Decathlon on Green Retail World
[image credit: Decathlon]
