IOS, the Institute for Environmental Protection and Sensors, is a private research and production company in Maribor, Slovenia, that also sells water treatment and sensor products. Its EIC project, OpenLOOP, set out to recycle "any mixture and blend" of PET plastic and cellulose waste, typical of polyester-cotton textiles, into high-value chemicals: recycled terephthalic acid (rTA), 5-HMF, levulinic acid and hydrogen. It planned to "integrate it into industrial environment IOSs DEMO plant", automate it and prepare commercial packages, according to CORDIS.
The European Innovation Council granted €2,450,000 towards a €3.5 million project from April 2023 to September 2025. The final report says the process was optimised and validated at lab and pilot scale, reached rTA purity of 98 to 99% and 5-HMF and levulinic acid purity of 98 to 99%, produced rTA at up to 100 kg a day, recovered more than 80% of process water, and turned solid residues into pellets and insulation. It also says "a demonstration plant in Slovenia is being prepared" and that industrial-scale demonstration, investment and market access for a first full-scale plant are still needed. IOS's website now markets OpenLOOP as a "breakthrough textile recycling technology".
Company file
- Legal entity
- IOS, inštitut za okoljevarstvo in senzorje, d.o.o., VAT SI23149574, Maribor
- Other products
- Water4Future, Water(R)euse, sensors, nanotechnology
- Technology
- OpenLOOP enzymatic and chemical recycling of PET and cellulose
- Outputs
- rTA, 5-HMF, levulinic acid, terpenoids, pellets, insulation
- EIC project
- OpenLOOP, 1 Apr 2023 to 30 Sep 2025
- EIC funding
- Grant first
Where IOS Stands Now
IOS says OpenLOOP recycles over 90% of textile waste, including cellulose and polyester blends, and over 85% of process water, and calls it "a bridge between the textile industry and the circular economy of the future". It has not announced a demonstration plant opening, a buyer for its recovered chemicals, a licensing deal or new investment. The report adds that residual sugars were converted into terpenoids such as limonene, extending the range of outputs.
"To ensure successful large-scale uptake, continued progress is needed in industrial-scale demonstration, investment, and market access for the first full-scale plant."
IOS, final report to the EICThe Technology: Enzymes, Then Chemistry
OpenLOOP first strips dyes, then uses enzymes to break down the cotton into sugars, separating it from the polyester. The polyester is depolymerised by neutral and alkaline hydrolysis into terephthalic acid, while sugars are dehydrated into 5-HMF and levulinic acid. The report says supercritical CO2 and microwave treatments extended the process to more complex textile mixes.
What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows
The project promised to mature the technology, integrate it into a demonstration plant, automate and validate it, and design commercial packages. Maturing, automating and validating were done at pilot scale, with an automated central control system. The integration into a demonstration plant and the commercial packages are not documented as complete. CORDIS still lists the project as signed.
- Process validationDeliveredIndustrial purity reached.
- AutomationDeliveredCentral control system.
- Demo plant integrationNot done"Being prepared".
- Commercial uptakeNone announcedInvestment still needed.
The Money
IOS's financial statements are available in Slovenia only through paid services, so its revenue and the share coming from OpenLOOP are not public. No EIC Fund investment has been announced; the award was grant first.
What Cannot Be Checked
Questions for the EIC
When the demonstration plant will be built and who will finance it, what the recovered chemicals would cost against fossil equivalents and whether any textile or chemical company has signed up are not public.
Why Europe Should Care
The report says mixed textile waste is a growing problem that current recycling cannot handle, especially polyester-cotton blends. OpenLOOP is one European answer, and the EIC funded its pilot. The step from pilot to plant has not yet been taken.
What the project promised
A validated, automated recycling process integrated into a demonstration plant and ready for commercial packages.
What the record shows
A validated pilot producing high-purity chemicals, and a demonstration plant still being prepared.
The Verdict
Pilot proven, plant pending
IOS showed that OpenLOOP works at pilot scale with the EIC's support. Its own report says the plant, investment and market access that would make it matter are still ahead.
IOS and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.
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