Swedish Textile Recycler Syre Raises $100 Million

Representation photo: Garment employees work in a sewing section of the Fakhruddin Textile Mills Limited in Gazipur, Bangladesh, February 7, 2021. Picture taken February 7, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain
Representation photo: Garment employees work in a sewing section of the Fakhruddin Textile Mills Limited in Gazipur, Bangladesh, February 7, 2021. Picture taken February 7, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain
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Swedish Textile Recycler Syre Raises $100 Million

Representation photo: Garment employees work in a sewing section of the Fakhruddin Textile Mills Limited in Gazipur, Bangladesh, February 7, 2021. Picture taken February 7, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain
Representation photo: Garment employees work in a sewing section of the Fakhruddin Textile Mills Limited in Gazipur, Bangladesh, February 7, 2021. Picture taken February 7, 2021. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain

Textile recycling firm Syre said on Thursday it had raised $100 million to fund the building of its first plant in the United States and preparations for two more, the construction of which will start in 2025.
The funding round was led by founding investor TPG Rise Climate, with investments also from fashion retailer H&M , IMAS Foundation, Volvo Cars and others, Syre said, not specifying how much each had invested, Reuters said.
The Swedish venture said in a statement its US polyester recycling plant would be up and running this year and it had short-listed Vietnam and either Spain or Portugal as sites for two further plants.
"Both regions are strategically positioned within the textile supply chain and have a long history of a vibrant textile industry, with access to know-how, feedstock and logistics, as well as green energy," the company said.
Syre plans to produce more than 3 million metric tons of polyester - enough for two tee-shirts for every person on Earth - in 2032 by recycling used garments.
Around 5.8 million tonnes of textile products are discarded every year in the European Union, equivalent to 11 kg (24 lb) per person.
A truckload of textile products is land-filled or incinerated somewhere in the world every second, according to EU figures.



Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
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Hermes 2Q Sales Rise 13% on Continued Appetite for High-End Luxury

People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)
People stand with Hermes shopping bags as they wait at a traffic light in Tsim Sha Tsui, a bustling shopping hotspot, in Hong Kong, China December 5, 2023. (Reuters)

Birkin-bag maker Hermes reported a 13% rise in second-quarter sales on Thursday, demonstrating the continued appetite from wealthy shoppers for its luxury handbags, even as less affluent consumers pull back.

Sales at the French luxury group grew to 3.7 billion euros ($4.02 billion), a 13% organic sales rise that strips out currency fluctuations. The figure was in line with analyst expectations, according to a Visible Alpha consensus.

Operating profit for the first half was 3.1 billion euros, compared to a forecast from consensus provider Visible Alpha for 3.2 billion.

One of the most steady performers in the luxury goods sector -- even as economic conditions worsen -- the French group's results stand out after a string of disappointing earnings updates from peers which have raised investor concern about uncertain prospects for the sector in the coming months.

Hermes' famously classic designs and tight management of production and stock have helped reinforce the label's aura of exclusivity, and CEO Axel Dumas told reporters the company had seen "no big interruption in trends".

However, he said Hermes was seeing slightly less traffic with aspirational clients, which was impacting higher volume products like fashion accessories.