PureCycle, MiniFIBERS, Beverly Knits Complete Successful Trial with PCR Resin

PureCycle Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCT), today, announced a successful trial run with MiniFIBERS and Beverly Knits, resulting in the production of several high-quality product samples. MiniFIBERS, a leading manufacturer of specialty fiber products, used PureCycle resin produced from post-consumer recycled (PCR) waste to create fiber packages. These packages were then sent to Beverly Knits, a U.S. textile manufacturer, and used to produce textiles for a broad range of markets including home goods, automotive applications, industrial solutions, and apparel products. These initial product samples are designed to allow brand owners to feel confident that there will be no compromise in quality when they introduce PureCycle resin into their products.

PureCycle CEO Dustin Olson said, “MiniFIBERS has been a great partner as we begin our commercial journey. They’ve shown a great interest in finding ways to incorporate recycled content into their materials. In the past, fiber producers have experienced challenges when trying to use recycled polypropylene, because the varying level of contaminants cause the thread to break during the fiber manufacturing process. We remove those contaminants in our process at the molecular level, and in doing so, provide stronger product quality.” Olson added, “This trial is also a good example of PureCycle resin in a non-food grade application. Fiber represents approximately 15% of the global demand for virgin polypropylene and to date, there hasn’t been a scalable supply of recycled material to meet that demand. I believe this is one of the many areas where PureCycle resin can serve as a tangible replacement for fossil-based polypropylene.”

Beverly Knits owner Ron Sytz said, “These fabrics perform exactly the same as those manufactured with virgin polypropylene fiber, making them nearly plug and play for our customers. We see an endless number of applications where PureCycle’s resin can be easily incorporated into the textile, transforming the fabric into a sustainable solution without any compromises. We are excited to work with current and future customers to integrate PureCycle’s technology into cutting-edge fabrics, engineered for their specific needs.”

Polypropylene fiber is used in many industries, including apparel, textiles, and automotive. In early March, MiniFIBERS presented the PureCycle team with a rug made from 100% PureCycle resin that was produced from post-industrial recycled (PIR) material.

MiniFIBERS Sales Director John Garner said, “Brand owners everywhere are looking for a sustainable solution. These successful trials with PureCycle resin made from both PCR and PIR waste is a huge step forward for the industry and for sustainability.” Garner added, “We look forward to continuing down this path with PureCycle and our partners at Beverly Knits to start producing sustainable commercial products that can soon be used by consumers.”

PureCycle and MiniFIBERS plan to continue testing use cases for other nonwoven applications that could help improve the sustainability of products in the construction, automotive, and appliance industry.

About Beverly Knits

Beverly Knits, Inc. is one of the largest and most diverse circular knitters in the U.S., creating industry-leading solutions for the world’s greatest brands of performance wear, athletic footwear, intimate apparel, outdoor apparel, mattress and bedding solutions, automotive, industrial, and medical products. Capabilities include specialized knitting, dyeing, finishing, coating, printing and cut & sew operations. The enterprise includes Beverly Knits, Creative Fabric Services, Creative Ticking, Creative Dyeing & Finishing, Altus Finishing and Hemingway Sewing Solutions.

About MiniFIBERS

MiniFIBERS, Inc. is an industry-leading raw material fiber specialist. In 1968, its founder G.B. Keith developed and patented the machine which later became known as the Lummus cutter. MiniFIBERS entered the melt-spun yarn arena in 2011 with the purchase of a small, highly specialized fiber extrusion operation, which allowed the company to increase its offering of specialty fibers and to participate in the development of new fiber products. MiniFIBERS is committed to reducing the impact upon fossil fuels across the full range of industries we serve, and our leadership, spearheaded by company President Kerry Keith, is dedicated to the development of new sustainable and recycled fiber technologies to carry our company and the fiber industry into the future.

About PureCycle Technologies

PureCycle Technologies LLC., a subsidiary of PureCycle Technologies, Inc., holds a global license for the only patented solvent-driven purification recycling technology, developed by The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), that is designed to transform polypropylene plastic waste (designated as No. 5 plastic) into a continuously renewable resource. The unique purification process removes color, odor, and other impurities from No. 5 plastic waste resulting in an ultra-pure recycled (UPR) plastic that can be recycled and reused multiple times, changing our relationship with plastic.