CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED
Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems develops the UK's first large-scale Automated Textile Sorting and Pre-Processing facilities and a planned chemical recycling plant for non-reusable polyester and cotton, supplying fibre-to-fibre feedstock and Circular Materials Delivery services to UK fashion brands, retailers, and recyclers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2023
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED does
Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems Limited is a UK-based, private circular-textiles infrastructure company developing two interdependent manufacturing facilities. Its first facility is an Advanced Textiles Sorting and Pre-Processing (ATSP) facility — targeted at 25,000 tonnes per year, with a stated longer-term goal of 50,000 tonnes — that uses AI-driven computer vision and robotics (via NewRetex and TOMRA technologies) to detect fibre composition, colour, and disruptors (buttons, zips, trims), and to cut garments to recycler specifications. Its second facility is planned as the UK's first large-scale polymer (chemical) recycling plant for non-reusable polyester and poly/cotton textiles, targeting 2027–2028 commissioning and operating under an exclusive UK licence of Worn Again Technologies' patented separation, decontamination, and extraction process.
The company's core technology stack combines automated sorting hardware, AI-powered vision software, and licensed chemical recycling IP, with a digitised data layer that captures per-garment weight and fibre composition to support Digital Product Passports. Its business model spans three revenue streams: B2B feedstock sales (transactional) of sorted whole garments and pre-processed fibre blends to mechanical and chemical recyclers; a Circular Materials Delivery Programme (professional services) that co-develops legislation-ready plans for UK retailers and brands to take economic responsibility for non-reusable textiles and meet 2030 recycled-content targets; and licensing/royalty economics tied to its Worn Again UK licence for chemical recycling output of virgin-equivalent polyester and cellulose into regional and global textile supply chains. The company is the only UK licensee of Worn Again's process and is co-founded by Cyndi Rhoades (CEO) and Marc Lopresto (COO), with primary customers being major UK fashion brands and retailers, mechanical and chemical recyclers, and textile manufacturers.
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED
- Legal name
- Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems Ltd
- Website
- https://circle8ecosystems.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2023
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems develops the UK's first large-scale Automated Textile Sorting and Pre-Processing facilities and a planned chemical recycling plant for non-reusable polyester and cotton, supplying fibre-to-fibre feedstock and Circular Materials Delivery services to UK fashion brands, retailers, and recyclers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Textile Recycling Services
- NAICS
- Textile Mills (313), Fiber, Yarn, and Thread Mills (31311), Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial and Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing (3252), Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing (326)
- SIC
- Textile Mill Products (2200), Plastic Materials, Synth Resins & Nonvulcan Elastomers (2821)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Textile & Apparel Recycling and Sorting (Non-E-waste) (BPALADAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Textile-to-Textile Feedstock Preparation (De-trimming/De-buttoning/De-zipping/Contaminant Removal) (IMAOAMAE), Plastic Recycling Equipment & Technology Providers (Sorting, Washing, Extrusion) (EUAIAKAM), Plastic & Rubber Recycling, Reprocessing & Pelletizing (IMANAOAN)
Keywords
Where CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure
Revenue model
- ATSP Feedstock Sales: Circle-8 operates Automated Textile Sorting and Preprocessing (ATSP) facilities that sell fibre sorted whole garments as feedstock, as well as pre-processed feedstock made from garments that have been through fibre sorting, size reduction and disruptor removal steps. Products are available across an array of fibre compositions ranging from 100% cotton to 100% polyester and everything in between, including poly/cotton blends, wool and acrylic.
- Circular Materials Delivery Programme: Co-development programme with retailers and brands to accelerate progress towards decarbonisation in Tier 4 raw materials sourcing and 2030 targets. Working one-to-one with retailers to develop cost-effective, environmentally positive, legislation-ready plans that take responsibility for UK pre and post-consumer non-reusable textiles and deliver recycled content requirements.
- Licensed Chemical Recycling Operations: Circle-8 is the official UK licensee of Worn Again Technologies' patented chemical recycling process. The company aims to commission the UK's first large-scale polymer recycling plant for non-reusable textiles, producing virgin-equivalent circular raw materials for reintroduction into global supply chains.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Circle-8 operates Automated Textile Sorting and Preprocessing (ATSP) facilities that sort and pre-process non-reusable textiles into feedstock for fibre-to-fibre mechanical and chemical recyclers. The company is also the official UK licensee of Worn Again Technologies' patented chemical recycling process and is developing the UK's first large-scale polymer recycling plant for non-reusable polyester and poly/cotton blend textiles.
