The Repsol Foundation has taken a 14% stake in Coleo NetworkThe recycling division of the Coleo Group. The agreement, signed by Antonio Brufau and David Puyuelo, is aimed at accelerate industrial expansion de a network for the management and valorization of textile waste in Spain and the rest of Europe.
The sectoral context reinforces the movement: the Textile recycling in Europe generates more than 7 billion tons of textile waste per year. Barely 10% is recycled; between 20% and 25% is reused or exported, a channel that is It is becoming saturated due to competition from new, low-cost products. originating from Asia. The rest, between 65% and 75%, ends up in landfills or incineration.
The operation and its objectives
The entry is structured as a minority stake in Coleo Network with the explicit objective of open new management and valorization plants and strengthen technological and logistical capabilities. The amount has not been made public, but the operation is part of the Repsol Foundation's strategy to support projects in triple impact economic, social and environmental.
Coleo currently operates three plants in Spain āin Galicia and Cataloniaā and a fourth facility in Toulouse (France). The company, headquartered in MatarĆ³ (Barcelona), also works in new openings, including a plant planned in A Laracha (A CoruƱa), and has other facilities for complementary processes such as weaving.
From his position as president of Repsol, Antonio Brufau has emphasized that the investment consolidates the momentum towards a triple bottom line economy in a strategic area such as textile recycling, combining business growth with significant environmental and social benefits.
For his part, David Puyuelo, CEO and co-founder of Coleo, highlights that having FundaciĆ³n Repsol as a partner will facilitate scaling up a European textile circularity based on the industrialization, technology and balanced social impact across all plants.
The operation is part of the Repsol Foundation's roadmap, through its Repsol Social Impact vehicle, which prioritizes circular economyenergy efficiency, sustainable mobility and emissions reduction/offsetting. Its portfolio companies include Grupo Sylvestris (reforestation for CO2 capture), Hispaled (digital and LED solutions), Koiki (sustainable last mile) and GNE Finance (eco-sustainable rehabilitation). With Coleo, the foundation now has five triple-impact companies in portfolio.
Coleo Network, European leader in textile circularity
As part of the Coleo Group, Coleo Network promotes a model of comprehensive textile circularity ranging from waste management to industrial recycling and manufacturing fibers, fabrics and new garmentsThe company applies its own technology and continuous process improvement to transform waste into valuable materials, with economic viability.
The project incorporates a priority social aspect: more than 50% of the staff In its plants, it employs people from groups at risk of social exclusion, through partnerships with local organizations and associations. This approach combines environmental impact y inclusive job creation in the territories where it operates.
Founded in 2013 as a textile supplier, the company shifted its focus in 2019 to waste management and recycled fiber production. Today, it integrates several business lines: Coleo Recycling (reception, classification and preparation of the material, dependent on Coleo Network), Coleo Fibers (recycled fiber) and Coleo Studio (design and manufacturing for third parties). The group has launched on the market more than ten million garments for major distributors in the sector in Spain.
With regulatory and market pressures moving towards sustainable production and consumption models In Europe āwith Spain among the most dynamic countriesā, industry-entrepreneurship collaboration becomes key to closing the textile cycle, gaining traceability and expanding advanced recycling capacity.
This corporate move connects need and opportunity: the Repsol Foundation provides capital and leverage for the industrial scalabilitywhile Coleo offers technology, an operational network, and a proven social approach. The combination aims to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or incinerated and positioning Spain and Europe at the forefront of textile recycling.
