Green news: Geno/Sojitz partner to scale up biobased PA6; Rexelian to offer recycled compounds for the auto sector

Industrial biomanufacturing technology firm Genomatica (Geno) announced that it has entered into a new partnership with Sojitz Corporation to accelerate the commercialisation of plant-based nylon-6 based on Geno’s underlying proprietary technology. Sojitz has made a strategic financial investment to accelerate time-to-market, while also contributing its commercial and business expertise.

Geno will seek to collaboratively establish a consortium of industry leaders focused on creating a separate entity for the flagship commercial plant with Sojitz. This investment and partnership are part of Sojitz’s long-term “Sustainability Challenge,” a vision to drive sustainable growth for the company and society by advancing decarbonisation across its businesses.

Geno and Aquafil have successfully partnered to produce 100% renewably sourced, plant-based nylon-6 and plan to continue pre-commercial plant operations to further demonstrate the bioprocess technology and assess plant-based nylon. The multi-tons of material will undergo testing in various established nylon-6 applications. Previous applications include a collaboration with lululemon, as well as several final products presented through Project Effective, such as those by H&M and Vaude.

Plant-based nylon-6 is one of several product lines that Geno is driving on a path to commercialisation at industrial scale. Geno also invented, scaled up, and engineered the Geno Bio-BDO process now being used by Qore at its new renewable BDO manufacturing facility in Iowa. The plant, part of a joint venture between Cargill and HELM, is the world’s largest manufacturing site using Geno Bio-BDO (1,4-butanediol) and will help leading brands replace their fossil-based chemistries.

Furthermore, through its partnership with Geno, Hyosung is building the world’s first fully integrated manufacturing site for bio-based spandex from renewable raw material to fibre.

In other news, the plastics and mobility industries welcomed a new player with the official launch of Rexelian. Headquartered in Sant Cugat del Vallés, near Barcelona, Rexelian will focus on advanced recycled polyolefin compounds for mobility, appliances, and electronics.

Rexelian is an independent company, but it has the backing of Spain’s GCR Group's recycling and compounding infrastructure, one of Europe's largest with over 500 kilotonnes/year of installed capacity. Structured as a standalone company, Rexelian benefits from its proximity and direct access to this industrial scale, using 10% of GCR's total capacity to serve its specialized portfolio - creating a value chain integration rarely seen among independent compounders.

Rexelian was quietly founded in mid-2024 and has since laid the groundwork for long-term success - investing in product development, strategic partnerships, and regional coverage across Europe. The company enters the commercialisation phase with:

The company is on track to obtain an IATF 16949-certified Letter of Conformity by the end of 2025, with ISO certifications integrated into its operational standards from day one.

Drawing on its expertise and technology, the company is able to introduce End-of-Life Vehicles (ELV) materials as a viable source within the circular economy.

Positioned as a local partner for European industry, with efficient logistics and short supply chains enabled by proximity to Tarragona's petrochemical cluster and the Port of Barcelona.

With automotive and electronics industries under rising pressure to comply with EU mandates on recycled content, Rexelian offers immediate and scalable solutions to enable compliance without delay. The company is already engaging in pilot projects that demonstrate compliance with OEM specifications, while drastically improving eco-balance scores, it adds.

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