Decathlon, Ecosis collaborate to advance polyester textile recycling in sportswear

In a significant move towards circular textile manufacturing, Texfil Private Limited— a wholly owned subsidiary of Filatex India Limited and the developer of Ecosis chemical recycling technology— has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Indeca Sporting Goods Pvt. Ltd., part of the France-based Decathlon Group. The collaboration aims to accelerate the adoption of high-quality, textile-to-textile recycled polyester in sportswear produced for Decathlon India.

The partnership marks a shift away from conventional bottle-to-fibre recycling towards a closed-loop textile system, ensuring end-of-life polyester apparel is reintegrated into the production cycle instead of being discarded as waste.

Madhu Sudhan Bhageria, CMD, Filatex India, said, “This collaboration reflects our shared commitment to circularity and sustainable material innovation. Ecosis is built on the belief that polyester textiles should not be treated as waste, and we are excited to work with Decathlon India to bring sustainable materials into mainstream sports apparel.”

Deepak D’Souza, Production Director, Southwest Asia, Decathlon, noted, “This collaboration embraces our journey focused on responsible sourcing and innovation. We are happy to see this collaboration with Ecosis and the positive impact it can create for our people and the planet.”

The Ecosis technology uses an in-house glycolysis-based chemical recycling process that preserves the molecular integrity of polyester, enabling the production of virgin-grade recycled chips suitable for high-performance sportswear.

Unlike traditional recycling methods that downcycle PET bottles into textiles only once, Ecosis is designed to repeatedly regenerate polyester textiles without compromising quality. Texfil currently operates an 800 kg-per-day pilot plant and is developing a commercial-scale facility with an annual capacity of 26,750 metric tonnes, scheduled to be commissioned by September 2026.

Under the MoU, Decathlon Sports India will conduct structured trials of Ecosis recycled chips and yarn across its manufacturing network. The collaboration also envisages establishing a reverse supply chain to collect pre- and post-consumer polyester textile waste from Decathlon’s sourcing ecosystem for high-quality chemical recycling by Texfil.

Both companies have committed to scaling the use of Ecosis recycled polyester in Decathlon products, aligning with India’s goals on decarbonisation, resource efficiency and sustainable manufacturing. Industry leaders say the partnership could serve as a replicable model for building large-scale, low-carbon and circular textile systems in India and beyond.