Product overview
Circle-8 Textile Ecosystems is developing and deploying a circular textiles ecosystem built around two interdependent manufacturing facilities: the Advanced Textiles Sorting and Pre-Processing (ATSP) Facility for automated sorting and preprocessing of non-reusable textiles, and the Chemical Recycling Plant for large-scale polymer recycling of polyester and cotton textiles. The ATSP (capacity 25,000 tonnes/year) feeds the chemical recycling plant, creating a closed-loop system. The company also offers the Circular Materials Delivery Programme for brands and retailers and enables Digital Product Passports through its digitized ATSP.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Advanced Textiles Sorting and Pre-Processing (ATSP) Facility
Quantifiable outcome
- Less than 1% of 700,000+ tonnes of UK textile waste currently recycled into new materials
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature4 records
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.
- RejucorePartnership between Reju and Circle-8 to facilitate a circular textiles ecosystem in the UK. Circle-8 will furnish Reju's future European Regeneration Hubs with feedstock supply from post-consumer textile waste processed through its first digitized ATSP facility. Reju will leverage the feedstock for production of its regenerated Reju Polyester™ with 50% lower carbon footprint compared to virgin polyester.
- NewRetexcoreCircle-8 completed acquisition of a single-line AI-driven automated textiles sorting sorter from NewRetex, a Danish innovation company pioneering automated textile sorting technologies. Part funded by the ACT UK project, the sorting line enables high-capacity sorting and accurate classification by material composition, colour, and presence of hard parts. This is the first standalone component contributing to the 25,000 tonne per year ATSP capacity.
- TOMRA TextilescoreTOMRA Textiles and Circle-8 entered into a collaboration agreement to advance developments towards the first automated textiles sorting and pre-processing facility for non-reusable textiles in the UK. The companies will conduct a feasibility study for an automated textile sorting and pre-processing facility, emphasising solution and process designs that can be scaled. TOMRA was the main technology provider to the world's first fully scaled automated textile sorting facility, SIPtex, in Malmö, Sweden.
- Worn Again TechnologiescoreCircle-8 is the official UK licensee of Worn Again Technologies' patented chemical recycling process. The process separates, decontaminates and extracts polyester and cellulose (from cotton) from non-reusable textiles, with recaptured materials sent into the textiles manufacturing supply chain to be spun back into fibre, yarn and textiles.
- UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT)coreUKFT leads the ACT UK consortium with close involvement of Circle-8. ACT UK is a consortium set up to industrialise textile sorting in the UK, supported by Innovate UK funding. The consortium brings together recycling technologies, textile collectors/sorters, academia, manufacturers, industry associations, technologists and brands/retailers.
- ACT UK ConsortiumcoreCircle-8 is a major partner in ACT UK, receiving a significant share of a £4 million Innovate UK grant with a consortium of 21 industry partners to design and develop a blueprint for the UK's first ATSP. Partners include IBM, Marks & Spencer, Tesco, Pangaia, Reskinned, Salvation Army, Oxfam, Textile Recycling International, New Look, Shred Station, Worn Again Technologies, English Fine Cottons, Alex Begg, Camira, Manufacturing Technology Centre, University of Leeds, University of Huddersfield, Textile Recycling Association, and WRAP.
- Marks & SpencermajorACT UK consortium partner working to industrialise textile sorting in the UK. Marks & Spencer participates in the broader Circular Fashion Programme supported by Innovate UK.
- TescomajorACT UK consortium partner, one of the largest UK retailers participating in textile recycling ecosystem development.
- PangaiamajorACT UK consortium partner, innovative materials company working on sustainable textile solutions.
- OxfammajorACT UK consortium partner, major textile collector and charity working in the reuse and recycling space.
- Salvation ArmymajorACT UK consortium partner, major textile collector and charity participating in the circular economy initiative.
- IBMmajorACT UK consortium partner providing technology expertise for the Digital Supply Chain Hub Testbed for Textiles project, funded by Digital Catapult's Made Smarter Innovation programme.
- WRAPmajorACT UK consortium partner, the Waste and Resources Action Programme working on textile waste reduction and circular economy initiatives.
