DePoly to Launch 500-Tonne-Per-Year Showcase Plant to Revolutionize Plastic Recycling, Secures $23M in Funding

In a bold move to address one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges, Swiss cleantech company DePoly has announced the upcoming launch of a 500-tonne-per-year showcase plant in Monthey, Switzerland. Scheduled to launch this summer, the facility will serve as a demonstration of DePoly’s cutting-edge technology that can turn discarded PET and polyester plastics into high-quality raw materials, without relying on fossil fuels.

According to DePoly, every year, millions of tonnes of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and polyester waste are dumped into landfills or burned. Despite the growing demand for sustainable solutions, effective recycling technologies have been slow to emerge. DePoly aims to change that. Through its proprietary process, the company transforms PET and polyester waste into virgin-quality monomers that can be used to make everything from new bottles and high-performance textile fibers to cosmetic packaging. By proving its technology at an industrial scale, DePoly is paving the way for a future where waste no longer equals waste, but a renewable resource for new products.

A Step Forward in the Circular Economy

The new showcase plant is a pivotal step in DePoly’s mission to revolutionize the plastics recycling industry. The facility will not only demonstrate the feasibility of scaling up its technology but also prove that recycling plastic waste into new, high-quality materials is not just possible—it’s a game changer. The company’s proprietary process ensures that the recycled materials meet the highest industry standards, making them suitable for a wide array of applications in industries such as fashion, cosmetics, and consumer goods.

To date, DePoly has already demonstrated the commercial viability of its technology by collaborating with industry leaders like fashion brand Odlo and packaging innovators like PTI. These collaborations have led to the successful transformation of waste plastic into new, high-performance products that meet the rigorous standards of leading global companies.

DePoly revealed that it plans to scale its operations to an industrial level by 2027, aiming to process larger volumes of PET and polyester waste. This ambitious plan marks a significant leap toward realizing a truly circular economy, where plastic waste is continuously repurposed into valuable raw materials rather than contributing to environmental degradation.

Samantha Anderson, Co-founder & CEO of DePoly, expressed the company’s excitement about the upcoming plant: “The upcoming showcase plant validates our roadmap to creating a truly circular plastics market. Following our pilot and showcase plant, our next goal is to scale our operations to industrial size with a first of a kind commercial plant based on our technology.”  

Securing Major Investment for Expansion

To support its ambitious growth plans, DePoly noted that it has secured 23 million in seed funding. The new investment round, which saw the anticipation of MassMutual Ventures, will allow the company to accelerate its efforts and take its technology to the next level. With over 30 million in funding across two rounds, DePoly is now one of Europe’s most well-funded recycling technology startups.

MassMutual Ventures, which joined the investment round, recognizes the transformative potential of DePoly’s technology. Alix Brunet, Europe Lead at MassMutual Ventures, commented: “DePoly’s proven technology is a game changer addressing a crucial industrial and societal challenge. This raise and the showcase plant opening are advancing DePoly's position as a leader in plastics recycling.”

DePoly’s commitment to innovation has not gone unnoticed. The company has been recognized as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum and was named a Top 100 Swiss Startup in 2024. These accolades underscore the growing impact of DePoly’s mission to reduce plastic waste and promote sustainability on a global scale.

By transforming waste into high-quality materials, DePoly is not only helping to minimize reliance on fossil resources but also leading the charge toward a truly circular economy. As the company advances toward commercial-scale operations, it is positioning itself as a key player in the effort to address plastic pollution.

Source: DePoly