DePoly Opens Switzerland’s First Industrial PET Recycling Plant in Monthey

On 6 and 7 July 2026, EPFL spin-off and Valais-based circular materials company inaugurated its Showcase Plant at Monthey’s Industrial Park (CIMO) — the first depolymerization facility of its kind and scale in Switzerland. The plant can process around 500 tonnes of PET feedstock per year and has already generated CHF 50 million in signed customer volume.

What sets DePoly apart from conventional recycling is fundamental chemistry. Traditional mechanical recycling degrades material quality with every cycle. DePoly’s light-activated chemical depolymerization process instead breaks PET down into its original molecular building blocks — purified terephthalic acid (PTA) and monoethylene glycol (MEG) — in under 60 minutes, without high temperatures or pressure. The result is virgin-quality raw material, suitable for any PET application, with up to 75% lower emissions than conventionally produced PTA. The process handles waste streams that conventional recycling largely ignores: coloured packaging, polyester textiles, complex films and contaminated materials.

The industrial case is compelling. More than 450 million tons of plastic waste are generated worldwide each year, yet less than 10% is effectively reused. Twenty percent of global oil production goes into plastics, and 57% of textile fibres are polyester. Transforming that waste into a feedstock rather than a disposal problem is both an environmental and a strategic proposition — reducing dependence on fossil-based raw materials and strengthening supply chain resilience.

The build of the plant involved more than 100 different companies and suppliers, with a total of around 100 pieces of equipment installed on site. There are also more than 1,100 instruments and valves, connected by 3 kilometres of pipework and 1.5 kilometres of electrical cables. In total, more than 10,000 hours of engineering work were required to design and build this facility.

“This Showcase Plant represents more than just steel, pipes and equipment,” said Samantha Anderson, CEO and co-founder. “It represents six years of asking if the circular economy is possible, and proving that it is.”

The inauguration brought together industrial partners, institutional figures and investors — including new backer Una Terra Venture Capital alongside existing shareholders BASF, Beiersdorf, Founderful, Infinity, ACE & Company and MassMutualVentures. The next milestone is already in preparation: a commercial plant targeting 50,000 tonnes per year capacity, with its location to be announced in the first half of 2027.

➡️ Source: Press Release | 📸 ©DePoly