- Digital CatapultsupportingCircle-8 and UKFT are collaborating with Digital Catapult's Made Smarter Innovation programme on the Digital Supply Chain Hub Testbed for Textiles project to develop technical solutions for cross-supply chain data access and use.
- ACT UK Consortium PartnersmajorEcosystem partners including UKFT, WRAP, Reskinned, Alex Begg, Camira, MTC, NewLook, Oxfam, Salvation Army, Shred Station, Tesco, TRA, TRI, Uni-Huddersfield, Uni-Leeds, LITAC, and Worn Again Technologies collaborating to create the blueprint for new systems and innovative sorting facilities.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Syre: H&M-backed polyester recycling venture scaling depolymerisation-based polyester regeneration. Comparable as a fibre-to-fibre polyester recycler targeting the same brand demand for recycled-content polyester.
- Ambercycle: US-based molecular recycling startup producing cycora® regenerated polyester from textile waste. Comparable as a chemical recycler of polyester from post-consumer textiles, focused on apparel supply chains.
Direct peers
- Worn Again Technologies: UK-based chemical recycler and patent holder whose process Circle-8 licenses. Directly comparable as the licensor technology platform; also represents the most direct competitive threat should Worn Again expand into the UK independently.
- Renewcell: Swedish fibre-to-fibre textile recycler (Circulose® process) that converts cotton-rich textile waste into dissolving pulp for virgin-equivalent fibres. Directly comparable as a cellulose-focused textile recycler supplying brands and mills with recycled feedstock.
- Circ: US-based textile recycler using a chemical process to separate and recover polyester and cellulose from blended fabrics. Directly comparable as a chemical recycling platform targeting the same poly-cotton waste stream Circle-8 is built around.
- Reju: Polyester regeneration joint venture building European Regeneration Hubs for Reju Polyester™ from textile waste. Comparable as both a feedstock customer (offtake partner) and a parallel chemical recycler competing for the same UK/EU waste stream.
- Infinna Fiber (Infinited Fiber Company): Finnish fibre-to-fibre recycler producing Infinna™, a regenerated cellulosic fibre from textile waste. Comparable as a chemical/regeneration platform selling recycled feedstock to global apparel brands.
Broad incumbents
- TOMRA Textiles: Global leader in automated sorting and the main technology provider for the SIPtex automated textile sorting facility in Sweden. Comparable as an automated sorting infrastructure provider and Circle-8's feasibility-study partner; broader incumbent across recycling reverse vending and material recovery.
Regional players
- Reskinned: UK-based textile collection, sorting and resale/recycling operator. Comparable as a UK-focused textile circularity player in collection and pre-processing, though more retail- and resale-oriented than Circle-8's infrastructure model.
Others
- NewRetex: Danish AI-driven automated textile sorting technology provider from which Circle-8 acquired its first sorting line. Comparable as a sorting technology supplier and ecosystem enabler rather than a direct infrastructure competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED social profiles
Digital presenceCIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED
What does CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED do?
Circle-8 operates Automated Textile Sorting and Preprocessing (ATSP) facilities that sort and pre-process non-reusable textiles into feedstock for fibre-to-fibre mechanical and chemical recyclers. The company is also the official UK licensee of Worn Again Technologies' patented chemical recycling process and is developing the UK's first large-scale polymer recycling plant for non-reusable polyester and poly/cotton blend textiles.
Is CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED a public or private company?
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED founded?
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED was founded in 2023. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED based?
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. ATSP Feedstock Sales are the primary driver. The others are circular Materials Delivery Programme and licensed Chemical Recycling Operations.
Who are CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Syre and Ambercycle. Direct peers are Worn Again Technologies, Renewcell, Circ, Reju and Infinna Fiber (Infinited Fiber Company). TOMRA Textiles is listed as a broad incumbent. Reskinned is listed as a regional player. NewRetex is listed as an others.
Does CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED have an API?
No public API is recorded for CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED.
What industry is CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED in?
CIRCLE-8 TEXTILE ECOSYSTEMS LIMITED's product category is Textile Recycling Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALADAL, Textile & Apparel Recycling and Sorting (Non-E-waste), with a secondary code of IMAOAMAE, Textile-to-Textile Feedstock Preparation (De-trimming/De-buttoning/De-zipping/Contaminant Removal). Its NAICS code is 313 and its SIC code is 2200.