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Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences Van 't Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences

Innovation award for recycling of cotton-polyester textiles

2 April 2026

The Dawn technology of Avantium has won the Innovation Challenge of The Mills Fabrica foundation. Based in part on research by PhD student Nienke Leenders at the Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS), the technology enables recycling of cotton-polyester textile blends into high-value materials.
Samples of polycotton waste textile before (left) and after (right) processing. The sample at the right is transparent since all cotton has been removed; only the polyester remains. Image: HIMS / Avantium.

The Mills Fabrica, based in Hong-Kong and London, is a platform for sustainable innovations in the textiles and agrifood businesses. In a collaboration with an American retail corporation, The Mills Fabrica launched its Innovation Challenge ‘Reimagining textile recycling’. It explored innovative solutions for utilizing cellulose-based textile waste generated from upcycling cotton-polyester blended garments. Last week it was announced that Avantium's Dawn technology was the winner of the challenge, securing $20,000 in prize money.

The Dawn technology is in part based on the research of PhD student Nienke Leenders at the HIMS Industrial Sustainable Chemistry group which is led by Avantium CTO Prof. Gert-Jan Gruter. The research results were presented in a paper in Nature Communications early 2025. The Mills Fabrica Innovation Award recognises its potential for effectively separating polycotton waste, fostering scalable circular solutions that reduce landfill waste, lower environmental impact, and address the rising demand for sustainable supply chains in the fashion industry.

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