Reju Debuts AR Experience at Climate Week NYC, Showing the Problem of the Global Textile Waste on Iconic Landmarks

PARIS, Sept. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Reju^™, the purpose-driven, leading textile-to-textile regeneration company, is using augmented reality (AR) to give Climate Week NYC 2025 attendees and the city itself a dramatic look at the textile industry's global waste problem. Launching on 22nd September, Reju's AR experience overlays mountains of textile waste against two iconic New York City landmarks; the Empire State Building and Flatiron providing a powerful, shareable visualization of the sustainability crisis and the company's role in solving it.

According to Textile Exchange, more than 92 million tons of textile waste are generated globally each year, most of it ending up in landfills or incinerated. Reju's regeneration technology which originated with IBM research, is designed to change that by recovering, regenerating and recirculating end-of-life textiles into high-quality materials, closing the loop on textile waste.

Throughout Climate Week, New Yorkers will encounter QR code signage at high-traffic locations and near key Climate Week venues. Scanning the code leads users to an interactive microsite, where they can point their phone's camera at the two landmark buildings to activate Reju's AR filter.

As users swipe through the AR settings, they will see the amount of global textile waste generated in a second, minute, hour and day scaled to the size of the landmark in front of them. The experience delivers a visceral sense of the industry's impact and highlights why innovation in sustainable materials is critical.

"Reju's AR experience brings the invisible textile waste problem into sharp focus, right in the middle of New York City during a week when climate is top of mind," said Patrik Frisk, CEO, Reju. "It's a wake-up call, but also a glimpse of hope. This is the very waste Reju is designed to transform, turning discarded textiles into high-quality materials and closing the loop in fashion and beyond."

Designed to meet audiences where they are, the AR activation enables New Yorkers and visitors to scan QR codes found on social media and near the landmarks and immerse themselves in the AR experience, record videos, and share their content on social media.

This campaign includes influencer partners who will share videos of the AR filter in action, inspiring followers to find the landmarks, try the filter themselves, and post their own content—amplifying the conversation and deepening engagement.

To participate in the experience, Climate Week attendees and the public can follow @Reju on social platforms and https://ar.reju.com/ to view the experience.

After using the AR filter, consumers are encouraged to share their footage with the hashtag #RejuClimateWeek, learn more about textile regeneration, and sign up to join Reju's movement toward a circular textile economy.

About Reju

Reju is a materials regeneration company focused on creating innovative solutions for regenerating polyester textiles and post-consumer PET waste. Owned by Technip Energies and utilizing technology originating with IBM Research, Reju is driven by its purpose to unlock infinite possibilities within finite resources. The company aims to establish a global textile recycling circular system to regenerate and recirculate polyester textiles. Learn more at https://www.reju.com/.

SOURCE Reju