Decathlon plans to make an investment in the startup Recyc’Elit through its Decathlon Alliances structure to develop recycled products from textile waste.
Founded in 2019 in France, Recyc’Elit recycles complex polyester-based materials by sorting the fibers. The company now plans to build a prototype for this innovation by 2025.
Recyc’Elit aims to address the challenge of recycling complex textiles, such as polyester mixed with other fibers. Decathlon will purchase this recycled polyester from Recyc’Elit in the long term to maintain its competitive edge and participate in the textile recycling value chain.
The long-term business partnership between Decathlon and Recyc’Elit involves creating a value chain with all committed partners and producing capsule collections.
In October 2023, Recyc’Elit secured €3.2 million from Demeter via Crédit Agricole Création, business angels, the Fonds d’Amorçage Industriel Métropolitain (FAIM) Lyon – Saint Etienne, Banque des Territoires, and the French government as part of the France 2030 initiative.
Decathlon, which operates 1,700 stores, reported €15.6 billion in global sales in 2023, a 1.15 per cent increase, and a net profit of €931 million, up 0.9 per cent.
