Matterr secures €30m for 10,000-t PET chemical recycling plant in Germany by 2027
Matterr has won a €30 million grant through “Produktives.NRW” under the EFRE/JTF Program NRW 2021–2027. The funding speeds up construction of the company’s first small-scale industrial chemical recycling plant in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Operations are slated for 2027, with an annual capacity of 10,000 tonnes of recycled polyester feedstock serving both packaging and textile markets.
Here’s what matters about the technology. Matterr’s proprietary depolymerization runs at atmospheric pressure and breaks mixed polyester waste—including textiles and multilayer packaging—into the primary monomers terephthalic acid (TPA) and ethylene glycol (EG). After purification, these monomers can run through existing polyester assets to make virgin-quality polymer that replaces petrochemical feedstocks. The process is built for complex streams that mechanical recycling can’t handle, enabling closed-loop cycles, lower CO₂ emissions, and less reliance on fossil resources.
The total project investment is about €63 million, combining public funding with private capital. “This funding commitment is a key milestone for matterr – it enables us to deliver on our ambition to provide recycled polyester that is economically viable, scalable, and of primary raw material quality,” said Melanie Hackler, CEO of matterr. “Our decision to scale in Germany is intentional: the technology was developed here, and we will keep the value creation here. This ensures strategic independence in a key technology for the global circular transformation of textile and packaging markets.”
What comes next. The NRW plant is meant to prove industrial readiness and serve as a blueprint for future sites above 100,000 tonnes per year. Matterr plans to license its technology to partners worldwide to speed adoption and expand across regions. By capturing waste streams that now go to landfill or incineration, the company aims to cut emissions across the polyester value chain, secure raw material supply, and support EU circular-economy and climate goals—while strengthening Germany’s role in industrial innovation.
The EFRE/JTF Program NRW 2021–2027 provides €1.9 billion from the European Regional Development Fund and the Just Transition Fund, with co-financing from North Rhine-Westphalia and project owners. It supports projects in innovation, sustainability, SME development, quality of life, mobility, coal-region transition, and strategic technologies.
